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Series: Designing accessible resources for people with disabilities and Deaf people

Planning and Hosting
Accessible Webinars

Tip Sheet No. 2

July 2017

Webinars are a great option for sharing 
information and providing training for 
those working to address domestic and 
sexual violence against people with 
disabilities. These types of virtual sessions 
are cost-effective, allowing you to host 
multiple trainings, thus reaching more 
people, and participants can join in 
without having to travel. Webinars are 
also an accessible means of reaching 
people with disabilities and Deaf people 
because they can attend from anywhere. 
However, to ensure that people with 
disabilities and Deaf people can fully 
engage and benefit from the content, you 
should consider several best practices for 
developing accessible webinars. This tip 
sheet addresses the key considerations 
for hosting accessible webinars, such as 
selecting your webinar platform, creating 
accessible webinar materials, working 
with your presenters to inform them about 
accessibility issues, and connecting with 
your participants to ensure that you meet 
their access needs.

Selecting a webinar 
platform

The accessibility of your webinars will 
always begin and end with the webinar 
platform you are using. If the program is 
not accessible or does not include certain 
integrated features, your ability to provide 
access will be limited. Before committing 
to a webinar platform, there are a few 
things that you should check to ensure 
that you will be able to provide access 
during your virtual events:

› Is the platform compliant with Section 
508 of the Rehabilitation Act? You don’t 
need to be a legal expert to determine if 
something is 508 compliant. Often, an 
Internet search can help you determine 
if the platform you are considering 
is accessible. Even if the provider’s 
website says it is accessible, it is also 
recommended that you ask the provider 
directly. Most service representatives 
know what this is or should be able to 
find this information. If the company 



Planning and Hosting Accessible Webinars

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can’t answer your question or doesn’t 
know about Section 508 compliance, 
this may point to an overarching lack 
of knowledge about accessibility, 
suggesting that they may not be able 
to provide the support you need.

› Does the platform have an option to 
provide live, integrated captioning? 
A platform that has an option for live, 
integrated captioning is essential to 
providing access during your webinars. 
If the captioning is integrated, it places 
the written transcription in the same 
screen as the other webinar features, 
and in the direct line of sight for your 
participants. Some webinar platforms 
place the captioning on a separate 
screen, which requires toggling 
between two screens to know what 
is being said—a potential barrier to 
fully participating in the webinar.

› Does the platform display its Voluntary 
Product Accessibility Template (VPAT)? 
The Voluntary Product Accessibility 
Template (VPAT) helps federal 
contractors to assess commercial 
electronic and information technology 
products for accessibility. The 
template lists features and functions 
of a product that will identify if it is 
accessible. You can learn more about 
VPAT at https://perma.cc/P7YK-U6QA.

› Other features of the platform that 
could help you to identify if it is Section 
508 compliant include:

– accessibility of all features of the 
program through keyboard shortcuts 
without the use of a mouse;

– keyboard commands that allow 
the user to move between multiple 
windows on the computer;

– the capacity to resize the captions, 
change the color of the text and the 
font, and the flexibility to move the 
captioning to different locations on 
the screen. Your participants may 
have individual access needs, and 
this allows them to adjust the captioning 
to meet their needs; 

Federal legal requirements

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act 
requires federal agencies and private 
entities receiving federal funds to make 
electronic and information technology 
accessible to people with disabilities. 
This includes webinars and other 
virtual trainings.



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– nonauditory alerts to communicate 
with participants. Examples of 
these alerts could be an icon of a 
raised hand; a chat box to communicate 
with the webinar host; or 
white boards to write notes to all 
participants;

– the ability to record or save any 
materials, including captioning, 
for later review. This allows anyone 
to access the materials in the same 
format that it was delivered and at 
their own pace; and

– the option for screen-reader users 
to interact with all the program 
functions similarly to those who do 
not use screen readers. Examples 
include using polling or chat 
features, features specific for 
presenters, and the ability to read 
across lines in the registration and 
other materials.

Registration

While it’s important to design all aspects 
of your webinar for maximum access, 
you should also give participants an 
opportunity to request accommodations 
specific to their needs. Registration 
is a great opportunity to collect this 
information. In addition to asking 
for basic information—name, title, 
agency, contact information—be 
sure to ask about their access needs. 
Instead of providing an e-mail address 
for registrants to alert you to an 
accommodation request, ask about 
their accommodation needs during 

Screen readers

A screen reader converts web content 
into speech so users can listen to 
the content appearing on the screen. 
While there are a number of different 
types of screen-reader programs, they 
are similar in their capabilities and 
the way they interact with web content. 
By reviewing a webinar platform 
for 508 compliance (using VPAT) you 
can determine if the platform you are 
using is compatible with screen-reader 
programs. You can also learn more 
about how screen readers interact with 
web content through websites such 
as WebAIM (webaim.org/techniques/
screenreader) and format your 
webinar content to interact with a 
screen reader.



