How to Create Accessible Presentations with Venngage: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating accessible presentations is essential for ensuring all audiences, including those using assistive technologies, can access and benefit from the content. This guide covers step-by-step methods to create, customize, and export a presentation in Venngage that meets accessibility standards, from template selection and customization to font, color, and alt text adjustments.

Video Guide

Introduction to Venngage for Accessible Presentations

Venngage’s online design platform includes templates, a brand kit, and a built-in accessibility checker, making it a convenient tool for creating inclusive and visually engaging presentations. Each step is designed to ensure the final product meets accessibility guidelines.

Steps to Creating an Accessible Presentation with Venngage

Step 1: Select and Set Up a Template

Start by logging into Venngage:

1. Navigate to Templates and select Presentations on the left side.
2. Choose a template that aligns with your brand or style. For this guide, the “User Personas” template is selected.
3. Click Create to open the presentation in the editor.

Using templates helps maintain consistency in design and accessibility, making it easier to work on multiple slides with a cohesive look.

Step 2: Customize Text and Design Elements

With the template open:

1. Adjust the slide titles by setting the first slide’s title to a Heading 1 (H1) tag. Set subsequent slides to Heading 2 (H2) for a clear hierarchy.
2. Set the font size to at least 16 pt for readability, which is a best practice for accessibility.
3. If flagged by the accessibility checker, select all text and adjust the size uniformly.

Using a structured tag setup, like H1 for primary slides and H2 for secondary slides, enables screen readers to navigate the content more easily.

Step 3: Add Accessible Images and Logos

To correctly add and tag images:

1. Insert a logo by navigating to the Brand Kit and removing default logos if needed.
2. Right-click the logo or any image, then select Edit Image to access options like resizing or background removal.
3. Assign alt text to each image, describing its content or marking it as decorative if it doesn’t add essential meaning to the presentation. For example, a logo’s alt text might read “Accessibility guide logo.”
4. Review all images and icons, tagging them as decorative where appropriate.

Tagging images and logos makes the presentation accessible to screen reader users while enhancing its visual appeal.

Step 4: Set Up Accessible Tables

For presentations that contain complex data or comparisons:

1. Add a table by selecting Elements > Charts > Table.
2. Enter data directly into the table fields, ensuring all critical information is accessible.
3. Format tables for accessibility, marking decorative images to pass accessibility checks.

Tables provide structured data that screen readers can interpret, making them ideal for displaying detailed information.

Step 5: Adjust Color Contrast and Accessibility Settings

Ensure visual accessibility by checking color contrast:

1. Use Venngage’s accessibility checker to test color contrast, which is critical for low-vision users. Adjust text color if flagged.
2. Set text to a color with sufficient contrast, such as black on a light background.
3. Rescan the presentation to confirm compliance.

Meeting contrast guidelines improves readability, especially for users with color vision deficiencies.

Step 6: Run the Accessibility Checker

Venngage’s built-in accessibility checker helps catch accessibility issues:

1. Go to File > Accessibility and select Check My Design.
2. Address flagged items, like missing alt text or text size adjustments. Tag decorative icons accordingly.
3. Check text tags (e.g., P tags for paragraphs) to ensure a logical reading order.

This checker is helpful for spotting accessibility gaps before exporting the final presentation.

Step 7: Export the Presentation as an Accessible PDF

Once the presentation meets accessibility standards:

1. Go to File > Download and select PDF.
2. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat to verify reading order, tags, and alt text.
3. Use Acrobat’s accessibility checker to confirm that each element has appropriate tags and meets WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).

This ensures accessibility standards are maintained across different platforms, especially for users who may rely on PDF format.

Step 8: Handling PowerPoint Export and Accessibility

Although Venngage supports PowerPoint export:

1. PowerPoint exports may lack accessibility features, requiring further editing.
2. Use PowerPoint’s Accessibility Checker to identify and address remaining issues.

While Venngage’s PDF export retains accessibility settings, PowerPoint exports may need additional adjustments, especially with alt text and reading order.

Conclusion

Venngage provides a streamlined approach to creating accessible presentations, with customization and accessibility tools built into the platform. By following these steps, users can create presentations that adhere to accessibility best practices, from template selection to color contrast and alt text. Although PDF exports maintain accessibility settings well, PowerPoint exports require more adjustments. Venngage serves as a robust tool for creating accessible, visually appealing presentations and reaching a broader, inclusive audience.

Let me be your champion for inclusion. I offer tailored solutions (and self-paced courses!) to ensure your documents meet and exceed compliance expectations. For more detailed insights, tutorials, and in-depth discussions on accessibility and related topics, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel: The Accessibility Guy on YouTube. Subscribe for regular updates!