Start with the spoken story
Imagine listening to your presentation without seeing the screen. Would the main point still be clear? People may be unable to see slides because they are blind or have low vision, are joining by phone, or cannot view a screen at that moment. Slides can support your message, but they should not carry information that you never say aloud.
Before designing slides, write a short outline of what the audience needs to understand. Give each part a clear purpose: the question, the evidence, the conclusion and any action you want listeners to take. As you present, use spoken signposts such as “First, I’ll explain the problem” and “The main takeaway from this example is…” These cues help everyone follow your reasoning, especially when they cannot use the slide layout to tell where you are.
Say what a visual means, not just what it shows
Phrases such as “as you can see here” or “this one is better” leave some listeners without the information they need. Identify the subject and explain the point: “This diagram shows three steps, from collecting responses to checking them and then summarizing the results.” If a photograph sets a scene rather than conveying evidence, a brief description may be enough. If a visual is central to your argument, spend more time on the details that support your conclusion.
You do not need to describe every color, icon or decorative element. Choose details according to the visual’s purpose. For a process diagram, give the steps in order. For a comparison, name the items, state how they differ and explain why that difference matters. Avoid using position or color as the only identifier: “the line for returning customers” is clearer than “the blue line on the right.”
Make charts understandable by ear
A chart description works best when it moves from overview to detail. Name what is being measured and the groups or time periods involved. Then give the pattern and the few values needed to understand it. For example: “The chart compares responses from three groups. The first two groups are similar, while the third has noticeably fewer responses.” If exact figures are important to the decision, read them aloud at a manageable pace.
Pause after a complex chart so listeners can absorb what they have heard. If you use several charts, explain how each one connects to the question rather than narrating every mark on the screen. Be careful not to overstate the evidence: describe a difference as a difference, not proof of its cause. A spoken summary that distinguishes observation from interpretation makes the presentation clearer for the whole audience.
Share materials people can navigate
When possible, provide an accessible version of your materials before or after the presentation. A well-structured document can be more useful than a collection of slide images. Use descriptive headings, readable text and meaningful link names. Include the key points and any figures people may want to review at their own pace. For important images, add text descriptions that convey their purpose; for charts, consider including the underlying values or a concise written summary.
Do not assume that exporting slides to a PDF makes them easy to use with a screen reader. Reading order, headings and image descriptions can affect whether the content makes sense. Check the materials using the accessibility features available in your authoring tool, and, if possible, try navigating them without relying on the visual layout. An accessible handout also helps people who need more time to process dense information.
Build room for questions and adjustment
Tell the audience at the start that you will describe essential visuals and that they can ask for clarification. If someone asks about a slide, repeat the relevant subject before answering so the exchange has context. During a demonstration, narrate what you are doing and the result rather than saying only “click here” or “now this happens.”
A useful final check is to rehearse with the screen turned away. Can you tell when the topic changes? Can you understand each piece of evidence and the conclusion drawn from it? Revise any moment that depends on pointing, color or silent reading. The goal is not to turn every slide into a long verbal script. It is to make the important ideas available through your words, with the slides as an additional way to follow along.