Planning and Hosting Accessible Webinars

registration. Below are some basic 
accommodations that participants 
may request for webinars:

› Closed captioning. Even though you 
have prepared to offer captioning, it’s 
always good to know which of your 
participants will be using it during the 
webinar. It will allow you to reach out to 
these people prior to the webinar and 
provide them with information about 
how captioning will work. Gathering 
this information at registration can 
often mitigate any confusion or need 
for troubleshooting during the webinar. 

› Electronic copies of materials in 
advance. Make sure that you finalize 
all webinar materials so that you can 
provide them to participants at least 
a week in advance. This allows those 
who have a support person to go over 
the materials in advance so they can 
clarify any confusing ideas or words. 
For example, people who are blind will 
have an opportunity to transfer the 
materials into braille so they can follow 
along, or use a screen reader to review 
the power point before the webinar so 
they don’t have to rely on the presenter. 

› Video relay services (VRS). People 
who are Deaf or hard of hearing have 
various language needs. For many, 
English is not their primary language. 
VRS enables people who are Deaf or 
hard of hearing who use American 
Sign Language to communicate with 
voice telephone users through video 
equipment. 

› The “other” box. Make sure you 
provide space for participants to 
provide information about access 
needs that are not included among 
the standard options in registration 
materials. 

Tip!
Close registration no later than 
one week before the date of your 
webinar. This will help to ensure 
that you have enough time to 
fulfill any accommodation request 
you have not planned for and to 
work with your participants to 
meet their access needs. Also, 
set one registration deadline. A 
separate deadline for those who 
need accommodations is not in 
the spirit of creating an equal and 
inclusive experience for people with 
disabilities and Deaf people.




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Once you have closed registration, 
reach out to people who have requested 
an accommodation. This is an opportunity 
for you to let them know that you have 
received their request and to provide 
additional information about logistics for 
the day of the webinar. 

Selecting and preparing 
your captioner

Captioning is the process of transcribing 
the audio of a webinar into text so that 
participants can view it at the same 
time as words are being spoken. It offers 
an alternative to audio for people who 
are Deaf or hard of hearing and it may 
also be used by people with learning 
disabilities or other types of cognitive 
disabilities to enhance their engagement 
and understanding of the information 
provided. For these reasons, it is 
important that you provide accurate live, 
integrated captioning for every webinar. 

While webinar platforms include 
features for live captioning, few provide 
captioning services. Thus, you will need 
to find a vendor to supply captioning 
services during your webinars.

Working with your 
captioner

Most industry standards state that 
you should be able to expect at least 
98 percent accuracy in captioning. 
(https://perma.cc/H9PQ-4PHE.) 

While you can expect the highest 
quality from your captioner, you can also 
support the captioner in delivering the 
highest quality services. In advance, send 
the captioner the webinar presentation, 
handouts, scripts, and a glossary of 
industry-specific terms that may be used 
during the webinar. This will increase the 
accuracy of the captioning. 

Creating accessible 
webinar materials

Any of the materials you create to 
promote or distribute during your webinar 
should follow basic accessible design 
principles. Participants may print out 
these materials or read them on their 
computer. In developing your materials, 
you should use best practices for creating 
both electronic and print materials. Use 
sans serif fonts that are 14 points or 
larger. If any of your materials include 
graphics or photos, use Alt-text so that a 
screen reader can read them. There are 



Planning and Hosting Accessible Webinars

several additional considerations when 
you use presentation software such as 
PowerPoint. Using the established slide 
layouts will ensure that the reading 
order is correct for those using screen 
readers. If your presentation is going 
to be projected onto a large screen, 
consider increasing the font size. Use 
simple language and avoid putting large 
amounts of text on the slides. For more 
information on how to create accessible 
electronic and print materials, see our tip 
sheets on these topics in the resource list. 

Preparing your presenter 
for access

Now that you have prepared to provide 
access during your webinar, don’t forget 
to prepare the presenting experts to do 
the same. Here are a few tips for your 
presenters:

› Speak slowly and clearly. Make sure 
that your presenters know ahead 
of time that there will be someone 
captioning the webinar. They should 
speak at a moderate pace to support 
the captioner in providing high quality 
and accurate captions.

