How To Add Alt Text In PowerPoint: Accessibility Boost For Every Slide

I still remember the first presentation I built at Carnegie Mellon where Professor Martinez pulled me aside. “Your slides are visually stunning, but blind students can’t see them,” he said. That conversation changed how I approach every deck.

Adding alt text in PowerPoint takes under 30 seconds per image and makes your content accessible to screen readers. Right-click any picture, select “Format Picture,” then choose “Alt Text” from the menu.

You’ll provide context that describes both the image and its purpose in your slide. A good description is concise yet meaningful—no more than 25-30 words typically does the trick.

This small habit ensures everyone in your audience, regardless of ability, gets the full message. It’s the professional standard we should all be meeting.

What Youll Need

Step-by-Step Instructions for Adding Alt Text in PowerPoint

Here’s the procedure I follow to make presentations accessible to everyone, including screen reader users.

Click the image, chart, or shape you want to describe. I always start with the most important visual elements first—usually the title slide graphics or key data visualizations. Go to the Pictures Format or Shape Format tab on the ribbon.

In the Accessibility group, click Alt Text. This opens the side panel where you’ll add your descriptions. If the element is purely decorative, you can mark it as such here, which hides it from screen readers.

In the Title field, enter a brief description—1-2 words is ideal for simple elements. For a company logo, “Company Logo” suffices. The Description field allows for more detail: 1-2 sentences maximum.

For a chart, describe the type and key takeaway: “Bar chart showing Q4 sales increasing by 20% year-over-year.” Avoid starting with “This is a” or “Image of”—screen readers already announce the element type.

Verify the text makes sense when read aloud. If it sounds awkward or overly verbose, shorten it.

Repeat the process for every image, icon, and chart in your presentation. For groups of related elements, like a set of icons representing steps, describe the group as a whole rather than each icon individually.

Check your progress using the Accessibility Checker (Review tab > Check Accessibility). It flags any missing alt text with a warning. Address these before finalizing your presentation.

For intricate diagrams or infographics, provide a detailed description in the alt text, but keep it under 125 characters if possible. If more detail is needed, consider adding a text description in the slide notes or a separate slide.

Tables require special attention. Right-click the table and select Table Properties, then add a title and description in the Alt Text tab. This ensures screen readers can interpret the data structure.

Save your presentation and test it with a screen reader like Narrator (Windows) or VoiceOver (Mac). Navigate through the slides to confirm the alt text is read correctly and in the right order.

Watch for elements that might be skipped or mislabeled. If an element is consistently misread, revisit its alt text. This step ensures your efforts translate into real accessibility improvements.

Tips and Common Mistakes

The details that transform basic presentations into truly accessible ones.

Accessibility Checker Strategy: Use the Review tab’s Accessibility Checker after completing Step 3—it catches missing alt text instantly. I’ve found it also flags elements that screen readers might skip, which is invaluable for catching those easy-to-miss decorative elements that still need marking.

Character Count Wisdom: For Step 4’s complex visuals, that 125-character limit is tighter than it seems. I recommend drafting your description first, then refining it down. If you hit the limit and still need more detail, the slide notes are your best friend for additional context.

Testing Technique: In Step 5, don’t just test with one screen reader. Narrator and VoiceOver interpret alt text slightly differently. I learned this the hard way when a perfectly clear description in VoiceOver came across as gibberish in Narrator—now I test with both.

Group Description Hack: When tackling groups of icons in Step 3, resist the urge to describe each one. Instead, focus on the group’s purpose—”Three-step process icons showing setup, configuration, and completion” works better than three separate descriptions that screen readers would read as disjointed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Adding alt text in PowerPoint is a simple yet powerful way to make your presentations more accessible. ✨ By following the steps above, you ensure everyone—including screen reader users—can engage with your content. Start enhancing your slides today and share your newfound knowledge with others to promote inclusivity!