Accessible presentations, events, meetings and webinars
It’s important to make sure your presentations, meetings, webinars and events are accessible, especially as more and more of these take place in a virtual environment. This is important both for internal meetings and presentations, as well as webinars, workshops and events with customers.
On this page
What to consider
If you're planning a meeting, presentation, event or webinar, remember that some of your audience:
- May not be able to see all or parts of the presentation
- Might struggle to understand parts of the presentation
- May not be able to hear the speakers
- May speak English as a second language
- May be using assistive technology
Planning your session
Share materials ahead of the session
Sending the presentation and any other relevant materials to your audience before the session starts means your users can view the presentation on their own device if they need to. Users with low vision can zoom in and resize their own version of the presentation, and users with technology restrictions who can’t see your shared screen can follow along from their own device.
It can also help give users with cognitive disabilities more time to read through and familiarise themselves with the content of the presentation.
Record the session
This isn’t just helpful for users who couldn’t attend the live session. It also means users can re-watch the session if there was something they missed or didn’t understand.
Add captions and transcripts
Using live captions or BSL interpreters means more users can join in the live session – which is important if there’s interactive elements or opportunities to ask questions. If this isn’t possible, you should always at least add captions to the recording of the session. Creating a transcript of the session can also be useful.
Learn how to use your tools well
Many virtual tools come with built-in accessibility tools. For example, many meeting tools allow you to ‘pin’ a user to the screen, meaning that they’ll always be visible. This is particularly useful for users who need to see a BSL interpreter, or need to be able to lip read during the presentation.
Get to know the tools you’re using to find the best ways to make them accessible, and to help your audience or participants to use them in a way that helps them.
For internal communication we use Microsoft Teams. They’ve provided a list of Teams accessibility features opens in a new window that you can get to know to make your meetings more inclusive.
Making presentations and other visual elements accessible
A presentation is usually involved in some form during most meetings, virtual events and physical events. How you deliver the presentation is important, but so is the formatting of the presentation itself.
Use large font sizes
Presentations are often smaller when you share your screen than they would be on your own screen, and some people may be watching on a smaller screen than you. Consider this when choosing your font size.
We suggest a minimum font size of 36.
Reduce the amount of text
It’s tempting to overload your slides with information, but it’s often counter-productive. Users may feel overwhelmed with the amount of text or may struggle to read it and listen to the presentation at the same time. It also often forces you to use a smaller font
Instead, keep the text on slides to a minimum, or consider splitting text across more than one slide.
Colours and contrasts
Make sure the text colour you’re using contrasts well with the background of your presentation. Tools such as Tanaguru contrast finder opens in a new window can help you check.
During the session
Describe visual content
Remember that not everyone can see what you’re seeing. Describe what’s on the slide, including any graphs or images.
If your participants are using video, it’s also good to describe any reactions that you see. For example, “I can see Joe is shaking his head” or “I can see most of you are nodding your heads”.
If an audience member asks a question in the chat, make sure to read out the question before you answer.
Use good lighting
Make sure you’re presenting in a well-lit room so that participants who need to lip read can see you clearly.
Speak slowly and clearly
Your audience may include people with hearing impairments or cognitive impairments, or people who speak English as a second language. Make sure to speak slowly and clearly so that people can hear what you’re saying and have time to process it.
It’s also a good idea to pause in between slides. This lets your audience process what you’ve just said and read what’s on the next slide.
Plan breaks
If your session is longer than an hour, you should factor in short breaks. As well as providing a chance for participants to take a bathroom break, get a drink or even just move about, it also reduces cognitive load for users who may feel overwhelmed. It gives a chance to process the information that’s been shared and finish taking notes.
Managing questions and participation
Make sure that all participants are muted while someone is speaking to reduce background noise.
Don’t pressure participants to turn their cameras on or ask questions out loud. Always give the opportunity to ask questions or share ideas via a chat feature or interactive tools like Slido.
In collaborative sessions and meetings, it’s likely that participants will ask questions or share updates, opinions or information out loud. Depending on the nature of the session, you may want to introduce formal ways of requesting to speak, for example entering a question in the chat, or using a ‘raise hand’ feature.
Making physical events accessible
If you’re running a physical event or workshop, you should still follow any applicable guidelines on this page. If you’re using a presentation, make sure it uses a large font and isn’t over-crowded with text. Speak clearly, describe visual elements out loud and plan plenty of breaks. However, there are a few additional considerations you’ll need to remember when hosting a physical event.
Physical access
When you host an event in a physical location rather than a virtual space, there are additional access requirements you need to consider. While you’re unlikely to find a venue that can provide everything, here’s a list of things that will make your venue accessible:
- Lift and ramp access – not just to the building, but to each floor and room
- Lift buttons that can be accessed by someone using a wheelchair
- Automatic doors or doors that can be opened with a button
- Disabled toilets and gender-neutral toilets
- Disabled parking and non-disabled parking – ideally these should be free
- Nearby access to public transport
- A quiet room
- A nursing room and changing facilities for parents with babies
- Wide corridors and large rooms that allow users with mobility devices and service animals to move around easily
Communicate accessibility to your audience
Your event page should contain details about accessibility so that participants can make a decision about whether they can attend or whether they need to make any adjustments.
There may also be other information that people might want to know about your venue. Some people with cognitive disabilities or anxiety may want to know, in detail, exactly how to enter your building and where to go or what to do once inside. Pictures can help to show what attendees should be looking for.
It’s also good to let people know if food and drink is allowed in the venue, and what facilities – like shops or food outlets – are nearby.
Be clear and honest about how accessible your venue is. For example, if there’s a ramp into the building but no lift to the venue room, make sure people are aware of this. This lets people make their own judgement about whether the space meets their needs.
Recording, captions and translators
Try to record as much of the event as possible, especially key parts like speakers. Make sure to provide captions and ideally a transcript before sharing the recordings.
If possible, try to provide a live captioning service or BSL interpreter on the day of the event. This means more people can get involved on the day instead of having to catch up afterwards.
Ask your participants what they need
If you're organising an event, presentation, webinar or meeting, it’s good practice to offer your participants an opportunity to let you know how you can make the session more accessible to them. You could:
- Provide contact details to get in touch with you
- Build it into the booking process – for example, a field on the booking form about accessibility needs
- Allow users to respond anonymously to an online survey after signing up