How to create accessible documents and presentations

Learn the steps needed to make inclusive presentation documents

Why you should attend

At the end of this course you will:

  • Apply styles and templates to make documents and presentations more accessible
  • Check Word and PowerPoint files for accessibility issues and fix common issues
  • Understand how the accessibility of documents and files can be impacted if they are converted to other formats such as PDF

Who will benefit from this training?

This course is aimed at anyone who needs to create and deliver PowerPoint presentations, including:

  • designers
  • content creators
  • managers
  • trainers
  • academics

Level of training: Introductory, but attendees should have a basic knowledge of how to use Word and PowerPoint.

The training covers how to use Word and PowerPoint’s features to make documents more accessible for users with disabilities, but it is not a full beginner’s course in using them as applications.

It may also be beneficial if attendees have some prior knowledge of accessibility standards and principles, as can be gained from our free Introduction to Digital Accessibility course.

Get 10 training courses for the price of 8

To help you get even better value in the year ahead, we have a 10 for the price of 8 bundle on AbilityNet online training courses for you and your team to enjoy. 


Book your training bundle
 


Book now: Thursday 15 May 2025

  • 13:00 - 15:00 BST (2 hours)

Please note: after purchasing a ticket you are able to reassign the ticket, if somebody different to the ticket purchaser will be attending the training.

Attendees of the live training session will receive a Certificate of Attendance to add to their professional development training portfolio.

If you're looking for training for more than 8 people on a single course, please contact us about our great value in-house training options.

You may also be interested in our How to create accessible documents with Word and PDF on-demand recording and our PDF Accessibility training course.

Buy on demand 

Attendees of the live training will receive a recording of the course. If you are not attending the live training you can buy an existing recording of the course on demand:

Contact us for in-house training 

Upskill your team so together we can create a more accessible digital world.

Use this form if you'd like to book this great value training course for your team of 8 or more people, at a date and time you choose.

The fields marked with an asterisk symbol (*) are mandatory.

Course overview

This course will provide you with the foundations for creating accessible Microsoft Office Word and PowerPoint files.

It includes guidance on how to use the Microsoft Office Accessibility Checker to check your documents for accessibility issues and how to convert Office files to accessible PDFs.

What you will learn

  • How accessibility principles and standards apply to documents
  • Accessibility pros and cons for different document formats
  • Making a Word document or PowerPoint presentation accessible, including correct implementation of:
    • Text alternatives for graphics
    • Decorative content
    • Headings and slide titles
    • Lists
    • Data tables
    • Reading order
    • Document titles and metadata
    • Use of colour – including conveying information by colour alone and colour contrast
    • Formatting considerations – hyperlinks, font size and style, and good legibility
    • Embedded video
    • PowerPoint captions
  • Using the Microsoft Accessibility Checker to check for accessibility
  • Exporting to PDF and what needs to be considered in order to maintain accessibility
  • Considerations for accessible document forms

Attendees will receive a link to a recording of the training course to watch at your leisure.

"Very insightful and informative."  

"A well delivered and well-paced webinar. Liked the polls and colourful examples." 

“I’ve found the sessions useful in bringing the range of accessibility issues to our attention, from website navigation to ensuring that images are meaningful to the visually impaired… I’d say that the training is essential for those responsible for the content of public websites.”
 

Meet your trainer - James Baverstock

James Baverstock image
James Baverstock is a Principal Accessibility Consultant at AbilityNet. His role includes carrying out design reviews, accessibility audits, user testing, training and providing in-depth consultancy to organisations on web accessibility and usability.
 
His background includes experience of website management, automated testing systems and consultancy on digital policies and standards. He is accredited with the Certified Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA) and Accessible Document Specialist (ADS) qualifications awarded by IAAP and holds an MSc in Information Systems from City University.

Important information 

Class size: We limit the number of people on our training courses to ensure all attendees can engage with the presenter, ask questions and have an informative experience.

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Date and time

Click on the date below to book your place for a future course:

Thursday 15 May 2025
13:00 to 15:00 BST

If you're looking for training for a group of more than 8 people on a single course, please get in touch with us to book a great value group training course at a time that suits you.

Location

Online via Zoom

Accessibility

  • Delivered on Zoom using its automated captions feature
  • Advanced sharing of slides if required
  • Captioned recording with transcript provided

More information
Got any questions? Email us: training@abilitynet.org.uk

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