Make your virtual events accessible

You likely won't know details about the people who attend your events. Also, we all learn and process information in different ways.

How can you ensure that your events include and support all participants? 

1. Provide a way for people to request accommodations ahead of time. Even if you've done everything you can to make your event accessible, some people will need specific accommodations.
2. Make sure your invites and presentation materials follow accessibility guidelines.
3. Communicate in multiple ways during the presentation. Use audio, text, images, chat, etc.

What about in-person and hybrid events?

Most of the guidance on this page also applies to in-person and hybrid events. However, additional considerations apply to those types of events. See W3C's (World Wide Web Consortium) Making Events Accessible for more info.

Unsure where to begin?

Start by reviewing our guidance below. It's important that event planners and presenters think about accessibility before, during, and after events. With each small improvement, you can make your events more inclusive and more effective.

Caption

Example of communicating with sign language during a virtual meeting. Credit: Disability:IN

Send accessible invites

Invites should:

• Meet technical accessibility requirements.
  • For help with email invites, see Harvard University's Creating Accessible Emails.
• Include a clear statement on how people can request accommodations.
• Include as much info as possible about what to expect during the event. Details about the event platform and agenda help participants decide which accommodations they need to request.

Share accessible materials

Slide decks, exercises, and handouts should all be accessible. Note that it's best for participants if you share materials before the event.

Learn how to make materials accessible for:

• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Adobe InDesign
• PDF
• Google Docs

If you use a tool not listed here, check with that company's website. 

Arrange for accommodations

Your event process and budget should account for accommodations. If you have established relationships or contracts in place for common accommodation needs like CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) and sign language interpretation, event planning will go smoother.

Be a visible speaker

• Turn on your camera when speaking, if you're able. 

Be an inclusive speaker

• Read or paraphrase all of the text that appears on your slides. Avoid saying “as you can read on the slide.”
• Describe images, videos, and any other visuals that you share.
• If your slide deck includes embedded videos, turn on captioning for them.

Be a flexible speaker

• You can't plan for everything. Be open to making adjustments depending on participant needs.
• If possible, enlist the help of a colleague to act as moderator. They can monitor the chat, assist with any technical difficulties, and more.

Pace yourself

• Speak slower than you usually would and repeat important points.
• Pause briefly when you flip to each new slide to let people absorb the info.
• Add a short break to your agenda for longer presentations.

Provide accessible recordings

If you share a recording of your presentation, it needs captioning and a transcript. For more info, see W3C's Making Audio and Video Media Accessible. Note that audio description may also be required depending on the recording's content.

While meeting platforms like Teams and Zoom include auto-captioning and transcription features, it's highly recommended that a professional service does the work.

The information provided by Marin County’s Digital Accessibility Team is intended to increase people’s awareness of digital accessibility. Links are provided because they have information that may be useful. The County of Marin does not warrant the accuracy of any information contained in the links and neither endorses nor intends to promote the advertising of the resources listed herein. The County of Marin is not responsible for any kind of loss or damage arising from your use of the links or information provided herein.