1. CONFERENCES & TRAINING EVENTS
TASC is sponsored by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD), the
Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA). TASC is a division of the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN).
TASC
CONFERENCES & TRAINING EVENTS
PRESENTER GUIDE # 2
Designing Accessible
Training Events and Materials
January 2009

2. PRESENTER GUIDE # 2 Designing Accessible Training Events and Materials
Hello. I’m Ron Hager, one of the Senior Staff Attorneys at the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN).
Welcome to this Guide to designing training events that are accessible for persons with disabilities.
This series is funded by the Training & Advocacy Support Center (TASC), a division of NDRN. 

3. Designing Accessible Training Events and Materials
UNIVERSAL DESIGN
It is a best practice to always assume that there are individuals with disabilities involved as presenters and participants in any training event.
Each training event needs to be designed to maximize accessibility for persons with a wide range of disabilities.   
This is really a form of “universal design.”

4. Universal Design Architectural Accessibility
We know what universal design looks like
when we talk about architectural accessibility.
• If we build a house with an accessible entrance, including no entry stairs, individuals who use a wheelchair can just go on in with no need for additional accommodations. • The house is built with that design feature in place.
Front view
of house with
no entry steps.

5. Universal Design: Training Events
If we arrange furniture in all training rooms for wheelchair accessibility, there is no need to re-arrange the room if a person in a wheelchair is a presenter or participant.
 If a microphone is always used when a presenter or participant speaks, we increase the ability of anyone who is hard of hearing to hear everything that is said.
 If all handouts are available in accessible formats, we are using best practices to maximize visual accessibility for persons who are blind or have low vision.

6. Physical Accessibility for Mobility
Training rooms are set-up to provide:
maximum accessibility and seating choices for persons who use wheelchairs, and
clear paths for walking for anyone with mobility difficulties.
Please:
 Do not re-arrange tables and chairs in the room.
Do not block the doorways.
Keep aisles clear -- put personal belongings under a table or otherwise out of the way. 6

7. Visual Accessibility: Best Practices
Fonts
Use a sans serif font for all documents.
Sans serif fonts: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica.
Please do not use Times New Roman (it’s a serif font and harder for some individuals to read).
For handouts, the minimum font size is:
12 pt for standard-size copies of documents.
18 pt for large-print copies.
For PowerPoints, the minimum font size is 22 pt.
Information about PowerPoint fonts is found in Guide #5. 7

8. Visual Accessibility (cont’d)
Keep the lights on at all times, even when using a video.
Provide alternative formats for documents.
All handouts (anything handed out during the conference) must be available in alternative formats, including:
a large print copy (minimum 18 pt font), and
an electronic version on a CD.
We also provide Braille copies on request. 8

9. Presenters are Asked to Submit Materials 6 Weeks in Advance
Handouts not available in alternative formats cannot be used.
TASC will create accessible versions of your materials
in alternative formats . . .
PROVIDED an electronic copy is received by the deadline for submitting handouts.
The deadline is approximately 6 weeks before the conference / training event. 9

10. What if You Miss the Deadline?
If you miss the deadline for submitting handouts, you are responsible for bringing your handouts to the workshop.
Anyone bringing handouts without submitting them
by the deadline must bring:
the required number (typically 50) of standard-size copies.
3 large-print copies (minimum 18 pt sans serif font).
2 electronic copies on CDs.
Handouts cannot be used if these requirements are not met. 10

11. Important Note About PowerPoints
If you want to use a PowerPoint that was not submitted by the deadline:
in addition to bringing the copies of handouts just noted,
please submit an electronic copy to us the Thursday before the conference -- for our review to ensure it is accessible.
This is very important so we can ensure accessibility
for persons who are blind or have low vision. 11

12. Accessible Documents Screen Readers
Some individuals who are blind use a screen reader on a laptop or communication device. It reads documents to them.
 Screen readers need an “accessible” electronic version
of documents for this purpose.   
Word and WordPerfect: Most documents created in Word or WordPerfect are accessible for screen readers.
Charts and Graphs: Most are not accessible.
To the extent possible, avoid using them. It is better to summarize the information. 12

13. Accessible Documents: Adobe PDF
Adobe PDF format usually is accessible when created by a computer.
However, PDF documents that are scanned images often are not accessible.
 Many photocopier machines and scanners that scan documents into an electronic format typically produce
a .pdf that is not accessible by screen readers.
Our staff can a convert scanned document into an accessible document, but that takes time.
This is why it’s important to submit handouts by the deadline. 13

14. Pictures and Non-Text Images
Using pictures, clip art, or other non-text material can make inaccessible a document that is otherwise accessible for screen readers.
  This can be solved by including a text description for the non-text image.
There are two ways to add text to an image in a Word document:
 a) Insert an Alternative Text (“alt text”) that is not visible on the page [right click on the image & select “format picture;” then select “alt text” tab]; and/or  
b) Add a descriptive caption under the image [right click on the image & select “insert caption”]. 14

15. Videos
Audio accessibility -- for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Videos are not accessible for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing (unless there is no sound track).
Only videos with open captioning can be used.   
Visual accessibility -- for persons who are blind or have low vision.
Before showing a video, or while you are showing it, you need to summarize what it depicts. 15

16. Auditory Accessibility Universal Use of Microphones
Presenters . . .
always use a microphone when speaking.
make sure that participants to do the same.
face participants when speaking, to assist persons who read lips.
 Remember universal design --
Always assume that someone in the room
is a person with an auditory disability. 16

17. Sign-Language Interpreters
Remember to speak clearly and slowly when an interpreter is present.
Do not stand between the interpreter and the person using the interpreter. 
Keep the lights on at all times, even when using a PowerPoint or video.
When conversing with someone who uses an interpreter, speak directly to the person, not the interpreter. 17

18. PRESENTER GUIDE # 2 General Information About Training Events
Thank you for taking the time to go through this Guide, and applying this information to your presentations.
If you have any questions, please contact the person on our staff who invited you to be a presenter, or contact me directly:
Ron Hager, JD
National Disability Rights Network

19. PRESENTER GUIDE # 2 General Information About Training Events
Handouts available online:
Presenter Guide #1 (PowerPoint)
Presenter Guide #1 (text version)
P&A/CAP Network at a Glance and Guiding Principles
P&A/CAP History