Making Slides Accessible

Accessibility should be at the forefront of every presenter's mind. Not only does it cater to a wider audience, but it also ensures that our message reaches everyone, including those with disabilities. Here's my journey on increasing accessibility for my Google Slides presentation when technology didn’t cooperate as I hoped it would.

Trying Grackle

My initial approach was to use Grackle, an accessibility checker tool for Google Suite. Installation was a breeze, but unfortunately, every time I tried to launch the software, I was met with perpetual buffering. Repeated attempts, including uninstalling and reinstalling, proved futile. While I know that it worked seamlessly for some of my friends, I wasn't as fortunate. Perhaps it was a browser issue or some other compatibility concern.

Manual Accessibility Audit

In light of the difficulties experienced with Grackle, I undertook a manual review process to ensure the accessibility of my slide deck. Here are the steps I took:

1. Title Presence: The significance of having distinct titles for each slide is paramount for contextual understanding. On inspecting the layout of each slide, I found that they were all appropriately titled.

2. Alternative Text for Images: Incorporating images in slides can enhance understanding, but they must be made accessible to individuals using screen readers. To address this, I ensured that every image was accompanied by Alt text which provides a descriptive representation of the image's content.

3. Color Contrast Assessment: Ensuring that text is easily readable against its background is fundamental for accessibility. The background color of my slides, a lighter shade of green (gradient), appeared to offer a satisfactory contrast when juxtaposed with the black text. This combination should facilitate legibility for most viewers.

4. Font Size Analysis: The slide titles comfortably exceeded the recommended 24pt font size, promoting clarity. While the majority of other text elements conformed to this guideline, I noted some paragraphs that were slightly smaller. In future presentations, I will be more meticulous in ensuring that all text elements, irrespective of their position or importance on the slide, meet the requisite font size for optimal readability.

5. Slide Reading Order Review: Admittedly, I was initially unaware of the importance of maintaining a logical slide reading order. It's crucial to ensure that the sequence in which content is read aloud by screen readers is coherent and maintains the intended narrative flow. Using the 'Tab' key as a guide, I was able to ascertain the reading order of each slide's content. The majority of slides adhered to a logical reading sequence. However, one particular slide posed challenges in aligning its reading order, and attempts to adjust it within Google Slides were unfruitful. The most viable solution was to reconstruct the slide. Recognizing the significance of this aspect, I have resolved to prioritize maintaining a logical reading order in all future presentations.

Conclusion

While technology can be a great aid in ensuring accessibility, sometimes, the manual approach gives us insights and understanding that automated tools might overlook. My journey taught me the importance of always keeping accessibility in mind from the outset rather than trying to retrofit it later. I now know the nuances of slide presentation that can make a world of difference to someone relying on accessibility devices.