Design for the audience's decision
A slide shown on stage has to work while someone is speaking. Give each slide a clear purpose: explain one comparison, show one change or support one instruction. If the audience needs to study a dense table, provide a separate accessible document and use the screen to explain the relevant part.
For LED, ask the technical team which part of the wall is reserved for slides. A wide wall may share its surface with a camera image and branding, so the presentation can occupy less space than you expect. Review the actual slide window before deciding how much information it can hold.
Change the slide, not only the font size
| Starting point | More useful approach | What to test |
|---|---|---|
| A paragraph copied from a report | A clear heading and a short statement supporting the speaker's point. | Can a viewer identify the point before the speaker moves on? |
| A full spreadsheet screenshot | A selected comparison with the necessary labels and units. | Can viewers read both the values and what they mean? |
| A chart explained only by colours | Direct labels and other visible distinctions. | Does the meaning survive when colours are difficult to distinguish? |
| Text over a detailed photograph | A deliberately separated text area or a simpler image. | Is every important word readable across the whole slide? |
| Small notes along the lower edge | Move essential qualifications into the main explanation. | Are they visible above people, furniture and scenic elements? |
Microsoft's PowerPoint accessibility guidance recommends readable typography and contrast, and advises against conveying meaning only through colour. These are useful starting points. The screen, seating and presentation layout still need a separate real-world check.
Worked example: comparing three products
Assume a hypothetical speaker has one slide containing ten products and eight specification columns. The immediate task is to help an audience understand which of three shortlisted products suits a particular use. Most of the original table is irrelevant to that moment, but shrinking it makes every item equally difficult to read.
Create a first slide naming the three products and the two criteria that drive this decision. Use a second slide for the important trade-off, and keep the full specification table in a downloadable document. Preserve units, qualifications and the source of any real data; simplification must not change the comparison's meaning.
At rehearsal, ask someone who has not prepared the slide to identify the suitable option and explain the trade-off from the last planned row. If they cannot, note whether the problem is text size, unclear labels, too much information or the explanation itself. Those problems need different fixes.
Choose text and chart treatment deliberately
Use a restrained hierarchy: the main point should stand out from supporting labels. Avoid making every line equally bold, equally colourful or animated. Check thin strokes, small punctuation and distinctions such as decimal separators in the final screen window; a missing detail can change a number or instruction.
For charts, keep the scale and units visible. Put labels close to the data they describe and remove decoration that competes with the comparison. Where detail is essential, show a focused view with enough context to remain honest. Do not crop a chart in a way that hides a relevant axis or reverses the apparent conclusion.
Make animation serve the explanation. Reveal a sequence when the order matters, but allow enough time to read each state. Test the final state as well as the build: an animation can finish by covering a label that was visible at the start.
Run a short audience-position test
Load the presentation through the intended playback system and slide layout.
Check from the nearest seats, the furthest seats and the side positions.
Use the densest slide, a detailed chart and any subtitles or bilingual content.
Test with the expected room lighting and people or a stand-in near the stage.
Record specific failures and revise the slide or screen layout before repeating the check.
A file accessibility checker helps inspect the shared document; it does not know your room geometry. Conversely, readable stage slides do not automatically make the downloadable file accessible. Review both outputs according to how people will use them.
Help people follow the presentation
W3C's accessible-event guidance recommends limiting slide text, describing relevant visuals and making materials available. Describe the chart's point aloud instead of relying on “as you can see”. Agree caption placement and the handout format with the organiser so they support the same presentation.
Send representative slides alongside your LED screen enquiry. Ask design and visualisation to review the actual slide area within the screen layout, including a real audience-position test.
Further reading
Microsoft: accessible PowerPoint presentations; W3C WAI: making events and presentations accessible. Use these alongside the venue-specific readability check.