Accessible PowerPoint (implementation guide)

4.2. Font

The font is sans serif (e.g. Arial, Helvetica) and not too thick or too thin.

What does that mean?

It is advisable to choose a sans serif font that is neither too thick nor too thin to ensure optimum legibility. The main focus here is on recognising and distinguishing individual letters and words.

Serifs are small decorations or lines that are attached to the ends of the letters. Sans serif fonts have clear and smooth lines and appear more modern and simple than fonts with serifs.

It is important that the stroke width of fonts is between 10% and 20% of the centre length to ensure sufficient contrast. Fonts without serifs, where the difference between the thickness of the lines of the letters is small, are best suited and correspond to the "Normal" or "Regular" weights. Fine and bold font weights and fonts with high line weight contrast should be avoided, especially when formatting the entire text.

Why is it important?

Sans serif fonts are easier to decipher, especially for recipients who have difficulty following the reading flow or recognising and reading the text. This is because fonts with serifs (e.g. New Times Roman) can cause letters to blur into one another or be more difficult to read for some recipients, as the serifs vary the letter shapes more. In addition, fonts that are too thin or too thick can impair legibility, especially for recipients with impaired vision.

How can I implement/check it?

In order to select fonts that are suitable for recipients with visual impairments, the recognisability, distinctiveness and openness of the characters as well as a low line width contrast should be taken into account. Different font classifications and design principles can influence these factors. The following fonts are therefore recommended: Arial, Calibri Regular, Helvetica, Lucida Sans Regular, Verdana Regular, Noto Sans Regular, Open Sans Regular, Source Sans Pro Regular and Fira Sans Regular.

You can set the font in PowerPoint in various ways:

1. Open your presentation and select the "Start" tab. There you will find the "Font" option, which you can use to set a new font for the selected text.
2. Use the "Font" drop-down menu: Right-click on the text whose font you want to change and select "Font". You can then select a new font from the list.
3. Select a sans serif font such as Arial, Helvetica or Verdana from the font selection.

A manual check of the presentation by the recipients is recommended, if possible, to ensure that the font is clear and easy to read, is not too thin or too thick and is not italicised or underlined.