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Presentations: PowerPoint and Beyond: Accessibility

Accessibility

Use appropriate sizing: Make text and important visuals big enough to be read even from the back of the room. This includes graphics and videos within the slides.

Use an easy-to-read font: Simple fonts with consistent thickness are often easier to read from a distance (Arial rather than Times New Roman).

Use sufficient color contrast: Use appropriate background and text colors. When presenting in a light room use dark text on a light background. When presenting in a darkened room display light text on a dark background.

Make content purposeful: Limit amount of information on each slide and avoid long sentences.  Be careful not to overuse abbreviations, though.  An engaging presenter does not read directly from the slides.  Information adds to what is being said.

Make provided material accessible: Print out slides or create a supplemental handout to help the audience follow along.

Make audio and video fully accessible: Use videos with captions provide transcripts for audio.

Be visible: Make sure you are standing in the light when talking as this helps some people hear and understand better.

Use a microphone: Even in a small room, some people might need the audio electronically.

Describe important parts of graphs, videos, tables, and other visuals: But you do not need to describe decorative images.

Describe other visual information: For example, if taking a survey during the presentation by show of hands, summarize the responses.

Accessibility Resources