PowerPoint Document Checklist

ID 1.0 Presentation Layout and Formatting Requirement Pass Fail

1.1 Can all slide text be viewed in the Outline View?

1.2 Do all of the slides avoid using flickering/flashing text and/or

animated text?

1.3 If color is used to emphasize the importance of selected text,

is there an alternate method such as Italics or Bold?

1.4 Do all URL’s contain the correct hyperlink and display the fully
qualified URL (i.e., http://www.fda.gov and not www.fda.gov)?

1.5 Are all URL’s active and linked to the correct Web
destinations?

1.6 Do all of the slides avoid using text boxes or graphics with text
within them?

1.7 Have comments been removed and formatting marks been

turned off?

ID 2.0 Presentation Image Requirement Pass Fail

2.1 Do all images, grouped images and non-text elements that

convey information have alternative text descriptions?

2.2 Do decorative images that do not convey information have a

blank Alternative Text (Alt Tag) (i.e., “”)?

2.3 Have all slides that contain multiple associated images on the
same page (e.g., boxes in an organizational chart) been
grouped as one object?

2.4 Have all slides with multi-layered objects been flattened into
one image and use one Alternative Text (Alt Tag) for this
image?

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 ID 2.0 Presentation Image Requirement Pass Fail

2.5 Do slides that contain complex images have descriptive text

immediately following them or a hidden slide immediately
following the complex information explaining it?

ID 3.0 Presentation Chart Requirements Pass Fail

3.1 Were all of the charts in the presentation created in

PowerPoint?

3.2 Do all of the slides that have charts on them have Title,
Legend and Axis (X & Y) labels?

3.3 Do all the charts have alternative text descriptions?

3.4 Do slides that contain complex charts have descriptive text

immediately following them or a hidden slide immediately
following the complex information explaining it?

ID 4.0 Presentation Table Requirements Pass Fail

4.1 Were all of the tables in the presentation created in

PowerPoint?

4.2 Do all tables have a logical reading order from left to right, top
to bottom?

4.3 Do all of the tables have a Row and/or Column headers?

4.4 Do all of the tables have row/column headings starting in the

first left-hand column of the table?

4.5 Is the table free of Merged Cells?

4.6 Do slides that contain complex tables have descriptive text

immediately following them or a hidden slide immediately
following the complex information explaining it?

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 ID 4.0 Presentation Table Requirements Pass Fail

4.7 Are all data tables in the document named, numbered (if
applicable) and have a description? In some cases
naming/numbering of tables may not be appropriate. For
example, a small data table in a presentation may not need a
reference.

ID Notes/Additional Requirements Pass Fail

A Is the document file name absent of spaces and/or special

characters?

B Is the document file name concise, limited to 20-30

characters, and makes the contents of the file clear in the
context in which it is presented.

C Has a separate accessible version of the document been

provided when there is no other way to make the content
accessible?

D Does the document utilize recommended fonts i.e. Times New

Roman, Verdana, Arial, Tahoma and Helvetica?

E. Have the Document Properties (i.e. Title, Subject, Author,

Keywords, and Language) been filled out properly? Note: For
Author, do not use individuals name or contractor name.
Should use government organization name (i.e.,
OC/OIM/DBPS).

Requirement Guidelines

The following guidelines have been established by HHS for preparing PowerPoint
presentations to meet Section 508 Compliance requirements.

1.0 Presentation Layout and Formatting Requirement

1.1. All slide text must be viewable in the Outline View of PowerPoint.
PowerPoint can export a presentation to Word in an Outline
version. To create a Word Outline click File from the drop down
menu, then select Send To, then choose Microsoft Office Word.

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 In the Send to Microsoft Office Word dialog box click the radio
button for Outline Only. NOTE: Any hidden slides will be captured
in the Word Outline view. Any charts, graphics, imagines or text
boxes will need to be copied over to the Word version.

1.2. All slides should be absent of flickering/flashing text and/or

animated text.

1.3. There must be an alternate method if color was used to emphasize

importance of selected text such as Bold or Italic.

1.4. All URLs must contain the correct hyperlink and display the fully
qualified URL.
All the URL’s must be active and linked to the correct destination.
1.5.

1.6. Content within Text Boxes or Graphics that do not display in the
Outline View must have descriptive text immediately following the
slide.

1.7. All comments and formatting marks must be turned off.

2.0 Presentation Image Requirement

2.1. All images, grouped images and non-text elements that convey
information must have alternative text descriptions. To apply
alternative text, select the image by left clicking on it once. With the
image selected click on Format drop down menu and then click on
Picture. Alternative text is applied in the Web tab of the picture
properties dialog box. NOTE: Any images that are included as part
of the Slide Master will not be accessible to the screen reader for
interpretation.

