Giving Accessible Presentations

Wednesday. January 09, 2019 - 1 min

Created for the Technology Enabled Seminar and Showcase, November 2018

Accessibility Basics:

As presenters, consider that people may have accessibility needs that you do not see or might not think of. Some people may not be able to see, hear, move, or speak well or at all. We strive to create an event where participants feel their needs are respected. Here are some tips for delivering a presentation that is accessible to all.

While Preparing

Make text and visuals big enough to be read from the back of the room. A good baseline for this is to always keep your font size at 18 or above.
Use an easy-to-read font. Fonts are easiest to read when the thickness is consistent.
Check your colour-contrast. Use a light text background and dark text when presenting in a bright room, or a dark background and a light text when presenting in a darkened room.
Use ready-made slide templates. Microsoft Powerpoint and Google Slides have created accessible templates for you to use.
Run an accessibility check. Microsoft Powerpoint has a free accessibility checker to help you identify and adjust any issues.

While Presenting

Be visible when speaking. Seeing your face can help participants hear and understand better
Use a microphone. Even in a small space, some people may need audio electronically. If you ask, “Can everyone hear me?” some people may be uncomfortable identifying that cannot. If possible, encourage participants to use a microphone to ask questions. If this is not available, repeat questions through your microphone.
Describe visual information. For example, if you have an important chart or image on your slide, describe the key points. Or, if you ask participants to move in some way (i.e. “raise your hand if you have been to TESS before”) describe the response (i.e. “Okay, that seems like about half of you!”)

If you notice an accessibility issue at the event, get in touch with the organizers.

Lillian Hogendoorn

UX Librarianship, Critical Digital Practice, Openness, and other things on the Internet.