This section describes resources made available by GSOLE to both presenters.

Slide Design

• Present and Share: To ensure slides are accessible to all, provide slides in a PDF file format to participants in the chat in addition to displaying them through screen share.

• Use an Accessible Slide Design Platform: Consider which platform will allow you to make the most accessible presentation. We recommend Google Slides or Microsoft PowerPoint, which prioritize functionality and accessibility over design. 

• Provide Overview of Presentation: A short overview or agenda can help attendees anticipate the different points of your presentation and follow along.

• Give Expectations for Participant Engagement: Attendees will come to your presentation with different experiences and expectations for a virtual conference. Please tell them how you would prefer they engage with you during your session (e.g., through the chat, by unmuting their microphones, during interactive activities). This point and the previous bullet can be included on one slide at the beginning of the presentation. 

• Design Slides Consistently: Design slides consistently, preferably using a premade template with embedded reading order. If you would like to check slide reading order, the resources included at the bottom of this section can help you do that. 

• Design Slides with Contrast: High-contrast colors between the font and slide background make slides easier to read and understand. WebAIM has a color contrast checker. Recommended levels of minimum contrast are 4.5:1.

• Limit Words on a Slide: Listening to a presenter speak while reading a wordy slide can lead to cognitive overload for some attendees. Text should be no smaller than 18 pt, be left-justified when possible, and should balance text with white space. 

• Use Concise and Clear Language: Try to limit overly wordy text. When using jargon, provide definitions.

• Use Heading Systems: Using designations like title, heading, and text can help those with screenreaders read your presentation. It is also helpful if each slide has a unique title for navigation purposes. Read more about heading styles in Google Slides or Microsoft PowerPoint.

• Add Alt Text to Images: Alternative text provides image descriptions for those with visual disabilities or those who do not have the internet connection needed to download media. Here is a resource on how to write good alternative text. 

• • Make Alt Text Available to Moderator: Each session will have an Alt Text Moderator who will make alternative text available in the Zoom chat;  composing alternative text for each slide with images allows the moderator to better help your audience. For easy retrieval, consider placing alternative text descriptions in a separate shareable document.

• Provide Transcripts, Audio Descriptions, or Alternative Formats for Videos and Media: If playing a video during your presentation, link attendees to a transcript or narrative description using the chat in addition to providing captions or subtitles. 

• Create Disclaimers for Media with Sensory Experiences: Warn attendees before you play videos that involve flashes occurring more than 3 times per second or loud sounds.

• Limit Slide Animation: If slide animation is not essential to the presentation’s content, we suggest you avoid using it as animation can cause some to experience nausea or distraction.

• Choose Sans Serif Fonts: Sans serif fonts, such as Arial or Calibri, are easier to read, especially for those with dyslexia.

• Do Not Use Color Alone to Signify Meaning: Attendees who have low vision or are colorblind may not understand the meaning being conveyed by color alone. Consider altering the display another way (e.g., bolding, underlining) in addition to a color difference.

• Be Intentional Describing Embedded Links: Describe links in such a way that they give attendees information about their destination. You can see this modeled throughout this resource.

For additional information on accessible slide design, see this resource from Microsoft Support or this resource from Google Slides.

Handout Design

If you plan on distributing a handout during your presentation, please take note of the following accessibility requirements.

• Provide Materials in Multiple Formats: Provide the handout in multiple formats (e.g., PDF and Word) so individuals who need to resize information can do so easily.

• Use Embedded Headings: As you design the handout, use correct heading identifiers in the document’s Style section.  

• Add Alt Text to Images: Alternative text provides image descriptions for those with visual disabilities or those who do not have the internet connection needed to download media. Here is a resource on how to write effective alternative text. 

• Use Concise and Clear Language: Try to limit overly wordy text. When using jargon, provide definitions.

• Consider Font Choice and Size: We encourage you to use size 14, sans serif font, left-justified, when possible. Sans serif fonts, such as Arial or Calibri, are easier to read, especially for those with dyslexia.

