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How can we make scientific poster sessions more accessible to scientists with disabilities?

Practical guidelines for inclusive font sizes, high-contrast palettes, audio descriptions, and tactile diagrams at academic conferences.

ScienceUX Research Group
February 15, 2026
3 min read

Introduction

Academic poster halls are traditionally sensory-overloaded environments that present serious accessibility hurdles for scientists with low vision, neurodivergence, or mobility constraints.

Accessible Typography and Contrast

Ensure main takeaway text exceeds 72pt with a minimum 4.5:1 WCAG AA contrast ratio against the background canvas.

Multi-Modal Alternatives

Always embed a high-contrast QR code linking directly to a screen-reader-accessible HTML paper summary, audio description, and high-resolution scalable SVG plots.

References & Citations

  1. [1]

    Morrison, M. (2019). How to create a better research poster in less time. YouTube / ScienceUX.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RwJbhkCA58
  2. [2]

    Faulkes, Z. (2021). Better Posters: Plan, Design, and Present. Pelagic Publishing.

    https://pelagicpublishing.com/products/better-posters