“You can see the problem here” tells an audience where to look, but not what the problem is. Someone listening to a recording, sitting far from the screen or unable to see the slide may miss the entire argument that follows.
A useful description connects the visual to your point. It does not require reading every decorative detail aloud. The W3C’s accessible events guidance recommends describing important visual information and providing accessible materials ahead of a session.
Write the sentence the slide cannot say
Imagine a slide comparing three proposed meeting schedules. Instead of “the green option works best,” explain that the second schedule includes an evening session and therefore accommodates people unavailable during working hours. Identify the option by name or position as well as colour.
For a chart, name the quantities being compared, the direction of the change and any limitation relevant to your claim. If small differences are uncertain, do not turn them into a confident spoken conclusion. A picture can illustrate an argument without proving it.
For a photograph, describe the feature you intend the audience to notice. If the photograph merely sets a mood, a brief description may be enough. A technical diagram usually needs a more deliberate explanation of its relationships.
Rehearse without looking at the screen
Read your speaking notes aloud while the slides are hidden. Listen for references such as “over there,” “this part” and “as shown.” Replace them with concrete nouns. This rehearsal exposes gaps that can remain invisible when you already know the diagram.
Pause between explaining the evidence and asking a question. People may be reading the shared material, following captions or translating unfamiliar terminology. A rapid jump to the next slide can remove their chance to connect the pieces.
Finally, check that the distributed file has meaningful headings and image alternatives, and ask participants how they prefer to receive it. Spoken descriptions, captions and accessible files serve different needs. Planning them together makes the session easier to follow from the opening example to the final discussion.