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I have been working to address accessibility of my PPT but after working on a few slides, the Reading Order Pane does not change when I move to a new slide (#11). It just shows a previous slide's reading order. I have tried several things to fix this. 1)gone back to that earlier (parent) of the reading order showing #10 slide, Save. then back to current slide #11 - but reading order items still belong the slide #10. 2) restarted the "Accessibility Investigate." Still showing wrong slide items in reading pane. Slides worked on before the #11 slide are fine - reading pane order correct. 3) tried just saving doesn't work. Also of note is that the incorrect list will not let me make changes to the read order or change the "decorative" status.
Save and close the PPT file. Then reopen it - THIS WORKS but is very annoying. I am currently working on a 48 slide presentation and I am on Slide # 11 and have already had to save/close/reopen the file twice. I added a screenshot that shows the issue.
I have had this issue for multiple presentations I have been working over the past two weeks.
Thanks for your help with this issue.
A family of Microsoft presentation graphics products that offer tools for creating presentations and adding graphic effects like multimedia objects and special effects with text.
I did find a work around that is not as annoying. In the slide sorter, I copied the slide (#11) with the incorrect Reading Order Items and then pasted it from the clipboard as an inserted slide (#12). The Reading Order items were correct and I was able to work with them. I then went back and deleted the #11 with the error.
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Unfortunately, this workaround won’t work in my situation, I would need a solution. I’m not creating a single presentation — I’m responsible for producing our organization’s official .thmx, .potx, and .pptx templates. We are a government entity, and our materials must comply with Title II and Section 508 accessibility laws.
Because the Reading Order and Selection Pane do not stay synchronized, changing one causes the other to reorder. These two panes should not be linked. Additionally, I should be able to set the master layout’s reading order, and if I need to manually adjust the Selection order on a slide, it shouldn’t override the reading order or unlock/unhide objects during reordering.
Right now, I cannot produce accessible templates so this workaround isn't sufficient — we need this resolved at the application level so I can provide legally compliant templates to 800+ employees.
I’m currently waiting to hear back from Microsoft Support for the second time. I’m adding this note here in case others are running into similar issues, just to note that it affects organizations trying to produce accessible, compliant templates.
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It's great to hear that you were able to find a workaround for the issue. I truly appreciate your effort in finding a resolution. I believe that many users may encounter a similar issue, and your case could serve as a valuable reference for them.
Therefore, here’s a brief summary of this post so that other forum members can easily find useful information:
Issue Description: While working to address accessibility in a PowerPoint presentation, the Reading Order Pane does not update when moving to a new slide (#11) and continues to show the previous slide’s reading order.
Assessment: The issue occurs after editing several slides, where earlier slides display the correct reading order, but attempts to fix it by returning to the previous slide, restarting the “Accessibility Investigate” tool, or saving the file fail, and the incorrect list does not allow changes to reading order or decorative status.
Resolution: Saving and reopening the PPT file resolves the issue but is inconvenient for large presentations, so a better workaround is to copy the problematic slide in Slide Sorter view, paste it as a new slide to restore the correct Reading Order, and then delete the original slide.
As other users may search for similar issues in this forum, and you’ve successfully identified the right solution for your issue. Therefore, your case could serve as a valuable reference for them.
In addition, your resolution was extremely helpful, so we would greatly appreciate it if you could mark it as accepted. By doing so, you help highlight the solution for others who may be searching for similar guidance in the community. Ultimately, your contribution not only enables fellow users to find answers more quickly but also fosters a more collaborative and resourceful space for everyone.
If you have any concerns or questions in the future, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Not only will I be happy to assist you, but all moderators in the Q&A forum will also do their best to provide support and guidance.
Thank you for your kindness and contributions to the forum.