You have finished your PowerPoint presentation – the design looks good, the colors are harmonious, and the fonts have been chosen appropriately. Everything seems perfect until you run the accessibility check: The screen reader does not read the content in the correct order, the logical structure is missing, and some content is difficult for people with disabilities to understand.
Here we show you how to ensure that your slides are also accessible to users who rely on a screen reader.
1. Set the Correct Reading Order
The reading order is crucial for screen reader comprehension:
- Switch to the “Accessibility” tab
Example:
❌ Before – Unordered Elements:
In this screenshot, the images and text on the slide are visually positioned correctly, but they are not grouped. In the Selection Pane (on the right), you can see that the images and text appear as individual, separate elements. This means:
- The screen reader does not read them in a logical order
- Related content (e.g. an image and its corresponding text) is not recognized as a single unit
- This makes it difficult or impossible for blind or visually impaired people to understand the content
✅ After – Accessible Grouping:
In the second screenshot, the images and text have been correctly:
- named (e.g. “Aerial view of Unterföhring”)
- ordered from top to bottom (the order is crucial!)
- grouped where appropriate – e.g. image + description as a single group
Tip: If an image provides an explanation for a piece of text, always group them together and assign a meaningful group name – e.g. “Location Image + Company Description”. This allows the screen reader to recognize the semantic connection.
What Does the Statistics Say?
A Statista study based on data from Aktion Mensch examined 71 online shops for accessibility. The results are clear:
- Only 21% of the shops were fully operable using a keyboard.
- As many as 93% used logical headings and were generally compatible with screen readers
This shows that there is a significant need for action.
From 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) will become mandatory for many companies. This means that providers of digital products and services – including online shops – must comply with strict accessibility standards.
Our Experience at econcess
As a digital agency focusing on e-commerce projects, we develop accessible online shops at econcess that comply with the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). From our experience, we know that even small adjustments can have a major impact – both for users and for the success of the project.
Conclusion: Accessibility Affects Us All
The needs of people with disabilities are still too often overlooked in e-commerce – this must change. Accessibility should be a priority for every company. It ensures inclusion, improves usability for everyone, and strengthens brand reputation.
Digital accessibility will play an even greater role in the future. Now is the time to take action.
Some companies are already showing how it can be done. Take a look at a few inspiring examples:
- Lufthansa
- Deutsche Bahn
- insert effect GmbH
At econcess, we consistently ensure that accessibility remains an integral part of all our e-commerce solutions.
👉 Contact us – we will be happy to advise you.
