Designing for Inclusion: 6 Ways to Reach Everyone When You’re Presenting

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Maybe you’re a seasoned presenter with a solid message, polished visuals, and an engaging delivery style. Or perhaps you’re just getting started with public speaking. Regardless of your experience level, there’s a question every speaker should ask before they take the stage, the screen, or the mic:

Maybe you’re a seasoned presenter with a solid message, polished visuals, and an engaging delivery style. Or perhaps you’re just getting started with public speaking. Regardless of your experience level, there’s a question every speaker should ask before they take the stage, the screen, or the mic:

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“Is my session truly accessible to all attendees?”

“Is my session truly accessible to all attendees?”

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Accessibility isn’t just about compliance. It is about connection. It’s about creating an inclusive experience where every learner can participate meaningfully, regardless of ability, language, format preferences, or presentation approach. Not sure where to start? Here are six high-impact ways to make your presentation more accessible for everyone in attendance.

Accessibility isn’t just about compliance. It is about connection. It’s about creating an inclusive experience where every learner can participate meaningfully, regardless of ability, language, format preferences, or presentation approach. Not sure where to start? Here are six high-impact ways to make your presentation more accessible for everyone in attendance.

1. Consider Your Entire Audience

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Our workplaces are diverse. This means anytime you’re presenting, you want to ensure your session works for a global, neurodiverse, and multidisciplinary audience. To create an inclusive experience, avoid idioms, slang, acronyms, region-specific references, and sarcasm, which may not translate clearly. Practice speaking at a pace that is slightly slower than a regular conversational pace (140–160 words per minute) to balance delivering the content and keeping the audience engaged.

Our workplaces are diverse. This means anytime you’re presenting, you want to ensure your session works for a global, neurodiverse, and multidisciplinary audience. To create an inclusive experience, avoid idioms, slang, acronyms, region-specific references, and sarcasm, which may not translate clearly. Practice speaking at a pace that is slightly slower than a regular conversational pace (140–160 words per minute) to balance delivering the content and keeping the audience engaged.

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Use straightforward language and provide context when needed. Offer a balance between presentation and participation. For example, aim for five to 10 minutes of instruction followed by five to 10 minutes of work time, reflection, or discussion. Continuous talking for 60 minutes may not work for everyone. Build in pause points after complex topics or questions to allow processing time.

Use straightforward language and provide context when needed. Offer a balance between presentation and participation. For example, aim for five to 10 minutes of instruction followed by five to 10 minutes of work time, reflection, or discussion. Continuous talking for 60 minutes may not work for everyone. Build in pause points after complex topics or questions to allow processing time.

2. Make Sure Your Slides Are Accessible

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Consider the five senses as you’re planning your presentation. If someone is visually impaired, how will you ensure they’re included? What about those with an auditory impairment? How about if they use assistive technology, such as a screen reader?

Consider the five senses as you’re planning your presentation. If someone is visually impaired, how will you ensure they’re included? What about those with an auditory impairment? How about if they use assistive technology, such as a screen reader?

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For maximum inclusion, incorporate the following best practices:

For maximum inclusion, incorporate the following best practices:

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  Use high-contrast color combinations , such as dark text on a light background.

  Use high-contrast color combinations, such as dark text on a light background.

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  Choose sans-serif fonts and ensure your font size is large enough to be read from a distance or on small screens.

  Choose sans-serif fonts and ensure your font size is large enough to be read from a distance or on small screens.

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  Add alternative (alt) text and meaningful image descriptions.

  Add alternative (alt) text and meaningful image descriptions.

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  Include captions and transcripts for videos.

  Include captions and transcripts for videos.

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  Enable live captioning whenever possible.

  Enable live captioning whenever possible.

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  Offer alternative versions of videos when relevant.

  Offer alternative versions of videos when relevant.

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Remember: If learners can’t access your visuals or media, they may miss out on critical information.

Remember: If learners can’t access your visuals or media, they may miss out on critical information.

3. Test and Practice With Accessibility in Mind

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Don’t wait until your presentation starts to find out something isn’t working. Use tools like Silktide or WebAIM Contrast Checker to check your materials. Poor sightlines, low contrast, or uneven sound can unintentionally exclude people depending on where they are seated.

Don’t wait until your presentation starts to find out something isn’t working. Use tools like Silktide or WebAIM Contrast Checker to check your materials. Poor sightlines, low contrast, or uneven sound can unintentionally exclude people depending on where they are seated.

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Before the event, test your presentation from different areas of a large room. Check the back, sides, and corners to make sure your slides are perceivable. Look for glare, blocked sightlines, or areas where contrast may be reduced due to lighting. If possible, ask a colleague to observe from different areas of the room and note any visibility concerns.

