Catering for learner diversity is not only something you can do through what you say, but also through what you display. In this post, Chatteris Tutor George Amis provides some practical tips to make your PowerPoints more accessible…

What is Accessibility?

Accessibility is a term we hear frequently, yet it can sometimes be difficult to pin down exactly what it means in the context of a classroom. While there are varying interpretations, for this article, let’s view accessibility through the lens of the Social Mode of Disability. This model teaches us that people are not disabled by their conditions, but by the barriers – physical, attitudinal, or technological – that society places in their way. Therefore, accessibility is the active practice of removing those barriers to ensure equity for everyone. 

Think of it like a restaurant menu. If a menu only offers meat, it creates a barrier for vegetarians. By adding a vegetarian option, you remove that barrier. Interestingly, this often creates an environment that becomes better for everyone; meat-eaters might also enjoy the vegetarian option, and the dining experience is enriched. By catering for difference, we often improve the learning experience for the entire class.

What Does ‘Best Practice’ Mean?

In design, ‘best practice’ refers to the principles that make materials as effective and usable as possible. These ideas inform our decisions to ensure that we are able to communicate ideas and information as clearly as possible. Having a set of best practices is a helpful way to remind ourselves of tried-and-tested methods; however, this does not necessarily mean we must adhere to them as strict rules all the time. While it’s often the case that we cannot do everything perfectly due to budget or time constraints in schools, it is important to remember that many accessible choices cost nothing but a moment of thought. By integrating these practices into our daily habits, we stop viewing accessibility as an add-on or a burden, and start viewing it as a core component of good teaching. Take a look at five ways to do this…

1. Choose High Contrast Colours

A very simple way to make PowerPoints immediately more accessible is to pay attention to colour choices. We already know that light yellow text, for example, might get lost on a white background, but sometimes it is less obvious whether two colours work together. This is why it is important to pay attention to contrast. You can find out the contrast ratio of your design using free online tools, such as the WebAIM contrast checker. To ensure legibility for visually impaired people or individuals with Colour Vision Deficiency, the ratio needs to be somewhere between 4.5:1 and 21:1.

2. Limit the Use of All Capitals

While there are times when using all caps is appropriate for emphasis, uppercase-only text is generally harder for readers to understand. As tutors, we should be preparing our students for real-world applications of English, and it is uncommon for printed text to consist solely of uppercase letters. Another consideration is that some readers may interpret all caps as an acronym, consequently reading the word letter-by-letter rather than as a whole. Research even shows that all caps reduce reading fluency by obscuring the unique ‘silhouette’ or shape of the word.

3. Use Sans Serif Typefaces

It is common to feel the urge to use quirky fonts that suit the theme of the lesson to make our PowerPoints appear more interesting or fun. However, as a rule of thumb, it is advisable to use a font that belongs to the sans serif family, such as Arial or Calibri. Sans serif fonts lack the decorative ‘ticks’ or ‘tails’ that other fonts have, creating a uniform, uncluttered appearance that makes it easier for readers to distinguish individual letters. Additionally, projectors and smartboards vary in age and quality across schools. Using fonts that maintain crispness and clarity even in low-resolution conditions ensures your slides remain legible, even for the student sitting at the very back of the room.

While sans serif is the standard for body text, this does not mean your slides must be devoid of personality. Decorative fonts can still work effectively in headers and titles, as they are typically larger and more likely to be emphasised by the speaker. However, for longer passages, a sans serif font is almost always the better choice. Our goal is to encourage participation, not push them away with a typography that prioritises style over substance. 

4. Minimise Text when Possible

As many of us are relatively new to being in front of a class, a slideshow filled with text can feel like a safety net. However, this often makes information harder to understand for students. If students are concentrating on reading every word on the screen, they are not paying attention to you. Processing two different sources of information simultaneously – especially in a foreign language – can easily lead to cognitive overload. By removing these obstacles and minimising text, we encourage the students to focus predominantly on the tutor. 

One way to streamline your communication is by using visual prompts, such as images or symbols. This allows students to follow along and associate the sounds of words with visuals. It also allows you to be more flexible with your teaching rather than sticking to a script. When words are necessary, such as when explaining rules, you can even ask an AI tool to ‘reword this in a more accessible, understandable way’ to help you find concise phrasing. 

5. Consider Alternative Text for Images

‘Alt Text’ allows us to convey an image’s content and meaning, typically for the benefit of those with visual impairments. It is a basic sentence that objectively describes what is happening in an image. While not specifically intended for this purpose, Alt Text can also benefit English as a Second Language students by repeatedly modelling how to describe pictures – a key component of many English speaking exams. Furthermore, if a stock photo used to explain an abstract concept isn’t immediately clear, providing Alt Text helps students to draw the right connection.

And Finally…

I hope these tips become a part of your teaching toolkit. Accessibility is not about ticking boxes; it is about equity and empathy. Mastering a new language is difficult enough without the unnecessary friction of poor design. Therefore, when we make our lessons accessible, we are not just accommodating needs – we are removing the barriers that stand between our students and their success.

Passionate about removing barriers for students in Hong Kong? Click here to apply for the Chatteris International Graduate Programme