Creating and Recording Accessible Lectures and Presentations

Lectures and presentations are a common way to share course content, whether live or recorded. Because students engage with materials in different ways, it’s important to design slides and recordings so everyone can access and understand them. This article offers practical tips for removing barriers and making lecture content clearer and more inclusive for all learners.

Preparing your slides

Students engage with slides in different ways—some may be viewing on small screens, some may have low vision or colorblindness, and others may be sitting far from the screen where they are displayed. Following these suggestions makes your slides easier for everyone to see and understand.

  • Use high-contrast colors. Check your choices with WebAIM’s Color Contrast Checker.
  • Don’t rely on color alone. Pair colors with text or patterns so meaning isn’t lost for students with colorblindness.
  • Choose clear fonts. Use large (24-point or bigger) sans serif fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Verdana for presentations that will be shared in a live setting.
  • Keep it simple. Limit the amount of text and number of visuals per slide.
  • Use built-in layouts. PowerPoint and Google Slides layouts provide a logical structure that screen readers can follow.
  • Give every slide a clear title. Titles help screen readers navigate, and they make it easier for all students to scan or review slides later.
  • Simplify graphics. Avoid clutter and keep charts or diagrams straightforward.
  • Minimize animations. Movement can distract and may be hard for some viewers to process.
  • Hide unused slides. Hide unused slides so only the material you intend to share appears. This keeps the presentation focused and easier for everyone to follow. How to hide or show a slide in PowerPoint | How to skip a slide in Google Slides.

Sharing your slides as a file

Preparing slides with good design is the first step. To make sure students can actually use them, take these additional steps before sharing: DELTA’s Digital Accessibility Guide outlines general guidelines for ensuring that all images and text are accessible, but some additional steps must be taken to make slides fully accessible.

  • Run an accessibility check.
  • Remove unused slides. Only share the content you intend to present—this keeps your file clean and easier for students to navigate.
  • Keep PowerPoint files in PowerPoint. If you use PowerPoint’s Accessibility Checker, don’t upload the file to Google Drive, which strips out many accessibility features. Instead, store the file on your computer and share it directly through Moodle as an attachment or upload, or in Microsoft OneDrive.
  • Check accessibility before making a PDF, and create the PDF appropriately.
    • In Microsoft, run PowerPoint’s Accessibility Checker first. This PowerPoint to PDF workflow helps ensure your exported PDF is fully accessible.
    • In Google, use the “export to PDF” button in Grackle slides to create an accessible PDF version of your slides.

Presenting your slides

As you present, a few habits can make your talk clearer and more accessible for everyone:

  • Use Presenter View or Slideshow mode. This maximizes slide size and keeps attention on the current slide, not the editing screen.
  • Describe visuals. Briefly explain images, charts, or animations so students who can’t see them—and those watching recordings—understand the key point.
  • Read essential text aloud. If you expect students to read it, also speak it. This helps learners who can’t see the text or who process information better by hearing.
  • Ensure videos you include in your presentation are captioned. Captions support students with hearing loss, but also anyone in a noisy environment or reviewing without sound.
  • Verbalize gestures and pointers. Instead of “as you can see here…,” describe what you’re pointing to or demonstrating with movement so all students get the meaning.

Recording your lecture / presentation in Panopto

Content considerations

A few simple practices can make your recordings clearer, reusable, and respectful of student privacy:

  • Keep it concise. Video lectures should not be be as long as live sessions. Because students can pause and rewatch, you may be able to use fewer examples or move some content into Moodle activities or resources. You might consider recording a lecture in chunks with one topic per video.
  • Make videos “evergreen.” Avoid including reminders, announcements, or specific dates (like exam times or holidays). Post semester-specific details in Moodle instead, such as in the Announcements forum.
  • Protect student privacy. If recording a live class, repeat audience questions so they’re audible in the video, but don’t identify the student who asked.

Technical considerations

A few setup choices can make your Panopto recordings clearer and more professional:

  • Position your camera at eye level. Keep it level with your line of vision. If you’re using a built-in laptop camera, elevate the laptop with a laptop stand or lap desk (available from the NC State Libraries).
  • Record directly in Panopto. Use Panopto’s desktop app rather than recording through Moodle for smoother performance.
  • Consider an external webcam. A webcam that works with laptops, desktops, or a tripod gives you more flexibility and often better quality.
  • Separate your video and slides while recording. In Panopto capture, go to the Settings > Stream Output > capture streams separately. This will prevent your webcam capture from being an overlay on top of and obscuring a portion of your slides.

Location considerations

Recording in a quiet space outside the classroom can improve both the quality of your video and your teaching experience. You might consider recording in a DELTA mini-studio or your office. Why is this better than a live class?

  • Fewer distractions. Questions, side conversations, or classroom noise won’t affect your online viewers.
  • Better camera setup. You can place your webcam at the optimal angle for recording.
  • Clearer audio. Using headphones with a built-in microphone often results in much better sound quality.
  • Easier demonstrations. Physical demonstrations are simpler to capture when you can set up the space in advance.
  • No privacy concerns. You won’t risk recording students in your class.
  • Less stress while teaching. You can focus on your live audience in class and record separately, instead of trying to manage both at once.

If you prefer to record live lectures instead, you can still improve the experience by repeating audience questions for the recording, avoiding naming students, and checking that your microphone captures your voice clearly.

Preparing recordings for sharing

Before you release your video, a few quick edits can make it more accessible and easier to use. A few simple edits before sharing can make your video clearer and easier to navigate and use by all students.

For multimedia accessibility (critical)

  • Add audio descriptions. If your shared screen shows important information that you don’t describe aloud, use Panopto’s editing tool to add an audio description. When viewing, the video will pause at that frame and read out the description—essential for visually impaired students, and useful for anyone reviewing without full attention.
  • Edit captions for accuracy. Panopto’s auto-generated captions are helpful but not perfect, especially with technical terms, names, or acronyms. Review and correct them before sharing.
  • Learn more at WebAIM: Captions, Transcripts, and Audio Descriptions.

For best usability

  • Add a table of contents. This helps students jump directly to the part of the recording they need to review.
  • Choose the right stream view. Show your camera feed when your presence matters (like introductions), switch to slides for content-heavy sections, and use a demonstration camera when showing physical examples.
  • Trim extra material. Cut out pauses, mistakes, or side conversations to keep the video focused and engaging. See How to edit a video in Panopto.

Recommended cameras and equipment

NC State Libraries loan a wide range of devices to borrow, including cameras and tripods. You can borrow equipment for a single use—for example, to capture an in-class demonstration—or test out different options before purchasing your own.

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