Power Point - Built-in Slide Layouts

PowerPoint Accessibility Technical Standard 3: Built‑in Slide Layouts

The “Why” Behind the Standard

When you use a built‑in slide layout, PowerPoint automatically embeds structural tags into the background code. These tags tell assistive technology what each placeholder represents (for example, “This is the title” or “This is the content”).

If you start with a Blank slide and manually add text boxes using Insert > Text Box, those boxes lack structural tags. To a screen reader, a manual text box is just a generic floating object that may be skipped or read out of order.

The Goal: Use the built‑in Title, Content, and Comparison placeholders to preserve structural integrity.

Step 1: Selecting a Layout

Always choose your slide layout before adding content.

1. Go to the Home tab.
2. Click the New Slide icon to insert a default slide, or use the arrow next to New Slide to view all layout options.
3. Select a layout that matches your content (for example, “Title and Content,” “Two Content,” or “Comparison”).

Step 2: Resetting a “Messy” Slide

If you moved placeholders or manually changed formatting, the slide’s underlying template may be broken. You can fix this without deleting content.

1. Select the slide in the left‑hand thumbnail pane.
2. Go to the Home tab.
3. Click Reset (near the “New Slide” and “Layout” buttons).
4. Result: PowerPoint restores placeholder positions, font sizes, and styles defined by the accessible template.

Step 3: When You Need More Content Boxes

A common mistake is needing three columns of text but using a “Two Content” layout and adding a third box manually. Do not do this. Instead, modify the Slide Master.

1. Go to the View tab and select Slide Master.
2. Select an existing layout or choose Insert Layout.
3. Click Insert Placeholder and select Text.
4. Draw the new text placeholder. Because this is done in Slide Master view, the box is properly tagged.
5. Close Slide Master view and apply the new custom layout to your slide.

Step 4: Avoid Text Boxes for Primary Content

If you find yourself using Insert > Text Box, stop and ask whether a placeholder can be used instead.

• Placeholders: Include structural tags, appear in Outline View, and follow the correct reading order.
• Manual text boxes: Do not appear in Outline View and often confuse screen readers.

Step 5: Validation (The Outline View Test)

The fastest way to confirm correct use of built‑in layouts is the Outline View.

1. Go to the View tab.
2. Select Outline View.
3. The Test: If all slide text appears in the outline, placeholders were used correctly. If text is missing, it was likely placed in a manual text box and may be inaccessible.

Quick Checklist for Slide Layouts

• [ ] Did I avoid using the “Blank” slide layout?
• [ ] If I changed a slide’s design, did I click Reset?
• [ ] Does all slide text appear in Outline View?
• [ ] Did I use Slide Master for custom layouts instead of drawing boxes?