Southern New Hampshire University

Adding Alternative Text: PowerPoint (Web) 

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What is Alternative Text?

Alternative Text (Alt-text) is also referred to as an alt description or an alt attribute. Alt-text is critical for those with disabilities because it describes the function and appearance of a photo or graphic that cannot be seen and is read aloud by screen reading software. Alt-text improves the overall user experience.

Importance of Alternative Text and Where to Apply It

Alternative text (alt-text) plays a crucial role in digital accessibility by explaining why an image is relevant to the content. Screen reading software reads alt-text aloud, allowing users with visual impairments to understand the context and purpose of the image.

Most digital content and websites support alt-text, ensuring that descriptions remain intact when exported to HTML or PDF. To maintain accessibility, always provide clear and meaningful alt-text for the following elements:

  • Shapes
  • Pictures
  • Charts
  • Diagrams
  • SmartArt
  • Clip Art
  • Tables
  • Screenshots
  • All Other Objects

Adding Alternative Text to Images in a PowerPoint Document

  1. Create a PowerPoint document.
  2. Insert the desired image.
  3. Right-click on the image and select “Alt Text…”
A screenshot of a right-click menu in Microsoft PowerPoint, with the “Alt Text…” option highlighted in red.
  1. Enter a description that effectively conveys the image’s message.
A screenshot of the “Alt Text” pane in Microsoft PowerPoint, displaying a text box with the description “Southern New Hampshire University logo with a shield and flame icon.” The red outline highlights the description field.
  1. Sometimes, PowerPoint will automatically generate a description. Review the auto-generated alt-text to ensure it accurately conveys the intended message.
A screenshot of the “Alt Text” pane in Microsoft PowerPoint, showing the same description field with the text “Southern New Hampshire University logo with a shield and flame icon.” The “Generate alt text for me” button is highlighted in red.
  1. Check the “Mark as Decorative” box if the image is purely decorative.
A screenshot of the “Alt Text” pane in Microsoft PowerPoint, with the description field containing “Southern New Hampshire University logo with a shield and flame icon.” The “Mark as decorative” toggle switch is outlined in red, indicating it can be enabled to mark the image as decorative.

Watch and Listen to a Video Tutorial

To enhance your understanding, you can watch and listen to a step-by-step video tutorial. This will provide a visual and auditory guide to help you follow along easily.

How to Add & Edit Alt Text in PowerPoint Presentations

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