These recommendations make presentations easier to follow, both in the room and online.
They cover text size, contrast, colour, images, structure, and delivery.
1) Use large fonts on your slides
Use a font size of at least 28 pt for all text. This helps people read the slides from the back of the room and on a livestream.
If the text has to shrink to fit, the slide probably contains too much information.
A larger type size also encourages simpler, more focused slides.
2) Ensure good contrast
Text needs enough contrast against the background.
For example, avoid:
- 👎 Light gray text on white background
- 👎 Yellow text on white background
- 👎 Dark colors on dark background
- 👎 Very light or pastel-colored text colors
Good contrast helps people with low vision and makes slides easier for the entire audience to read.
When presentations are displayed via projector, the contrast can often become worse because projectors typically have lower brightness than computer screens. Text with weak contrast can therefore quickly become hard to read in the room for everyone.
Good contrast helps ensure your messages can be seen.
3) Don't use color alone to convey information
People with color blindness may have difficulty distinguishing between certain colors (e.g., red and green).
If colors are used in graphs or diagrams, combine them with:
- Labels
- Patterns
- Symbols
- Or clear explanations
The trick is quite simple: If your graphic still makes sense in a purely black-and-white version, it will almost always also work when colors are added. (If, that is, you use colors with good contrast – see point 2 about contrasts. 👆)
4) Briefly explain the key points in graphs and images
If you show graphs, diagrams, or complex illustrations, state the most important points out loud.
Example:
- ✅ "In this graph, you can see that the proportion has increased from 20% to nearly 50% over the past five years."
Avoid:
- 👎 "As you can see here, our sales have gone well this year." (What has gone well and how?)
This helps both people with visual impairments – and everyone else in the room – to understand what you want to emphasize. It also helps listeners who are multitasking, have gotten up from their computer for coffee, can't see certain parts of the screen, etc.
You don't need to explain all icons and images if they are solely decorative. Instead, consider whether they add meaning to your point. On the other hand, it can be nice to briefly describe images with more personal or poetic value – for example: "Here's a childhood photo of me on a blue bike."
The goal is for as many as possible to receive roughly the same message, without unnecessarily slowing down or burdening the presentation.
5) Also say what you are pointing to
If you point to something – either on a slide or in the room – remember that not everyone can see it.
For example, say:
- ✅ "In the graph on the right, you can see …"
- ✅ "You’ll find the toilets to the right of the stage."
Avoid:
- 👎 "The toilets are over there."
- 👎 "Follow the green signs to get to the cafeteria."
This helps both people with visual impairments, online participants, and possibly interpreters.
6) Consider videos
If you show video in your presentation:
- Does the video have subtitles if there is speech in it?
- Does it contain important visual information with no speech?
If something important is only shown visually, a brief explanation can be a big help.
Ideally, a video should be described for the visually impaired (audio-described), if it cannot be understood by those who can't see it.
See more here about audio description:
- Audio description means everything for blind and visually impaired people (The Danish Film Institute)
- Find a professional audio describer (synstolkning.dk)
7) Speak at a natural pace
Clear speech and a natural pace help both the audience and any interpreters.
You don’t need to speak slowly or change your normal way of speaking. The most important thing is to avoid both speed-talking and an unnaturally slow pace. If the audience can keep up, interpreters usually can too.
Small pauses between key points can make the presentation easier to follow and give both the audience and interpreters a chance to keep up.
8) Consider sending material in advance
If the event has sign language interpretation or live captioning, it’s a great help if you can send in advance – and usually at least a week before – your:
- slide drafts
- outline
- or just main talking points
This makes it easier for interpreters to prepare and is typically required for them to feel ready to handle the task. The interpreters will use the material to assess if there are specific terms or expressions they need to be prepared for.
If you start your preparation with an outline, you always have something ready for the interpreters in case your presentation is only finished at the last minute. An outline also helps you keep a good structure.
Bonus: Consider briefly describing yourself when you start
When you begin your presentation, it can help to briefly say:
- your name
- your role or organization
- optionally, a brief description of how you look
Example:
"My name is Andrea Andersen, I work as a museum curator at the Danish Lighthouse Museum. I have short, light hair and am standing here in a dark blazer and glasses."
This can help participants who cannot see the stage clearly.
It’s also perfectly fine to sneak a bit of personality into your description. I once saw someone present their own portrait photo as: "He looks like he just had a lovely Christmas Eve."
Remember: Small things make a big difference
You don’t have to do everything perfectly.
Often, three small things make the biggest difference:
- clear slides
- explaining the key points in graphs
- and saying what you are pointing to.
More about accessible events
If you are also organizing the event where you will be giving a presentation, you might benefit from reading my post: