For many, virtual meetings are a prominent part of the workweek. Whether it is the daily huddle, weekly report out, team meetings, or customer-focused presentations, you can take your meeting game up a notch without having to know peoples’ disabilities.
If you are the host or simply a participant, incorporating the best practices below will increase your virtual accessibility for meetings, training, presentations and content.
For slide decks & multimedia, ensure that:
- All images, graphics and tables have descriptions (alternative-text or alt-text) for screen readers.
- All videos have accurate captions.
- All audio-only content has a full transcript.
- Tables are properly formatted so they are easily read by screen readers.
- Page and section headings are used to organize content and make it easy to navigate.
- Text and graphics are meaningful when viewed without color.
- Descriptive hyperlink phrases (describes the attachment/link in five words or less) are used instead of the URL alone or the phrase “click here.” For example, “Notes from Meeting” is a helpful hyperlink phrase.
- All documents and presentations have been reviewed with an accessibility checker.
Presentation tips
- Be sure to test audio and video settings before the meeting.
- Share materials prior to the meeting in an agenda, email or chat message.
- Speak clearly, slow down, describe presentation content aloud and repeat important information.
- Have people identify themselves before they speak.
- When responding verbally to questions in the chat, read the question aloud first for folks who cannot see or do not have the chat box open.
- Allow people options for how to ask questions—through chat, the microphone, etc.