Making SCS Presentations More Accessible

Making SCS Presentations More Accessible

Created by Zoé Elise Thomas and Clara Bosak-Schroeder

Last updated: November 25, 2024

Many academics have physical and mental conditions that make the SCS painful, isolating, or impossible to attend. Despite this, neurodivergence and disability needs are regularly treated as extraordinary and either addressed ad hoc, or not addressed at all. Presenters and presiders may assume that participants will ask for what they need, but the entrenched ableism of academia and society in general makes this very difficult. In particular, people with less visible disabilities, including mental illness, may fear stigmatization or even retaliation if their condition is known.

This document, adapted from the CripAntiquity Best Practices for More Accessible Conferences, aims to help SCS presenters and presiders take proactive steps to make their panels more accessible. The list may appear daunting, especially if the material is new to you, but many of the individual practices are small, and implementing any changes will make a difference.

We value your input. What part of this guide worked for you? What didn’t? How much uptake did you see at the conference? Email [email protected] with comments and suggestions.

Handouts

  1. Use a large font (18-point or larger) or bring 5 additional large print copies of your handout
  2. If your handout includes images, use high contrast colors
  3. Consider bringing five copies of your presentation script, even in draft form, for the use of members who wish or need to follow a written text
    1. If you are concerned about academic integrity issues, request these copies be returned to you and/or make a written or spoken request for academic integrity at the start of your talk
  4. Make handouts available online ahead of time so that they can be accessed with screen-readers
    1. Pdfs can be made accessible, but Word documents are preferable
    2. Non-Romanized ancient scripts should be rendered in Unicode
    3. You can provide access to a document you host on Google Drive, Box, or Dropbox by sharing the link directly with the audience, e.g. “https://docs.google.com/document/d/1d7WvtdrZbHWdtwUSWA6Ui94iyOMZN2qlaVHaRAVTVn0/edit?usp=sharing” but providing a bit.ly or other shortened URL makes it easier for audience members to access your materials; you can make a bit.ly link here
    4. Files shared via DropBox and Box can be set to automatically “unshare” the file after a certain date and time
  5. Consider translating ancient texts

Powerpoints

  1. Use larger, sans serif fonts (24-point or larger)
    1. Some examples of sans serif fonts include: Arial, Calibri, and Helvetica
    2. Some examples of serif fonts include: Times New Roman, Cambria, and Palatino
    3. The Wikipedia page on serif fonts can be found here
  2. Limit the number of words per slide, breaking up quotes as necessary
  3. Use colors that are on the opposite side of the color wheel: red/blue, yellow/purple, and orange/green
    1. An accessibility color checker can be found here
  4. Use different shapes as well as different colors to bring attention to features
  5. Avoid flashing images
  6. Caption and/or transcribe video and audio content
  7. Include handout item numbers on PowerPoint slides
  8. Don’t use images to present text information
  9. If sharing slides digitally, include alt-text for all images
    1. Best practices for writing alt-text can be found here

Example of non-accessible slides (exaggerated for effect):

A screenshot of a slide. The background is bright teal, and the title is in a fancy script in a yellow color. The sub-title is in a different font and in a green color. The name of the presenter is in black san serif font but is extremely small. It reads: Here is the title of my talk, it is going to be very compelling and interesting, Titus Livius, Nov. 25 2024.

A screenshot of a slide. The background is bright teal. The title is in a grey color and in papyrus font. Below it is a chunk of Latin text from Livy's History of Rome Book 1 chapters 1 and 2. The font is so small it is impossible to read.

Some issues with the above slides:

  • Low-contrast between the text and slide color makes it difficult to read
  • Use of serif fonts (like Times New Roman) or other unusual fonts (like Papyrus) can make slides difficult to read
  • Lack of consistency between slides can make it difficult to follow the presentation
  • Font size is too small for audience members to follow along with the presentation

Example of accessible slides:A screenshot of a slide. The background is black, with a large font title and subtitle that are a highly contrasting yellow color. They read "Here is the title of my talk. It is going to be very compelling and interesting." Below that is a text box in white that reads "you can access an online version of my handout and slides at bit.ly/hereismylink." The hyper link is highlighted in the same yellow color as the title. Below that is another text box with white font that reads "Titus Livius, Nov. 25 2024". All the text is written in the same font and in large sizes to make it easy to read.A screenshot of a slide. The background is black, and the title is in large white font and it reads "My important thoughts." Below that is a text box that reads "Handout passage 1, excerpts from Livy's History of Rome (1.1-2) with translation from Rev. Canon Roberts, 1912" in white font. Below that is a Latin passage that is four lines long, with two sections bolded and underlined and in yellow font. Below that is an English passage that reads "To begin with, it is generally admitted that after the capture of Troy, whilst the rest of the Trojans were massacred: … The battle resulted in favour of the Latins, but it was the last mortal act of Aeneas His tomb — whatever it is lawful and right to call him — is situated on the bank of the Numicius. He is addressed as ‘Jupiter Indiges.’" The phrases "To begin with, it is generally admitted" and "whatever it is lawful and right to call him" are bolded and underlined and highlighted with the same color of yellow as the Latin passage.

  • High-contrast between the text and slide color makes it easier to read
  • Use of sans serif fonts makes slides easier to read
  • Consistency between slides makes it easier to follow the presentation
  • Font size is large enough for easy reading
  • Consistent use of one color is used to highlight important information to the audience, combined with bolded and underlined font
  • Access to a digital version of the handout is provided for audience members using screen readers and others who may prefer a digital version to the hard copy
  • Reference to the handout selection makes it easier for audience members to follow between the presentation slides and the handout materials
  • Providing an English translation will help many audience members follow the presentation

Presenting

  1. Consider the possibility that people in the audience may be blind. Allow ample time when referring to a visual aid or handout or when pointing out the location of materials. Briefly describe the materials
  2. Avoid speaking from a darkened area of the room. The audience should have a direct and clear view of the speaker's mouth and face
  3. If you are presenting remotely, consider using an external microphone for better audio quality

Presiding on a fully in-person panel

  1. When a projector or other device is not being used, turn it off to eliminate background noise
  2. Request those who ask questions or offer points for discussion to identify themselves
  3. If there are interpreters present, ask speakers to maintain a direct line of sight with them as they speak
  4. Ensure that anyone who is speaking, including audience members, use a microphone. Designate someone to pass a microphone in the Q&A or have those responsible for leading discussion repeat questions into a microphone
  5. Ensure good timekeeping and avoid last-minute programme changes to allow easy return for those who may miss part of the panel

Presiding on a hybrid or fully-online panel

  1. Test your audio in advance to make sure the quality is high. Background noise can make it difficult to hear. (Apps like Krisp can help with this)
  2. Ensure that captioning is enabled
  3. Consider assigning multiple co-hosts to each panel or talk so that events can proceed even if one host experiences technical issues.
  4. Be prepared to send out documents in the chat (handouts, slides, etc.)