• Design Document with High Contrast: High-contrast colors between the font and slide background make slides easier to read and understand. WebAIM has a color contrast checker. Recommended levels of minimum contrast are 4.5:1.

• Do Not Use Color Alone to Signify Meaning: Attendees who have low vision or are colorblind may not understand the meaning being conveyed by color alone. Consider altering the display another way (e.g., bolding, underlining) in addition to a color difference.

• Be Intentional Describing Embedded Links: Describe links in such a way that they give attendees information about the link destination. You can see this modeled throughout this resource.

Sharing Your Materials 

We encourage presenters to share their conference materials, such as slides, speaking notes, and/or scripts with attendees. Please note that the GSOLE conference recording processes changed in June 2026. Now, conference recordings will be limited to conference attendees for one year; after that year, recordings will be made available to all active GSOLE members. If you would like us to remove your presentation recording from our archives after that initial period, please let us know by emailing conferences@gsole.org. 

• Designing Accessible Materials: Materials can include, but are not limited to, slides, handouts, speaking scripts, or videos. Please see the sections above to learn more about accessible design across these resources.

• Intellectual Property: Sharing materials can raise concerns about intellectual property, especially if you are hoping to develop publications on your presentation topic or are presenting on an ongoing research project. No presenter is required to share their materials, but we do understand offering materials in alternative formats is an issue of accessibility. Further, you might be willing to allow attendees to adapt your materials for use in their online learning contexts. Therefore, we encourage you to explicitly state how you would like attendees to view and/or re-use your materials. You can do this by adding re-use statements to your materials. Sample statements have been provided below for your consideration, and you can adapt these statements, as needed. Some of the language has been modeled after Creative Commons licensing options.

Staging Your Presentation

We first want to acknowledge the privilege related to being able to choose your presentation environment. While not everyone can do this, we encourage those able to do so to consider how staging can enhance the accessibility of your presentation.

• Lighting: If you are sharing your camera, lighting can help attendees see your face, which can be important for reading lips, emotive cues, and gestures. Position yourself so that light is in front of—not behind—you.
• Camera Placement: If you are using a movable camera, the preferred angle is to position the camera lens just above eye-level.
• Contrast: If you are sharing your camera, try to wear colors that contrast with your background. Avoid busy patterns, which can blur on camera or blend into virtual backgrounds.
• Backgrounds/Virtual Backgrounds: If you are sharing your camera, avoid virtual backgrounds if your computer processor cannot differentiate the virtual background from your face.
• Upload a Profile Image: If you are not sharing your camera, upload a photo, image, or avatar image to your Zoom account by following these directions.
• Limited Background Noise: To help attendees and closed-captioning software better understand what you are saying, make an attempt to limit background noise, if possible.
• Microphone: Using a microphone can sharpen the quality of your speech, which can help attendees and closed-captioning software better understand what you are saying.
• Rename Your Participant Name to Include Pronouns: If you feel comfortable sharing your pronouns, you can edit your display name to include pronouns by following these directions.
• Positioning Statement, Statements of Land Acknowledgement, Labor Acknowledgement, or Support: In staging or framing your presentation, we invite presenters to consider giving positioning statements, statements of acknowledgement, or statements of support to ethically position, or stage, their presentation. A sample Land Acknowledgement for Old Dominion University, the site of the technical support center associated with GSOLE’s virtual conference is available below, but you could also craft a Land Acknowledgement statement for the land you will be on when you present using the sample statement provided below. This resource will help you research the Indigenous Peoples’ and/or Nations’ territory on which you are presenting.
• • Example ODU Land Acknowledgement: As we begin this virtual event, we acknowledge and honor the original inhabitants of the land which now holds Old Dominion University, our hosting institution. A land acknowledgement is a statement that formally recognizes the historical and continuing connection between indigenous peoples and their native lands. In this spirit, we humbly make this land acknowledgement. We honor the ancestral grounds of the Chesapeake, the Powhatan, Nanticoke, and Piscataway peoples, in particular. While a land acknowledgement is not enough, it is an important social justice and decolonial practice that promotes Indigenous visibility and a reminder that we are on sacred land. Let this land acknowledgement be an opening for all of us to contemplate the ongoing struggles to resist colonial indoctrination through various Indigenous movements for identity, sovereignty, and self-determination.
  • Creating Your Own Land Acknowledgement: As we begin this event, we acknowledge and honor the original inhabitants of our various regions. A land acknowledgement is a critical step towards working with native communities to secure meaningful partnership and inclusion in the stewardship and protection of their cultural resources and homelands. However, as a presenter we want you to authentically engage with the act of acknowledging your presence on indigenous lands and not merely perform an acknowledgement. Let’s take a moment to honor these ancestral grounds that we are virtually gathered upon and support the resilience and strength that all Indigenous people have shown worldwide. I am currently presenting from my home in xxxxx which is on the unceded territory of the xxxxxxxxxxxx. Please use the chat to type in the name of the nations in your area. Wherever you’re from, if you already know the native name of this location or its traditional peoples, I invite you to share this important knowledge with those around you. I also invite you to visit native-land.ca to look up the territories and languages of the native nations that have inhabited these locations since time immemorial.  I am currently presenting from my home in xxxxx which is on the unceded territory of the xxxxx. Please use the chat to type in the name of the nations in your area. We would also like to emphasize that land acknowledgments should not be performative and, to that end, we hope to provide resources to the audience for making a difference. If you are financially able, we recommend making a donation to an indigenous-forward organization that encourages Native presence in higher education, such as the Native Forward Scholars Fund at nativeforward.org.  The Cherokee Nation also regularly updates a list of citizen action recommendations for those interested in engaging members in political office at https://www.cherokee.gov/our-government/citizen-action/.  Thank you for participating in the land acknowledgement with GSOLE.

