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Digital Accessibility
Resource Guide

Creating Accessible Google Slides

Google Slides is a widely used tool for presenting visual information and sharing ideas across campus. However, like many slide platforms, accessibility requires thoughtful formatting and design decisions from the creator. The steps below will help ensure your presentations are inclusive and usable for individuals who rely on assistive technologies such as screen readers, magnifiers, or keyboard-only navigation.

Table of Contents

Use Slide Layouts (Not Text Boxes)

Google Slides’ built-in layouts come with preset reading orders that screen readers can follow. Custom text boxes can disrupt this order, making content confusing for users with disabilities.

Steps

  1. Go to the Slide menu → Apply Layout (or right-click a slide and choose Apply layout)
  2. Select a layout that matches your content (e.g., Title and Body, Title Only, Two Columns)
  3. Avoid dragging in new text boxes; use the placeholders provided in the layout

Tip

If you need to add more content, duplicate the slide and continue across multiple slides rather than overcrowding a single one.

Use Descriptive Slide Titles

Slide titles help screen reader users orient themselves and navigate between slides.

  • Always fill out the Title placeholder in each slide layout
  • Make the title specific to that slide's content (e.g., “Survey Results: Fall 2023” instead of just “Results”)

Tip

If your slide has no visible title but needs one for accessibility, use the Title placeholder and format it to blend in visually (e.g., white text on white background). Screen readers will still detect it.

Provide Alt Text for Images, Charts & Diagrams

Screen readers rely on alt text to describe visual content to users who cannot see it. Without it, images are skipped entirely.

Steps

  1. Right-click the image, chart, or diagram → Alt text
  2. In the Description field, write a concise explanation of the image’s content or function
  3. Leave the Title field blank (it’s not used by screen readers)

Best Practices

  • Keep descriptions under 120 characters
  • Focus on what the image means, not what it looks like
  • Avoid starting with “Image of…” or using file names (e.g., “chart.png”)

Examples

  • Accessible Example: “Line graph showing steady enrollment increase from 2020 to 2024”
  • Inaccessible Example: “Line chart” or “chart image”

Use Meaningful Link Text

Screen readers announce link text aloud. Pasting long URLs can be disruptive or meaningless.

Steps

  1. Highlight the descriptive text (e.g., “View full report”)
  2. Press Ctrl + K (or Cmd + K on Mac) or use the Insert > Link menu
  3. Paste the destination URL and click Apply

Examples

  • Accessible Example: “William & Mary Digital Accessibility Resources”
  • Inaccessible Example: “https://www.wm.edu/offices/it/accessibility/index.php”

Maintain High Color Contrast

Poor color contrast can make text unreadable for users with low vision, color blindness, or screen glare.

  • Use dark text on a light background (or the reverse)
  • Avoid using red/green combinations to convey meaning
  • Never rely on color alone, pair it with labels or symbols

Tools to Test Contrast

Avoid Using Text as Images

Text saved as an image (e.g., screenshots of tables or infographics) is not readable by screen readers and cannot be resized or customized.

  • Use actual text fields within slide layouts
  • Recreate key data visuals in accessible charts or tables
  • If an image with text must be used, ensure it’s accompanied by a full description in the speaker notes or as alt text

Use Tables Only When Necessary — Keep Them Simple

Tables in Google Slides have limited accessibility support. Screen readers often struggle with complex or non-standard table structures.

  • Only use tables for data, not layout
  • Keep tables small and clearly labeled
  • Add a brief explanation in the speaker notes to give context

Add Speaker Notes for Additional Context

Speaker notes provide screen reader users with added explanations, data, or contextual cues that may not be conveyed visually.

  • Scroll to the Speaker Notes area below each slide
  • Add any relevant commentary, such as detailed image descriptions or step-by-step instructions

Tip

Use speaker notes to supplement visuals or complex graphs when alt text isn’t sufficient.

Sharing or Exporting Your Slides

We advise the following best practices:

  • Share via Google Slides whenever possible: Use View or Commenter access to preserve reading order, alt text, and layout structure.
  • Exporting to PDF: Go to File > Download > PDF Document (.pdf). Be aware that exported PDFs from Google Slides may not retain all accessibility features (like semantic structure and reading order). For fully tagged PDFs, consider using Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat instead.
  • Exporting to PowerPoint (.pptx):
    If your audience prefers PowerPoint, go to File > Download > Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx). After exporting, open the file in PowerPoint and run the built-in Accessibility Checker:
    • In PowerPoint: Go to Review > Check Accessibility
    • Follow suggestions in the panel to fix issues like missing alt text or incorrect reading order

Quick Checklist for Accessible Google Slides

  • Use built-in slide layouts
  • Add unique slide titles
  • Add alt text to images and charts
  • Use descriptive hyperlink text
  • Avoid text as images
  • Use speaker notes for context
  • Keep tables simple
  • Ensure color contrast