Accessible Posters Reach a Wider Audience

Designing an accessible research poster ensures your hard-earned data actually reaches your entire audience, including those with visual impairments, neurodivergence, or situational disabilities (like a loud, dimly lit conference hall).

Here is your guide to creating a poster that is as inclusive as it is informative.

Make it Readable: Typography and Formatting

Font Choice:

Use Sans Serif fonts (e.g., Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, or Verdana). They are generally easier to read on screens and from a distance because they lack the small "feet" (serifs) that can blur together.

Font Size:

Title: 72pt–120pt

Headings: 36pt–48pt

Body Text: Minimum 24pt 

Alignment

Stick to Left-Aligned text. Avoid "Justified" text, as it creates irregular spacing (rivers of white space) that can be difficult for people with dyslexia to track.

Whitespace

Leave ample space between paragraphs and increase the line spacing.

Use Color Wisely: Contrast and Meaning

Your color choices can catch people's attention, but don't lock out people with low vision or color blindness.

Contrast Ratio

Aim for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for body text.

For tools and instructions see Color Contrast and How to Check It. 

Backgrounds

Avoid busy background images or bright gradients behind text. A neutral background—like a solid color or a faint gradient—is always safest.

Color as Meaning

Never use color as the only way to convey information (e.g., "the red lines indicate failure"). Use patterns, dashed lines, and direct labels instead.

Get more tips in Making Charts and Graphs Accessible.

Make it Understandable: Structure and Plain Language

Headings 

Headings are more than just big, bold text; they are a structural backbone for your poster. Visually, they make the content more digestible. When a poster is shared electronically, headings are crucial for screen reader users to navigate and fully engage with the content.

PowerPoint doesn't have Heading styles like Word does. Instead, Slide Titles serve as headings. But there can only be one title (H1) per slide. This means your section headings will be tagged as normal paragraphs when the file is converted to PDF. Ideally, the section headings tags should be changed to H2 using an Adobe product like Acrobat Pro. 

If designing a poster In Word, use actual Styles (Heading 1, Heading 2) rather than just making text bold and large. 

Lists

Whenever possible, break paragraphs down into lists for ease of reading and understanding. Use the Bulleted and Numbered list styles available in PowerPoint and Google Slides. 

Reading Order

People (and screen readers) generally read in a "Z" pattern or top-to-bottom, left-to-right columns. Number your sections if the flow isn't obvious.

Plain Language

• Always define acronyms.
• Avoid complex sentences and unnecessary jargon. 
• Aim for a 10th-grade reading level. 

PDFs: Printing vs. Posting

When you move from a paper poster to a file, the "metadata" matters. It is common—and often necessary—to have two different versions of your final PDF.

The Print Version

This file is for the physical printer. It may be saved as a high-quality "Press Quality" PDF or CMYK file. This process often "flattens" the document, removing the accessibility tags and alt text to ensure every pixel is crisp for ink.

The Digital Version

This is the version you post online or link to via a QR code. If sharing as a PDF, it MUST be tagged. Learn more about Accessible PDFs.

• Rule: NEVER use "Print to PDF." This creates an image of your text that screen readers cannot see.
• Action: Always use "Save As" (and select tagged/accessible options) in PowerPoint or the "Grackle Export" in Google Slides.

Software-Specific Tips

Microsoft PowerPoint

PowerPoint is the industry standard for posters. Learn how to master PowerPoint's accessibility features.

Use the built-in "Check Accessibility" button under the Review tab. It will flag slides for common errors, like color contrast, missing titles, alternative text, and logical reading order. 

Google Slides + Grackle

Google Slides lacks robust native accessibility exports, which is where Grackle comes in. Learn about Grackle for Google Workspace.

1. Launch Grackle: Go to Extensions > Grackle Slides > Launch.
2. Follow the Prompts: Grackle will flag missing alt text and structure issues.
3. Exporting: Use Grackle to "Export PDF." This preserves the tags and structures.

Canva and Adobe Express

Canva: Use the "Check Accessibility" tool in the editor. Ensure you define "Reading Order" in the accessibility panel before exporting. More on Accessible Canva Designs.

Adobe Express: Benefit from Adobe’s "Auto-tagging" features. See Accessibility Features and Tips.