  • Creating Labor Acknowledgements: Like a land acknowledgment, a labor acknowledgment should begin by recognizing the traditional land an institution occupies and honoring the individuals who built the structural foundations of the surrounding ecosystem. For example, a land acknowledgment might honor Indigenous tribes to acknowledge the historical destruction of their culture, land, and sovereignty. Similarly, a labor acknowledgment explicitly recognizes the history of enslaved Africans, sharecroppers, and marginalized workers whose labor was uncompensated or inequitably valued compared to their white counterparts—focusing on those whose contributions were historically exploited for institutional or economic gain. This core practice centers on naming the specific communities and labor forces impacted.

    Next, the acknowledgment should provide relevant historical context to add specificity and depth. It should then outline actionable recommendations on how and why different stakeholders can meaningfully incorporate the statement into practice. Finally, conclude with a guided moment of reflection or silence, offering individuals space to consider the statement's significance and its alignment with their own lived experiences.

    Example from Melvin Beavers (shared with permission): We acknowledge the legacy of slavery in our region and the enslaved African people whose labor was exploited for generations to help establish the economy of our region and the United States, specifically the production and harvest of surplus crops and land cultivation.

    It may not go as far as the steps or process I detailed in the two paragraphs above, but the intent is clear. One way to avoid being performative is for those composing or speaking the acknowledgment to address their biases either in writing or prior to making the statement. This does not need to be an exhaustive list. Instead, note gaps in knowledge and understanding regarding how our physical spaces have historically benefited some while excluding others, and reflect on how we have all collectively benefited from the exploitation of uncompensated labor.

    Finally, “support” can take many forms in this context. Some individuals might support the development of a student group or create an assignment for students to complete, while others might bring up the concept of a labor acknowledgment in conversations with friends or family. Ultimately, the goal is to keep the conversation going, stay engaged with peers, and ensure labor awareness is present in spaces where its inclusion is warranted.

Oral Presentation

Please consider the following suggestions to make the oral presentation easier for audience engagement.

• Consider Renaming Your Zoom Participant Name to Include Pronouns: You can edit your display name to include pronouns by following these directions. 

