My Three Visually Impaired Best Practices Improve Your Presentations

Make sure your reports and presentations are friendly for the visually impaired. These are my top three ways to do it.

The FINESSE Fishbone Diagram® is a proven approach for communicating complex information to senior leaders. Communicating with FINESSE often involves foundational information full of diagrams, equations, and acronyms. That makes visual clarity essential.

Who Are the Visually Impaired?

In the FINESSE approach, a “visually impaired” person is someone whose partial or reduced vision limits their normal visual function, even with corrective lenses. Color‑vision deficiency (colorblindness) and glaucoma‑related vision loss both create functional limitations and are included in the visually impaired population for communication purposes.

My Top Three Tips

1. Provide the Report or Presentation in Advance

Nothing shows respect for your audience more than sharing the report and PowerPoint deck ahead of time. For visually impaired participants, early access provides the extra time needed to digest information and use assistive devices without pressure.

2. Start Simple and Build Complexity

What does starting simply mean? For a 30‑minute presentation, aim for 8 to 10 slides. Use primary colors such as black or dark blue on a white or cream background. Choose images with strong contrast. Avoid embedded videos, which often create accessibility challenges and distract from our core message.

3. Practice the Presentation Without Visuals

Practicing in advance enables you to deliver a strong presentation even if the slides fail—or if your audience cannot see them well. It also helps you avoid the fatal mistake of saying, “Now look at the light blue color,” to people who may not perceive it. Rehearsal builds speaker confidence and allows us to give your audience the freedom to use assistive devices on their computers or phones while we speak.

Today’s Tip

Today’s tip is to make sure your reports and presentations are friendly for the visually impaired. These are my top three ways to do it.

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JD Solomon champions practical communication skills that help technical professionals convey complex ideas clearly and confidently. Need help getting started? Visit his company’s website, www.jdsolomonsolutions.com.