Presentation Format

Presentations (talks) can be Keynote, Powerpoint, or PDF. Contact inclusion2@stsci.edu for information on how to upload your talk.

Poster Format

Please make physical posters no larger than 27 inch wide x 36 inch long, portrait. We have limited it to this size in order to accommodate as many posters as possible. We will make all posters electronically available by sharing digital copies with conference participants.

Accessibility for Presenters

It is imperative that all IA2 presenters strive to make their presentations as accessible as possible. This checklist is a convenient summation of resources about accessible presenting. Please use it as you create your presentations and posters so that they are built to be inclusive. 

Checklist for making presentations (talks or posters):

• Use an easy-to-read font face. Serif fonts and fancy fonts where parts of the letters are thinner or embellished are more difficult to read, especially at a distance. 
• Size texts and visuals bold/large so they can be read the back of the room. This includes labels and axes on all plots.
• Use a high-contrast color theme so text is easily distinguished from background or stylistic graphical elements.
• Paul Tol's Notes on Color Schemes and Templates
• Color contrast resources from W3C
• Choose colors that are accessible to those with color blindness, especially for figures.  
• Color Oracle: tool to simulate color blindness with full screen color filter
• Coblis color blindness simulator for images and figures
• Plan to caption/subtitle any video or have transcripts available.
• Make your presentation accessible for people who use screen readers by
• Adding text and/or alt-text descriptions for any image or figure.
• Using the slide templates instead of adding random text boxes or shapes. Check with the outline view as described in this WiA Universal Design presentation.
• Setting the read order for screen readers as detailed in this accessibility guide for Microsoft Powerpoint from the University of Washington.
• Ensure any handouts are also accessible. Offer digital and large print options. 
  

Additional items for making posters:

• Include a QR code that links to a digital copy of your poster. Keynote/Powerpoint are more accessible formats than PDF.
• Do not overcrowd the poster with too much material. 
• Make sure the text has enough white space between lines. 

Checklist for speaking during presentations:

• Always speak into the microphone. Yes, even if you’re loud. Repeat questions if they’re not asked into a microphone. 
• When speaking, position your face at an angle that allows participants to read your lips. Avoid speaking while facing away from the audience, or while looking down at papers or screens.
• Describe any visuals. All onscreen textual information should also be spoken. 
• Give people time to process information by including pauses between information.
• Be conscious of your word choice and avoid ableist language. For more information, please see this article on linguistic ableism and the corresponding glossary of ableist terms by Autistic Hoya.

Resources used to make this checklist: 

• Presenter Accessibility for the Nation Women's Studies Association
• Presentation on Universal Design given at the Women in Astronomy IV conference
• How Can You Make Your Presentation Accessible by the University of Washington's DO-IT program
• Making Accessible Presentations by the W3C
• Make Your Presentations Accessible: Seven Easy Steps by the Magazine of the User Experience Professionals Association
• Guidelines for Creating Accessible Printed Posters by the Association of University Centers on Disability
• Paul Tol's Notes on Color Schemes and Templates
• Color Oracle: tool to simulate color blindness with full screen color filter
• Coblis color blindness simulator for images and figures
• Color contrast resources from W3C
• Violence in Language: Circling Back to Linguistic Ableism by Autistic Hoya
• Glossary of Ableist Words and Terms to Avoid by Autistic Hoy

Presentation Topics

Across the two day conference, we invite presenters to share work falling under the following two categories:

• Input to the state of the profession and demographics committee(s) for the astronomy 2020 decadal review (i.e. submitted Activity, Project or State of the Profession Consideration (APC) white papers)
  
  
• Revisiting the short, medium, and long term goals and actions recommended in Nashville on removing barriers to access, creating inclusive environments, access to leadership and policy-making, and establishing an inclusive community. We invite the community to present their work in enabling or advancing these goals, and their recommendations on all timescales. We should discuss and prioritize these as goals. 

We specifically encourage submissions of work that falls under the following categories:

• Policy recommendations:
  • Education and Training
  • Scientific Resources (specifically facility time, publications, and funding)
  • Employment
  • Leadership
• Societal discussions:
  • Gender
  • Underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities
  • LBGTQIA+
  • Ability and neurodiversity

All submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the Science Organizing Committee. Selected presenters will be notified in mid-August.