Designing Accessible Presentations

Information to Share with Presenters

Accessible presentations and documents can be delightful as well as functional!

Remember - accessible design supports everyone.

You can use this guide and template examples that follow to support presenters and speakers in creating accessible presentations.

Presenter Guide

Create an Access Guide for Presenters/Speakers and Staff/Volunteers:

Provide an access guide for presenters/speakers and all event staff/volunteers to ensure that all participants can access all event information and presentations. This guide might include: tips on digital accessibility (how to make a slide presentation accessible), general tips on accessible practice, info on plain language, info on what access accommodations/services will be in place and how to work with them.

Include information on: how to create accessible, welcoming spaces; using plain language; relaxed spaces (people can move/come and go as needed/etc); use of visuals; visual introductions; encouraging multiple modes of communication (not just verbal response).

Working with access service providers and personal care attendants: how to work with access service providers (ie: direct communication to the person you are speaking with, not interpreters, caregivers or aides). Providing information to access service providers in advance of the presentation.

Share a template of an accessible slide deck with presenters (see examples at the end of this page).

Recommendations for Presenters

Make materials (slide decks and handouts available in advance - some participants may use their own technology to engage with your presentation.

Embed a variety of strategies and tools to reach different types of learners. These might include: thinking/writing/drawing prompts; small group conversations; active engagement in an activity; full group conversations; peer sharing; Q&A; and more.

If there are accessibility service providers in the space with you (I.e.: Sign Language Interpreters, Captioners, etc) introduce yourself - spell your name(s) and share your title(s). Provide the agenda and any context for your presentation.

Use a microphone and identify yourself when you are speaking (This is ... speaking).

Speak to and direct eye contact to the person who you are speaking with, not caregivers or interpreters.

Visually describe yourself in your introduction (Example: "My name is... I am a (height/skin color/gender/hair color). I'm wearing (glasses, color of outfit/description of any patterns)".

Plan time to describe any visual content during your presentation (images on slides, slide formatting/color use, etc).

Creating Accessible Presentations and Documents

Handouts

Use emojis carefully, since screen readers mostly read the alt text. It can be confusing to hear something like "...we are celebrating party-popper inclusive design..." because there's an emoji (🎉) between the words and the screen reader reads the alt-text for the emoji.

Have both digital and large text versions of all handouts available; Braille on request.

Use plain language: simplify text, avoid jargon and abbreviations.

Use visuals to support content.

Limit the amount of text on a page.

Include alt text and captions on all images.

Font

Ensure that background and text colors have significant contrast.

Font sizes should be 18 points (at minimum).

The following fonts are generally considered accessible:

○ Arial

○ Roboto

○ Calibri

○ Sans Serif

Text

Use Plain Language (simplify content, reduce wordiness, avoid jargon).

Avoid using all capitol letters for titles or content. Instead, use a title text.

Have large print materials available for participants.

Design

Light text on a dark background is more accessible for many (white text on a black background).

Give every slide a unique title.

Avoid overcrowding your slides with content.

Keep a simple structure that is easy to follow.

Avoid using tables as they are not easily accessed by screen readers.

Label elements in a graph or chart (use more than color to differentiate).

No flashing or flickering lights or images (avoid videos that include flashing or flickering).

Videos

Embed subtitles and audio description into videos.

Provide context for video including title and any visual information not already described in audio description.

Images

Include alternative text that explains the content in your images (participants may use their own assistive technology, such as a screen reader, to access your presentation).

If you are using automatically generated alt text, check the generated text for accuracy and correct any errors.

Include a description or caption that describe each image for those who don't use screen readers (I.e.: someone who is both deaf and blind).

How to Embed Alternative Text in PowerPoint images:

● Step 1: Right click on the image.

● Step 2: Select ‘View Alt Text’.

● Step 3: Fill in the text box with a brief description of the image, focusing on contextual information.

Check for Accessibility

Make sure to double check your presentation for accessibility and note any images or design choices you will need to describe.

Double check Alt Text to ensure accuracy.

Some programs (such as PowerPoint) have built in accessibility checkers. If you have access to this function, use it to review your slides and make corrections.

If you are using PowerPoint, follow the three steps below to use the accessibility checker:

Step 1: Click on ‘Review’.
Step 2: Click on ‘Check Accessibility’
Step 3: Refer to the tab on the right to see if the presentation is accessible. Make changes as needed.