Updated October 2022 1 

Disclaimer: FHWA is committed to making its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) accessible by meeting the 

requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The tools, resources, criteria and other items provided herein are 

for internal use by FHWA for ICT it procures, develops, maintains, and utilizes. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the 

use by third parties of the information contained in this document.

Creating Accessible PowerPoint Files Checklist

FHWA-HAD-21-004

This checklist is a companion to “Creating Accessible PowerPoint Files.” See that documentation for 

detailed discussion on any checklist item.

Properties

• The title is descriptive of the presentation.

• The author is FHWA.

• The default language is correct.

• The presentation is saved as a pptx.

Structure

Slides

• Use prebuilt layouts.

• Simplify the layout.

• Background is free of patterns and distractions.

• Each slide has a descriptive title that is unique to the slide deck.

• Content is in logical tab order.

Other Considerations 

• Create using the list tool from the “Home” tab.

• Spacing between elements is created by using the “Line Spacing” option.

• Linked words are descriptive and unique. Do not use “click here,” “read more,” etc., for the

links.

• Symbols are inserted by using the “Symbol” tool.

• Columns are properly formatted.

Text as Text

• Text is rendered as text, not as an image.
Creating Accessible PowerPoint Files Checklist

FHWA-HAD-21-004 Updated October 2022 2 

Background Information

• When adding footers, ensure Headers and Footers are enabled.

• Vital information in the background is listed in the “Selection Pane.” 

Graphics

• Individual graphics used to create a single image are grouped. 

• The alt text describes the meaning of the image fully in as few words as possible. 

• Figures that do not provide meaningful information contain null or “ “ alt text or are marked as 

decorative.

• Alt text does not repeat the caption or other surrounding text.

• Alt text does not start with “this is an image of” since that is assumed.

Sensory Characteristics

• Avoid references to content solely by shape, size, sound, color, or location.

Use of Color

• Information is not conveyed by the use of color alone. This applies to content including text, 

links, and graphs/charts.

Color contrast

• Text placed on a background meets minimum color contrast requirements. This includes 

graphics where an image of text is unavoidable.

Tables

• Every column has a header. 

• Every row has a header. 

• Everything in a column is associated with the header(s). 

• Everything in a row is associated with the header(s). 

• Each item is in its own cell. 

• Separate tables are not merged.

• Long tables are not wrapped.

• The table is regular/rectangular, with no missing cells.

• Only data is in the table, no titles, captions, or notes.

• If, on rare occasion, a table is used for layout, the content is in logical reading order.

Zoom

• Except for captions and images of text, text is resizable and readable when zoomed to 200% 

without assistive technology.
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Movement

• There is no content that blinks or flashes. 

Language of Part

• Language of parts, if needed, is correct.

Forms and Macros

• There are no form fields or macros in the file.

Embedded Media

• See “Creating Section 508 Multimedia.”