2.2 To apply alternative text, select the image by left clicking on it once.
With the image selected click on Format drop down menu and then
click on Picture. Alternative text is applied in the Web tab of the
picture properties dialog box. NOTE: Any images that are included
as part of the Slide Master will not be accessible to the screen reader
for interpretation.

2.3 All instances of multiple associated images on a slide (e.g., boxes in

an organizational chart) should have the images grouped as one

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 object.

2.4 All slides with multi-layered objects must be flattened into one image
and use one Alternative Text (Alt Text) for this image. To apply
alternative text, select the image by left clicking on it once. With the
image selected click on Format drop down menu and then click on
Picture. Alternative text is applied in the Web tab of the picture
properties dialog box. NOTE: Any images that are included as part
of the Slide Master will not be accessible to the screen reader for
interpretation.

2.5 Complex images must have descriptive text immediately after the
image. One way to accomplish this is to choose a slide in the Text
and Content Layouts section of the Slide Layout. Or create a
descriptive slide immediately following the slide which contains the
complex item. The descriptive slide can be hidden for the live
presentation by selecting Slide Show from the drop down menu and
then choosing Hide Slide.

3.0 Presentation Chart Requirements

3.1. All charts need to be created within PowerPoint. To create a chart

choose a slide which supports Inserting Charts from the Slide
Layout, such as the Title and Content slide. Click the Insert Chart
icon from the content options. This will launch PowerPoint’s Chart
Edit Window and opens a datasheet. You can modify the datasheet
or import a datasheet.

3.2. All charts should have a Title, Legend and Axis labels associated
with them. This will give users a number of references point to use in
order to correctly interpret the information being presented. To apply
the labels double click the chart to access the PowerPoint Chart Edit
Window. Select Chart in the drop down menu, and then click on
Chart Options to open the dialog box. Enter the values for the
Chart Title, Category X Axis, Y or Z Axis. In 3-D charts, the value
axis is considered the “Z” axis.

3.3. All charts must have alternative text descriptions. To apply

alternative text, when in the Slide Edit Window select the chart by left
clicking on it once. With the chart selected click on Format drop
down menu and then click on Object. Alternative text is applied in
the Web tab of the object properties dialog box.

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 Complex charts must have descriptive text immediately following the
3.4. chart. One way to accomplish this is in the Slide Layout, in the Text
and Content Layouts section choose the slide style Title and
Content Over Text. Or create a descriptive slide immediately
following the slide which contains the complex item. The descriptive
slide can be hidden for the live presentation by selecting Slide Show
from the drop down menu and then choosing Hide Slide.

4.0 Presentation Table Requirements

4.1 All tables should be created within PowerPoint. Tables created

outside of PowerPoint should be identified as images and treated as
such.

4.2 Tables must be used to create a tabular structure (not tabs or

spaces). i.e. Do not use tabs or spaces to display columns of
information.

4.3 All tables must read from left to right, top to bottom. (For proper
reading order by the Screen reader). They should be readily
identifiable titles that are clear and concise. These help the reader in
identifying the segmentation of the data in the table.

4.4 Row/Column headers should start in the first left-hand column of the
table.

4.5 Tables must not use merged cells.

Complex tables must have descriptive text immediately after the
4.6 table. To accomplish this create a descriptive slide immediately
following the slide which contains the complex table. The descriptive
slide can be hidden by selecting Slide Show from the drop down
menu and then choosing Hide Slide.

4.7 All tables should be clearly identified with a name, number (if
applicable) and a description of the table’s contents. This information
will help clarify the purpose of the table and identify its relationship to
the presentation. NOTE: In some cases naming/numbering of tables
may not be appropriate. For example, a small data table in a
presentation may not need a reference.

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 Notes/Additional Requirements

A. The document file name must not contain spaces and/or special
characters. To separate words in a file name use the hyphen (-).

B. The document file name should be concise, generally limited to 20-30

characters, but make the contents of the file clear in the context in
which it is presented.

C. A separate accessible alternative version of the document should be

provided when there is no other way to make the content accessible.
Organizational charts, complex graphics, flowcharts, etc. are examples
of documents that will require a text equivalent.

D. The document must utilize the recommended fonts which are Times
New Roman, Verdana, Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica and Calibri.

E. The Document Properties (i.e. Subject, Author, Title, Keywords, and

Language) must be properly filled out. Note: For “Author” do not use
individuals name or contractor name. Should use government
organization name (i.e., HHS).

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