Visual Accessibility: Presentation Materials

Initial Considerations

This chapter provides a checklist for preparing instructional materials in the form of presentations. Many times, we use Microsoft PowerPoint (or other slides) to prepare and deliver our lectures, and then we make these materials available in Canvas or another learning-management system. Equally as often, one of the most commonly requested Reasonable Accommodations students who have different disabilities request is to receive copies of your lecture presentation materials in advance.

Whether you use Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Sheets, Canva, Pixel, or something else, please ensure that these materials are accessible. Please follow all of the accessibility best practices we have addressed elsewhere in this book, such as tagging, alt text, high-contrast color, clear typography, and uncluttered document design.

Provide Accessibility Assurances in Presentation Materials

Please consider the following best practices when developing presentations:

• Select a clean template that does not have a lot of decorative elements.
• Use a clear typeface such as Arial or Helvetica.
• Tag slide titles as headings.
• Provide alt text for all functional images.
• Create accessible tables.
• Use high-contrast colors.
• Avoid making wordy or cluttered slides.
• Consider the “5×5” Rule: no more than five elements on a slide and no more than five words in each bullet point (or as close as you can).
• Use built-in accessibility checkers and address any errors.