Workshop: Are your PowerPoints legal?

PowerPoint, Google Slides and Canva are now central to scientific communication and are widely used to create slide decks and posters. However, many authors use these applications in ways that present barriers to people using assistive technologies such as screen reader software. In some circumstances, these accessibility barriers may also create legal issues.

This interactive workshop will introduce practical approaches for creating accessible digital research outputs. Focusing on simple changes that can be incorporated into existing workflows, we will explore how accessibility can enhance the reach and impact of your work without adding unnecessary complexity.

The workshop will cover:

• Introduction to digital accessibility and inclusive design
• Common accessibility barriers in presentation and poster PDFs
• Choosing the right software and understanding its limitations
• Everyday habits that unintentionally reduce accessibility
• Practical techniques for creating accessible slide decks and posters
• “Shift left” approaches for accessible content design

Speakers

Dr Richard Prince is a Reader in Pharmacology at the University of Manchester with a long-standing interest in accessible teaching and communication. His work focuses on evaluating the accessibility of academic documents and research outputs, and on developing practical approaches that help academic and research staff produce materials that are accessible to all audiences.