› Provide descriptions. If there are 
images or graphics on the presentation 
slides, ask them to describe the content 
or image.

› Use language everyone understands. 
If your presenters will be using any 
acronyms, abbreviations, or descriptive 
phrases, make sure that they explain 
what they mean. Because not everyone 
in the audience will know industry 
insider language, giving an explanation 
will prevent anyone from getting lost in 
the presentation.

Tip!
Build in time. It is the best tool 
you have when planning for and 
providing access. When you are 
planning a webinar, build in extra 
time to meet accommodation 
requests, ensure that all your 
materials are accessible, and 
to prepare your presenters and 
others involved in hosting your 
event (captioners included!) to 
provide access.




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Archiving your webinars

Many of you may record your 
webinars and make them available 
after the live event. If you archive your 
webinars, you have to ensure that the 
recording is captioned. This is not only 
best practice, it is legally required. 
Many of the companies that do live 
real-time captioning also offer post-
production services such as captioning. 
Additionally, you should ensure that 
any accompanying materials available 
during the live webinar also accompany 
the recording and are fully accessible. 

Conclusion

Webinars are a great training tool for any 
organization. They are cost-effective and 
can reach a broad audience. By taking 
steps to make your webinars accessible, 
you open a door to sharing information 
and training with everyone, including 
people with disabilities.

Maintain accessMake sure that you maintain that 
accessibility throughout your webinar. Give your participants a way to 
communicate with you throughout the 
presentation, either through the use 
of a chat box or e-mail. If the webinar 
becomes inaccessible for someone 
during the webinar, you won’t know 
unless the person can alert you. If the 
issue persists, you may need to stop 
the webinar to fix the issue, or consider 
rescheduling until you can make the 
webinar accessible. 




Planning and Hosting Accessible Webinars

Additional resources

U.S. Department of Justice, 
Americans with Disabilities Act 
(ADA) homepage

www.ada.gov 

The ADA website provides information 
and technical assistance on the ADA.

ADA National Network

http://adata.org

The ADA National Network provides 
information, guidance, and training on the 
ADA available through 10 regional centers. 

General Services Administration (GSA) 
Section508.gov

https://perma.cc/RAT8-EUXB

This website provides information about 
accessibility for all government agencies 
and contractors. Section 508 discusses 
VPAT and its uses.

Designing Accessible Events for People 
with Disabilities and Deaf Individuals 

https://perma.cc/ZSF3-YTJE

Accessible webinar checklistIf you can answer yes to most of these 
statements, you are well on your way 
to hosting accessible webinars:
› We use a webinar platform that 
includes an option to provide live 
integrated captioning during our 
webinar.
› We use a webinar platform that 
users can control via keyboard 
commands with a mouse to allow 
them to interact with all features 
of the program.
› We use a webinar platform that has 
alerts such as chat boxes and “raise 
your hand” features to communicate 
with participants.
› We ask about accommodation 
needs and provide a list of common 
accommodations for participants 
to select from in our webinar 
registration process.
› We close registration at least one 
week prior to our webinars so we 
can fulfill access requests.




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Accessible webinar checklist (continued)
› We review all of our PowerPoint 
presentations and other webinar 
materials to ensure that they 
are accessible and implement 
best practices for both print and 
electronic documents (for example, 
ensuring photos have Alt-text and 
that font sizes and color contrast 
are adequate).
› We work with a captioning company 
that provides captions with at least 
a 98 percent accuracy rate and 
monitor captioning for accuracy.
› We work with our presenters on 
accessibility, share best practices 
for accessibility with them, and 
help them ensure access during the 
webinar (for example, reminding 
them to speak slowly and describe 
visuals).
› Our webinar recordings include 
real-time captioning and/or provide 
a transcript of the audio with the 
archived recording. 
For more informationThe Center on Victimization and Safety 
(CVS) at the Vera Institute of Justice works 
with communities around the country 
to fashion services that reach, appeal 
to, and benefit all victims. CVS’s work 
focuses on communities of people who 
are at elevated risk of harm but often 
marginalized from victim services and 
the criminal justice system. We combine 
research, technical assistance, and 
the training to equip policymakers and 
practitioners with the information, skills, 
and resources needed to effectively serve 
all victims. To learn more about CVS, 
contact cvs@vera.org


. 

This project was supported by Grant 
No. 2014-TA-AX-K002 awarded by the U.S. 
Department of Justice (DOJ), Office 
on Violence Against Women (OVW). 
The opinions, findings, conclusions, 
and recommendations expressed in this 
publication are those of the authors(s) 
and do not necessarily reflect the views 
of DOJ, OVW.