• Use a Microphone and Auto-Captioning: Using a microphone can sharpen the quality of your speech, which can help attendees and closed-captioning software better understand what you are saying. While all presentations will have captions in their recorded format, we encourage presenters to consider using a live-time automatic closed-captioning technology in Zoom during synchronous presentations to increase the accessibility of the presentation in the moment. If you are recording your presentation, please look into the captioning capacities of your software, like Zoom’s captioning tools or Team’s captioning tools. Your institution’s technology office or Center for Teaching and Learning can assist you with this.

• Speak Clearly at an Easy Pace: Pacing will help attendees process your presentation and is especially helpful for captioning tools, translators, and CART specialists. 

• Articulate Slide Content: You should not assume everyone can see your slides. Describing slide content, especially visuals, is helpful for attendees calling in or with low-vision.

• Summarize Chat Conversations: Please summarize conversations happening in the chat. Individuals calling in cannot see the chat, and individuals using different devices may struggle to toggle between the chat and shared presentation.

• Summarize Activities: Please summarize activities, notes, or engagement as it is happening in a secondary platform (e.g., Padlet or Google docs) if they're being projected.

• Provide Thinking, Processing, and Transitioning Time: Attendees process information at different paces. Consider building in wait time as you shift between topics, ask for commentary and feedback, or move into interactive activities.

• Provide Time Expectations for Activities: When asking attendees to participate in activities, please let them know how much time they will have to work. Because attendees will be in various time zones, give timing expectations in minute increments (e.g., “We will spend the next 10 minutes…”) instead of end times (“At 1:10, we will stop working…”). 

• Use Inclusive Terms: Consider if the terms you are using to describe communities and peoples are inclusive. Please refer to this APA guide on inclusive and bias-free language.

Participant Engagement

• Use of External Technologies in Presentations: You may want your attendees to visit another site, complete a Padlet prompt, or complete a poll. Please only select additional technologies if they function across devices and are WCAG 2.1 compliant. Your institution’s technology office or Center for Teaching and Learning can assist you with this.

• Give Expectations for Participant Engagement: Attendees will come to your presentation with different experiences and expectations for a virtual conference. Please tell them how you would prefer they engage with you during your session (e.g., through the chat, by unmuting their microphones, during interactive activities). 

• Summarize Chat Conversations: Summarize conversations happening in the chat. Individuals calling in cannot see the chat, and individuals using different devices may struggle to toggle between the chat and shared presentation.

• Do Not Require Participants to Turn on Cameras or Mics: Respect the privacy of your attendees. While some attendees may engage best using their videos and microphones, others may have valid reasons for preferring not to engage with your presentation in these ways.

• Mute Mics When You Are Not Speaking: To limit background noise, request that any individual not speaking mute their microphone. 

• Interactive Activities Should Be Flexible in How People Participate: Design interactive activities with an understanding that we all are working in different contexts. Interactive moments should allow individuals a range of activity and engagement options and consider that some participants may not be able to participate in all engagement activities. When introducing these activities, consider if you want to give explicit directions or invitational directions.

• Give Breakout Room Directions in Multiple Formats: Give attendees directions for Breakout Rooms on slides and in chats for reference. Once individuals are sent to Breakout Rooms, they can no longer see the shared slide but can still access the chat.

• Group Breakout Rooms Strategically: Placing a minimum of 3 members in each Breakout Room ensures that a discussion can still occur if an individual chooses not to participate in the Breakout Room discussion or is unable to participate given the context where they are listening from. 

• Debrief or Share Breakout Room Conversations: If appropriate, consider giving Breakout Room participants a way to summarize their conversations as recordings will not include Breakout Rooms.

• Provide Thinking, Processing, and Transitioning Time: Attendees process information at different paces. Consider building in wait time as you shift between topics, ask for commentary and feedback, or move into interactive activities.

For additional resources related to accessibility, please see this resource from the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) on web presentation accessibility.

Asynchronous Presentation Technologies

No matter the platform you choose to use, please review the various suggestions for slide design, sharing your materials, staging your presentation, and oral presentation tips (all detailed above) and review the platform’s accessibility guide.