5 ways to make your next talk more inclusive
“The butterflies haunted me for this specific reason — How do I ensure that my talk is accessible, despite the lack of information regarding who is attending?”
COVID-19 has disrupted everything in its path… and conference experiences are being transformed radically. No more do you have to wait backstage, fidgeting, before your turn to speak; gone are the days of seeing the faces of your audience — now you experience a personal screen with a black void of emptiness while waiting to present.
In the past couple of years, I’ve spoken at different conferences, from Grace Hopper Celebration to Hackathons, and I have always experienced butterflies in my stomach every time I’m about to step on stage. I never imagined those butterflies would haunt me for virtual talks as well!
During my preparation for my next conference talk, I was faced with challenges to ensure an accessible experience for the audience. The platform didn’t support certain accessibility features and there was no data on audience needs for accommodations. I was flying blind. The butterflies haunted me for this specific reason — How do I ensure that my talk is accessible, despite the lack of information regarding who is attending?
Today, I’m going to share some of the ways I created for an inclusive experience during my talk:
1. Ask about audience needs and accommodations
Sometimes organizers may have neglected to ask about accommodations or considering accessibility in their planning phase for the conference, so don’t be shy about bringing it to their attention. Ask them questions about what existing information they have about the audience’s needs so you may plan for your talk accordingly. Once they are made aware of accommodations and accessibility needs, they may be able to provide those options.
Here are a couple of questions that should be asked about accommodation — “Have you asked if anyone needs to have presentations or other meeting activities captioned or provided through sign language?”, “Have you asked if anyone needs materials provided in advance to better prepare for the presentation or other meeting activities?”
In my case, I was happy to see that when I asked these questions about accommodations, they agreed to reach out to the attendees to determine the required accommodations. The answer is always “No” until you ask the question. Always reach out and ask those questions — push for change!
2. Captions
Check and ask the organizers if the platform provides the capability for live captioning during your talk. This is not only useful for including people with hearing impairments, but also provides an alternate way for your audience to consume information. I personally use Live Captions and subtitles, since they reinforce the information presented to me.
If you require transcription for your talk, remember to ask what the transcriptionist needs to prepare for the vocabulary of the talk (the presentation slides, a vocabulary list, a draft script) and the deadline for these materials. Based on the platform used for the presentation, and the manner of captioning, you may need to leave a bit of a footer at the bottom of your slide. Design your slides with captions in mind, and don’t include text or graphics that go all the way to the bottom or top of the slide, so as to leave plenty of room for the captions.
If the chosen platform does not provide live captions, try and find other ways to provide similar functionality. For example, I used Microsoft PowerPoint during my talk, which lets me share the slides as well as use the Live Captions functionality available through Microsoft. Additionally, I included space in the bottom of my slides so these captions would be visible. This allows me to provide Live Captions to the audience when I share my screen.
3. Presentation Materials
Make your presentation materials available in various different formats and create them with accessibility in mind. It is always helpful to provide a description of graphics that you have included for meaning or as an example of content in your talk. If you are presenting a poster, be sure to provide a description of the layout of the poster and describe any graphics intended for meaning.
For in-person events, if you are providing physical materials during a talk (once COVID-19 is over), think about how it may be made accessible through different formats. For example, if you created a pamphlet, provide a digital and accessible version so users using screen readers may be able to access them. Additionally, for print materials, create versions with larger fonts and higher contrast to provide an equitable experience for people attending your talk.
Numerous events are adapting with these changing times and in-person events are being replaced with remote ones. For any presentation materials for a remote or recorded talk, provide them in an accessible format prior to the talk. In my case, I sent my PowerPoint presentation prior to the talk and requested the organizers share them with the audience remotely. Check out these guidelines on how to create an accessible presentation using Microsoft tools for ideas.
4. Words and Voice
The words you use during your talk make a huge difference in providing an inclusive experience. Avoid using phrases like “ Based on that graph on the screen….” and “As you can see here…” where you reference materials that are not accessible without providing ample description. This excludes people with vision impairments or others who may not have access to your visuals. Instead, describe the graph and provide details within your speech without relying entirely on the presentation so as to provide the information in an equitable manner.
There are numerous resources that provide guidance on public speaking and ways to awe your audience. My biggest piece of advice is — speak slowly and clearly; this will allow the audience as well as the transcriptionist to follow and keep up with you. I personally struggle with this since I speak fast whenever I am nervous or excited so I remind myself to pause during the talk and reset myself if needed.
5. Recordings
It always helps to provide a recording of the talk afterward so it may be converted to an accessible format. If you choose to have your talk recorded, make sure to provide a Video Transcription.
A video transcript relays more information than just speech. It includes visual elements that help people understand the video, such as gestures the speaker makes, or when an audience member raises their hand with a question. It also includes speaker IDs and essential non-speech sounds like [LAUGHTER] or [SILENCE]. Thus, for people with hearing impairments, or others who consume information through text, this form provides an inclusive way of consuming content.
Reading a transcription should give you as much of the full video experience as possible without actually watching the video.
These are only a few ways in which you can ensure an inclusive experience for your audience in these remote times; there is so much more out there and I’d love to hear from you!
What have you done to make your talk at a conference more inclusive?
Feel free to comment, or reach out to me on LinkedIn!
Acknowledgments: I’d love to thank Grace Barkhuff and my advisor Dr. Carrie Bruce for editing this article!
