Creating accessible programming

[corbae]

We've been so happy to see so many people experience virtual CON.TXT who normally wouldn't be able to attend the con! We want to ensure that CON.TXT is a welcoming space for everyone. To that end, we have some guidelines for moderators as they create programming for the con.

PLANNING

• Provide materials ahead of time. If you have slides or a document you'll be reading from, post it in your panel's Discord channel before your panel starts and ask @ConCom to pin it for you.
• Provide captions or transcripts for pre-recorded audio. Vids should have lyric captions if possible (required for premiering vids). Other audio should have either captions or a transcript.
• Use appropriate Content Notes. Vid shows are expected to follow our Content Notes Policy. Panelists are encouraged to send any content notes for their panel to panels@contxt.club so we can add them to the panel description.

CREATING SLIDES

• Explain acronyms and terms. Consider starting off with a brief definition of your terms.
• Make text big enough to read. A good guideline is to use a font size of 18 or larger for body text.
• Use an easy-to-read font. Calibri and Arial may be plain, but they're easy to read! Avoid fonts that are ornate or very thin for the body of your slides.
• Use high contrast colors. You should use either a light font on a dark background or a dark font on a light background. You can use the WebAIM color contrast checker to see whether two colors are high enough contrast; aim for the AA rating for the body (normal) text.
• Limit use of animations in your slides. Some animations can be distracting or make people ill.

PRESENTING

• Use a microphone or headset and do your best to limit background noise. This makes it easier for people to hear and understand you.
• Don't speak too fast. This will give people following the captions time to catch up, and will make it easier for everyone to follow along.
• Cover all the information on your slides. If you have text on your slides, make sure you cover it. You don't need to read things out verbatim, but you should cover all the information verbally.
• Give people time to process information. Short pauses between topics or pieces of information give everyone time to process.
• Describe visuals like images and video.
• Repeat questions from the chat before answering them.
• Ask participants to mention their name or handle each time they speak.

CONTACT US

If you have any questions about these guidelines, or if you would like to inform us of an accessibility need before or during the convention, please contact safety@contxt.club.

Adapted from Hosting Accessible Online Meetings, Making Your Presentation Accessible, and How to Make Your Presentations Accessible to All.