I need to be able to make a slide more accessible for people using adaptive
technology. This means I often have to reorder objects/placeholders on a
slide so that someone using the keyboard can Tab to them in their logical
reading order.

I remember that you could do something like this when an audio file was
attached to a slide or there was a transition to it, but these slides have
none of those element and I can't figure out how to do this.

I am using Powerpoint 2007.

BTW, I don't suppose there is any easy way to change an inaccessible text
box to an accessible placeholder without redoing/copying and pasting the
content?

Cheers, Karenn

Thanks, the article was interesting with only one issue: text boxes are
inherently inaccessible whether used in Word or PowerPoint or Excel. Text in
text boxes or auto shapes is simply ignored by screen readers since screen
readers do not "recognize" these objects. It may be read while in slide show
view but not while you are reading the slides themselves or if an outline
from a presentaiton is provided as alternate format.

I was pleased that using the default "placeholder" containers is more easily
found in PowerPoint 2007 since these are accessible and shuld be used instead
of text boxes.

It is true that some recent versions of screen readers can access some
content in text boxes but this is hit and miss and shouldn't be relied upon
since many people have older versions of their technology.

I will; however, add more metadata to my presentations. I use a screen rader
and do workshops on creating accessible PowerPoint and I thought that I had
been able to reorder objects/placeholder containers included from within
PowerPoint.

BTW, for some reason I wasn't notified when a response was posted to my
question and I had that option checked.

Am now going to explore the PPTools page - thanks again, I didn't know about
this.

Cheers, Karen

"Steve Rindsberg" wrote:

> In article <0A6D22A1-7CA7-46BF-902C-(E-Mail Removed)>, Karen McCall
> wrote:
> > I need to be able to make a slide more accessible for people using adaptive
> > technology. This means I often have to reorder objects/placeholders on a
> > slide so that someone using the keyboard can Tab to them in their logical
> > reading order.
> >
> > I remember that you could do something like this when an audio file was
> > attached to a slide or there was a transition to it, but these slides have
> > none of those element and I can't figure out how to do this.
>
> Visit http://www.pptools.com/ppt2html/
>
> The free PPT2HTML demo add-in includes an accessibility assistant tool that
> will help with this and more. No need to purchase anything, no obligation
> other than keeping up the good work in making presentations more accessible.
>
> And definitely read Glenna Shaw's Incredible Accessible Presentation article:
> http://www.pptmagic.com/articles/accessppt.htm
>
> > BTW, I don't suppose there is any easy way to change an inaccessible text
> > box to an accessible placeholder without redoing/copying and pasting the
> > content?
>
> What type of text boxes are these? Normal PPT ones? I'm surprised that
> they're not accessible. Via screen reader, I assume? Does it just ignore text
> boxes altogether? There've been some changes to the format and object model in
> PPT ... what if you create the same content in text boxes in PPT 2003? Is the
> text then accessible? Just trying to pin down the problem.
>
> -----------------------------------------
> Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
> PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
> PPTools: www.pptools.com
> ================================================
>
>
>