Creating Accessible Presentations: Getting Started

March 16, 2023

By Megan Sellmer, Melody Shih, Tobe Duggan, and Riane LaPaire

Land Acknowledgment

“Our presenters today come from across this land, living and working in what we now know as Canada. We respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples and will continue to honour the commitments to self-determination and sovereignty we have made to Indigenous Nations and Peoples. We respectfully ask for you all to take a moment to acknowledge the lands on which you reside.”

Common Presentation Programs

Select an Accessible Template

Exporting Templates

Layouts

Colour Contrast

Colour to Convey Meaning

Formatting Your Presentation Font

Font Recommendations from Persons with Lived Experience of a Disability

Readable/Understandable Text

Use Lists!

Defining the Language of the Text

Accessible Hyperlinks

Demonstration: From a Person with Low Vision

Video demonstration to be added.

Demonstration: Screen Reader User

Video demonstration to be added.

Thank You!

References

WAI Making Events Accessible: Checklist for meetings, conferences, training, and presentations that are remote/virtual, in-person, or hybrid: www.w3.org/WAI/teach-advocate/accessible-presentations/.

WebAim Accessible PowerPoint Presentation: https://webaim.org/techniques/powerpoint/.

Microsoft: Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/make-your-powerpoint-presentations-accessible-to-people-with-disabilities-6f7772b2-2f33-4bd2-8ca7-dae3b2b3ef25.

Create accessible documents, spreadsheets, or presentations with Pages, Numbers, or Keynote: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210563.

Google Docs: Make your document or presentation more accessible: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/6199477?hl=en.

Presenter Toolkit by Rebecca Shortt: https://opentextbc.ca/presentertoolkit/chapter/presenting-practices/

Virtual Presentation Accessibility Guidelines by the America Anthropological Association: www.americananthro.org/VirtualPresentations?navItemNumber=25891