Tips for accessible presentations
If you are creating a PowerPoint presentation, here are some helpful tips to make sure your presentation is accessible.
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Tips for accessible presentations
We are committed to making our events inclusive. If you are creating a PowerPoint presentation, here are some helpful tips to make sure your presentation is accessible.
1. Use an accessible PowerPoint template
A PowerPoint template contains pre-set slide layouts to make creating a consistent presentation easier.
By starting with an accessible PowerPoint template, or copying your slide content into one, you can improve accessibility.
2. Do your slides have titles?
Having a descriptive and unique title on each slide helps users easily navigate the presentation.
3. Check the colour contrast
All colours used in your PowerPoint presentation must meet a contrast ratio of at least 3:1. To check the colour contrast, you can use an online checker, such as WebAIM colour contrast checker.
Choose an off-white background for your slides. Some people experience glare when viewing presentations with a white background.
4. Captions for video and audio
Make sure captions are available in any embedded audio and video within your presentation. It’s also good practice for video to be supplied with a transcript. To meet accessibility standards, transcripts are required for audio-only media.
5. Check text styling
a) Fonts
Use simple sans serif fonts such as Calibri and Arial. We would recommend a minimum font size of 24pt or above for a PowerPoint presentation, but 18pt and above is acceptable.
b) Bold/Italic
Avoid bold on more than a few words and remove any italics. This should make your slides more accessible to people with dyslexia.
c) Abbreviations
Avoid abbreviations if possible. Alternatively, make sure the long form is included with the abbreviation in the first instance. Define the abbreviation again later in the presentation if you think it will be useful.
d) Keep it simple
Avoid using automatic slide transitions and animation and keep your presentation concise.
6. Use PowerPoint Accessibility Checker
Go to the ‘Review’ tab and click on the ‘Check Accessibility’ button – the checker will scan your presentation for accessibility issues.
A results panel will bring up any accessibility problems that need resolving. Click on any issues presented to find out how you can fix them.