Before the event, test your presentation from different areas of a large room. Check the back, sides, and corners to make sure your slides are perceivable. Look for glare, blocked sightlines, or areas where contrast may be reduced due to lighting. If possible, ask a colleague to observe from different areas of the room and note any visibility concerns.

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Ensure that any audio is optimized. Play sample clips at full volume from different areas of the room to confirm clarity and consistent sound quality. If you’re using videos, double-check that the narration is loud enough and that captions are enabled.

Ensure that any audio is optimized. Play sample clips at full volume from different areas of the room to confirm clarity and consistent sound quality. If you’re using videos, double-check that the narration is loud enough and that captions are enabled.

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If you’re presenting virtually or in a hybrid setting, test the platform in advance if possible. Understand what it can and can’t do when it comes to live captions, keyboard navigation, translation capability, chat functionality, and assistive technology compatibility. Planning ahead helps you prevent accessibility barriers on the day of the presentation.

If you’re presenting virtually or in a hybrid setting, test the platform in advance if possible. Understand what it can and can’t do when it comes to live captions, keyboard navigation, translation capability, chat functionality, and assistive technology compatibility. Planning ahead helps you prevent accessibility barriers on the day of the presentation.

4. Upload Your Materials in Advance

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Share your slides, handouts, and supplemental materials before your session whenever possible. This allows participants to review and prepare in advance, which is especially helpful for people who use assistive technology, process information more slowly, or benefit from repetition. It also minimizes stress for attendees who need extra time and reduces your need to troubleshoot on the spot.

Share your slides, handouts, and supplemental materials before your session whenever possible. This allows participants to review and prepare in advance, which is especially helpful for people who use assistive technology, process information more slowly, or benefit from repetition. It also minimizes stress for attendees who need extra time and reduces your need to troubleshoot on the spot.

5. Set an Inclusive Tone From the Start

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The first few minutes of your session can shape the entire experience. Set an inclusive tone with the following strategies:

The first few minutes of your session can shape the entire experience. Set an inclusive tone with the following strategies:

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  Enable live captioning (if available) and use a microphone when speaking.

  Enable live captioning (if available) and use a microphone when speaking.

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  Introduce yourself with a brief visual description, such as “I’m a white woman in my 30s with curly brown hair, wearing a blue blazer.”

  Introduce yourself with a brief visual description, such as “I’m a white woman in my 30s with curly brown hair, wearing a blue blazer.”

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  State your name and pronouns.

  State your name and pronouns.

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  Encourage participation through multiple options, such as speaking, writing, or polling.

  Encourage participation through multiple options, such as speaking, writing, or polling.

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  Provide adequate time for people to reflect and respond.

  Provide adequate time for people to reflect and respond.

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  Create psychological safety by welcoming questions and honoring different perspectives.

  Create psychological safety by welcoming questions and honoring different perspectives.

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This small investment in connection creates a more respectful and engaging learning environment.

This small investment in connection creates a more respectful and engaging learning environment.

6. Avoid Ableist Language

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Language shapes how people feel included. Common phrases like “click here,” “watch this,” or “as you can see” may unintentionally exclude learners who do not access content visually or with a mouse or touchscreen.

Language shapes how people feel included. Common phrases like “click here,” “watch this,” or “as you can see” may unintentionally exclude learners who do not access content visually or with a mouse or touchscreen.

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Choose inclusive and action-neutral language instead. For example:

Choose inclusive and action-neutral language instead. For example:

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  Use “select” instead of “click.”

  Use “select” instead of “click.”

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  Say “explore this example” rather than “watch this video.”

  Say “explore this example” rather than “watch this video.”

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  Use “you may notice” in place of “as you can see.”

  Use “you may notice” in place of “as you can see.”

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These small language choices reflect a more inclusive mindset and show respect for diverse ways of experiencing content.

These small language choices reflect a more inclusive mindset and show respect for diverse ways of experiencing content.

Conclusion

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You’ve got great ideas and a platform to share them. Now, take the extra step to ensure they reach everyone. Designing for inclusion doesn’t require perfection. It requires thought, planning, and intention. By applying these six simple strategies, you won’t just be delivering content during your presentation; you’ll be modeling an accessible, influential, and inclusive experience.

You’ve got great ideas and a platform to share them. Now, take the extra step to ensure they reach everyone. Designing for inclusion doesn’t require perfection. It requires thought, planning, and intention. By applying these six simple strategies, you won’t just be delivering content during your presentation; you’ll be modeling an accessible, influential, and inclusive experience.

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Lead the way by making every voice welcome, every person feel seen, and every session count.

Lead the way by making every voice welcome, every person feel seen, and every session count.

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