A slide can look clear while its objects are read in a confusing sequence. For example, a process diagram makes little sense if its explanation is announced before the step it describes. Check the information order as well as the visual arrangement.

This guide uses the Reading Order pane in desktop PowerPoint for Windows, including Microsoft 365, PowerPoint 2024 and PowerPoint 2021. Work on a copy of a representative slide before changing a complex deck.

Inspect the order of meaningful objects

Choose Review, Check Accessibility. For a reading-order warning, use the suggested Verify object order action to open the Reading Order pane. Its numbered objects show the sequence used by a screen reader. Move items up or down to create a logical progression.

For a three-step process, a useful intended sequence might be the title, short introduction, first step and explanation, second step and explanation, then third step and conclusion. Choose an order that communicates the actual meaning rather than copying a geometric pattern blindly.

Clear an object’s reading-order checkbox only when it is decorative. A border can be decorative; a symbol carrying an important warning needs an accessible explanation.

Check the consequences of the changes

Review alternative text for meaningful non-text objects and ensure it explains their purpose in this slide. A generic description of a chart’s appearance may leave its conclusion unexplained.

Microsoft warns that reordering overlapping objects can change their appearance. It also warns that grouping animated objects does not preserve their animations. Recheck the visual slide and playback if either is relevant.

Test the slide with a screen reader where possible, listening without relying on the picture. Confirm that every important point can be understood and that decorative items do not interrupt the explanation.

Continue through the remaining slides and review the final shared format too. An Accessibility Checker warning is a useful starting point, but the acceptance question is whether the audience can follow the message in a meaningful sequence.

References: Microsoft: Reading Order pane.