This guidance currently aligns with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 and is being updated to reflect WCAG 2.2. 

Organisations subject to the Web Accessibility Directive or the European Accessibility Act should refer to WCAG 2.2 (W3C.org), as compliance will be required when the revised EN 301 549 standard (PDF) is published in the Official Journal of the European Union in December 2026.

Techniques

PowerPoint does not use semantic elements

  • In PowerPoint, all text content is added into ‘shapes’; there is no way to specify the nature of the content in these shapes, for example, to communicate that a specific box is a level two heading, therefore clarity and concision is vital in PowerPoint documents.
  • If your PowerPoint template is set up correctly, the main title box on the slide will be considered a heading and this will also be used for the slide title.

Videos

Example of bad practice

Not using the main title box on the slide for the heading.

Powerpoint slide with the text "Page 1" in the main title box
Figure 1

This will result in the page title being ‘Page 1’

Powerpoint outline view showing the slide title as "Page 1"
Figure 2

Example of good practice

Using the main title box on the slide for the heading.

Powerpoint slide with the text "Use the main title box as a heading" in the main title box
Figure 3

This will result in the page title being correct.

Powerpoint outline view showing the slide title as "Use the main title box as a heading"
Figure 4

References

WCAG 2.1

  • 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (A)

EN 301 549 v 2.1.2

  • 9.1.3.1 Info and Relationships