Making your presentation accessible enhances inclusivity, allowing a broader audience to fully engage with your content. We've designed Prezi Present to include some key features you can use to help. While this guide offers tips for improving accessibility, it is not intended to serve as a comprehensive checklist for ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance.

Incorporating voiceovers

Adding voiceovers can significantly improve the accessibility of your presentation, especially for viewers who may have difficulty reading or following along visually. Voiceovers allow presentations to be consumed at the viewer's own pace, without the need for real-time narration.

Best practices for voiceovers:

• Provide clear descriptions of visuals and graphics.
• Use concise descriptions for simple images and more detailed explanations for complex visuals.

How to add a voiceover:

You can use Prezi Present’s path audio feature to add voiceovers to each step of your presentation. 

1. Open your presentation in Edit mode.
2. Hover over the step you want to add voiceover to from the timeline in the left sidebar.
3. Click the three dots that appear and select Edit sound. 
4. In the right sidebar, click Upload and select the audio file you want to use for that step.
5. Play the track for review, then click Done to continue editing.
6. Repeat for any steps you want to add voiceover to.

How to remove a voiceover:

1. Select the path step thumbnail.
2. Click the sound file name and select the trashcan icon.

Learn more about how to add sounds and voiceovers to your presentation here.

Adding closed captions to video presentations

If you would like to share your presentation as a video online, you can record your presentation with Prezi Video and it will generate a transcript and subtitles for your video, which you can later share as a link. This will help make your presentation content accessible to a wider audience.

Subtitles and transcripts are particularly useful for accessibility because they:

• Allow viewers to follow along with both visual and audio content.
• Provide an alternative for viewers who may struggle with interactive presentations.

If your recording is over 30 seconds long, Prezi Video will automatically add subtitles to your recording and it can be enabled with a view link. You can always edit or adjust the automatically generated transcript. 

Please note that downloading your video in .mp4 format won't save the subtitles.

If you would like to upload your .mp4 format video to YouTube, it will also generate subtitles, or you can download from Prezi Video and then upload the transcript file to YouTube.

Learn more about how to enable subtitles for your video here.

Exporting your presentation as a PDF

Providing a PDF version of your presentation ensures that your content can be viewed easily regardless of digital interfaces. It also allows you to print your presentation as a handout or supplement to your main performance.

How to export your presentation as a PDF:

From the Prezi Present editor:

1. Click the Share icon in the top right menu.
2. Select Export as PDF.

From your dashboard:

1. Click the three dots (...) in the thumbnail of a presentation.
2. Select Export PDF from the dropdown menu.
3.  In the pop-up, click Start exporting.
4. After the PDF loads, click Save PDF to open the file. You will need to have a PDF viewer installed in your browser to create the PDF.

If no location is selected, the PDF will typically save to your Downloads folder.

Learn more about how to download your presentation as a pdf here.

Design tips for accessibility

Good design is essential for creating presentations that are accessible to everyone. Thoughtful design choices can reduce visual strain, improve clarity, and ensure that your content is easy to understand for all audiences, including those with visual or cognitive impairments. Accessible design also makes your presentation more professional and engaging.

Color choices

Choosing the right colors can make your presentation easier to view and reduce eye strain for your audience.

• Use muted tones like pastel or dark colors for backgrounds.
• Avoid harsh colors such as neon blue, bright red, or hot pink.
• Use high contrast colors, particularly for text, to help with visibility.
• Steer clear of pure black or white backgrounds; opt for softer tones like eggshell or dark gray.
• Do not rely solely on color to convey meaning—you can use universal icons, shapes, and more to help.

Labeling

Clear labeling ensures that your audience can easily understand charts, frames, and key content.

• Clearly label charts, columns, and rows.
• Provide context or purpose for main presentation frames.

Images, zooming, and rotation

Excessive movement or poorly described visuals can create confusion or even physical discomfort.

• Minimize excessive zooming, rotation, and flashy transitions. Learn more about adjusting the zooming intensity in Prezi here. 
• Describe important visuals verbally during live presentations.
• Use captions or tags for low-contrast images.

Spacing

Proper spacing makes your content easier to read and helps prevent visual clutter.

• Ensure sufficient spacing between objects to enhance clarity.
• Avoid cluttered layouts to maintain readability.

Autoplay settings

Allowing viewers to control their navigation ensures they can consume content at their own pace.

• Avoid using autoplay features outside of looping presentations, such as at tradeshows.
• Allow viewers to navigate your presentation at their own pace if you’re not presenting live..

By applying these design principles, you can create a visually appealing and functional presentation that accommodates a wide range of needs.

Continuing accessibility work

Improving accessibility in your Prezi presentations benefits all viewers, not just those with disabilities. By applying these practices, you can create engaging, clear, and inclusive presentations that make a lasting impact.

For further guidance, consult official ADA compliance resources or accessibility experts.