Accessibility policy
While the Annual Meeting has been transformed into a virtual event, we are keenly aware that accessibility issues have their importance. Going virtual will definitely mean learning new things for all of us and a bit of extra work for the sessions chairs. However, we very much hope you will all stay on board with this experiment of creating an online community. We believe the new format can also become a petri dish for testing new, more eco- and climate-friendly and socially inclusive ways of scholarly exchange.
General considerations
We would like to remind you that the Ethics Event Policy of 4S also applies for the virtual event.
The provider of our virtual event – SlidesLive – is working on a barrier-free format of the event which includes English live captioning. Personal support from SlidesLive will be available 24/7 during the event. During the conference and afterwards, there will be an email address and phone number where a 4S ombudsperson can be reached to report accessibility problems.
Panel chairs should actively moderate their sessions, strive to ensure that all panelists have allocated time and that the discussion welcomes diverse and respectful participation.
Panel organizers or panel chairs reading introductions should check with all panelists in advance about the pronunciation of names, pronouns, and access needs.
Accommodating accessibility in your presentation
We ask all presenters and moderators to work toward inclusive and accessible environment. The following guidelines should be read prior to the conference to make sure that everyone feels safe and accommodated.
We would like to ask all participant to ensure that their PowerPoint slides are accessible and possibly barrier free. if using PowerPoint, you can check the accessibility of your slides inside the program ( the function “check accessibility). Raising accessibility of your slides includes especially following steps:
• Make sure the language of your presentation is defined correctly inside your document (as all presentation are in English, English should be defined as the language in each of your slides).
• Offer a short explaining alternative text on informative images in your slides. (You will find the feature in the PowerPoint program. Once you have added an image, you have the possibility to complement it by an “alternative text” in which you explain what you can see in the image.)
• Bear in mind the color contrast you use in your slides. Preferably, use the black and white contrast.
• Limit the volume of the text on your slides.
• Make sure that all offered links in your presentation are correct and up to date
• Set larger fonts than 17.
• Use sans-serif font (such as Arial or Calibri).
• Describe all slides and visual materials and do not assume that your audience can see any of the images.
• Identify rows and columns in tables and describe where figures are located within a table.
• Consider – if possible – putting your paper and/or presentation on a website, which people can access from their devices and choose their own text size.
• If you include images in this online format, include written captions and/or describe the images in the “alt text” field of the images’ metadata.
Giving a presentation via online event
• The Ethics Event Policy of 4S also applies for the virtual event.
• When speaking, position yourself so that participants can read your lips—try to avoid speaking while facing away from the audience, or while looking down at papers or screens.
• Speak clearly at a pace slightly slower than normal conversation. Check also with your audience that your microphone does not have an echo and make sure that everybody can understand you.
• If leading learning activities or using non-traditional modes of presentation, make sure to plan for the inclusion of all participants, regardless of physical abilities.
• If showing a video during your presentation, plan on captioning or subtitling the video and/or having transcripts available.
If you have any queries or concerns let us know.