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Creating and Recording Accessible Lectures and Presentations

This article offers practical tips for removing barriers and making lecture content clearer and more inclusive for all learners.

In this article

Introduction

Lecture videos and slide presentations can be valuable ways to explain course concepts, whether you are teaching online or using them to supplement in-person instruction. It is important to ensure that students with a range of needs—including those who are Deaf, hard of hearing, visually impaired, colorblind, or viewing on small screens—can access all the information in your lectures. The following practices can help make your slides and lecture videos clearer, more usable, and more accessible for all learners.

Preparing accessible slide presentations

Students engage with slides in different ways—they may view them on small screens, have low vision or colorblindness, or sit far from the screen where they are displayed. Following these suggestions makes your slide content easier for everyone to see and understand.

  • Use high-contrast colors. Check your color combinations with WebAIM’s Color Contrast Checker.
  • Do not rely on color alone. Pair colors with text or patterns so meaning is not lost for learners with colorblindness.
  • Use clear, large fonts. Choose large (24-point or bigger) sans serif fonts like Arial, Calibri, or Verdana for presentations that will be shared in a live setting.
  • Keep slides simple and uncluttered. Limit the amount of text on each slide. Do not overcrowd with visuals and images. Simplify charts, diagrams, etc.
  • Maintain consistent layouts. Use build-in PowerPoint or Google Slides layouts to create consistency and provide a logical structure that screen readers can follow.
  • Give every slide a clear title. Titles help screen readers navigate a presentation after it is shared, and make it easier for all students to scan or review slides later.
  • Minimize animations and movement. Excessive movement can distract viewers and may be hard for some learners to process.
  • Hide unused slides. Only the slides you intent to present should appear. Hiding unused slides keeps the presentation focused and easier to follow. See How to hide or show a slide in PowerPoint | How to skip a slide in Google Slides.

Presenting slides accessibly

When delivering a presentation, a few habits can improve accessibility for both live viewers and those watching recordings.

  • Use Presenter View or Slideshow mode. This maximizes slide size and keeps attention on the current slide, not the editing interface.
  • Describe visual content. Explain all images, charts, or animations so students who can’t see them understand the content being conveyed.
  • Read essential text aloud. If students are expected to read something on the slide, also say it aloud. This helps learners who can’t see the text or who process information better by hearing.
  • Avoid follow-along language. Phrases such as “as you can see here…” or “the red line shows…” can exclude learners who cannot see the screen. Instead, clearly describe what you are referencing.
  • 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.
  • Describe relevant gestures and pointers. If you are demonstrating something with movement, describe the concept so all students get the meaning.

Sharing slide files with learners

Preparing slides with good design is only the first step. Additional steps help ensure that students can use the files after they are shared. 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. Share only the content you intend to present to make the file easier for students to navigate.
  • Keep PowerPoint files in PowerPoint. If you use PowerPoint’s Accessibility Checker, avoid uploading the file to Google Drive, which will remove 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.
  • Create PDFs carefully.
    • In Microsoft, run PowerPoint’s Accessibility Checker first. This PowerPoint to PDF workflow helps ensure your exported PDF is fully accessible.
    • In Google, the “export to PDF” button in Grackle slides is the only way to create an accessible PDF version of your slides.

Recording instructional videos or lectures

Videos can help illustrate and explain instructional content in both online and in-person courses. When creating instructional videos, it is important to consider both visual and auditory accessibility.

Recording asynchronous presentations

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

  • Keep your recording short and focused. Instead of making your video lecture as long as a live class, chunk it into a series of shorter videos – perhaps one topic per video. Learners can easily maintain their attention, rewatch videos and process content at their own pace.
  • Make videos “evergreen.” Avoid including semester-specific exam dates, due dates and announcements so that you can re-use the video from semester to semester

Recording live lectures

  • Repeat questions and comments so that viewer of the recording can hear them clearly.
  • Protect student privacy. Do not call students by their names or otherwise identify them, if you plan to ever share the video with anyone not on the roster of the course that you recorded in.

Ensuring video quality

Several technical choices can improve recording quality.

  • 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 and better quality.
  • Consider an external webcam. A webcam that works with laptops, desktops, or a tripod gives you more flexibility and often better quality.
  • Consider using a headset with built-in microphone for better audio quality.
  • Separate your video and slides while recording to avoid covering slide content with your webcam video. In Panopto capture, go to the Settings > Stream Output > capture streams separately.

Choosing a recording location

Recording outside the classroom can improve both technical quality and teaching flexibility. You might consider recording in a DELTA mini-studio or your office. Benefits include:

  • Fewer distractions.
  • Better control of camera placement
  • Clearer audio
  • Easier set-up for demonstrations.
  • No privacy concerns.
  • Less stress while teaching your live class.

Making recordings accessible

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. Learn more at WebAIM: Captions, Transcripts, and Audio Descriptions

Captions

Closed captions are synchronized on-screen text representing spoken dialogue and relevant audio. Captions support Deaf and hard-of-hearing learners, those watching videos in noisy environments and learners reviewing material without sound. Many platforms generate captions automatically, but these captions are not always accurate. Before sharing a video, review the captions and correct spelling, punctuation, and terminology errors. Even minor errors can change the meaning of the content.

Audio descriptions

Visual elements in a video may not be accessible to students with vision loss unless they are described. When recording, try to describe visual information verbally as it appears. This will prevent having to remediate the video later. Keep descriptions concise and relevant—only describe details that contribute to understanding. For complex visuals, you may break the explanation across multiple slides or segments. Be sure to explain the purpose and content of charts or diagrams, read essential text aloud and describe any relevant demonstrations or movements.

If a video already exists without sufficient visual description, several approaches can help. Possible options include:

  1. Descriptive transcript: Pair a transcript with descriptions of the visual elements appearing in the video. You might use this Video Description Template
  2. Annotated transcript: Add visual explanations to specific points in an existing transcript.
  3. Use Panopto editing tools: Add audio descriptions within the video timeline so the video pauses and reads the description. See How to Manually Add Captions and Audio Descriptions in Panopto.
  4. Replace the video. If remediation is difficult or not possible, consider using an alternative video (for example from Library collections).

    For maximum usability

    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.

    • Logitech C920S Webcam – A reliable, general-purpose webcam that works well with laptops and monitors.
    • CyberTrack H4 – General-purpose webcam with a monitor clip and built-in microphone.
    • Microsoft LifeCam Studio – A solid general-purpose webcam, recommended by several DELTA staff. 
    • InstaLink 360 – A motion-tracking webcam that automatically follows you as you move around the classroom, great for recording demonstrations. 
    • OBSBOT Tiny 2 Webcam – Another motion-tracking webcam option for presenters who move frequently.
    • Owl Pro – A 360° camera that captures the entire room at once.
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