When someone cannot see a shared screen, stop saying “this one” or “look here” and describe the decision-critical information aloud. Name the object, its location or label, the value or relationship that matters, and the question you want answered. Then check whether the listener has enough information to participate.
Do not assume a silent listener can see the slide just because the presenter clicked Share. A lost screen, small phone display, accessibility barrier or paused share can break the common reference that a conversation depends on. A clear spoken description, a suitable accessible alternative and an invitation to correct what is missing restore the discussion without blaming the listener.
Why “look at this” is not enough
Words such as “this”, “that” and “there” often rely on shared surroundings. Cambridge Grammar Today explains how demonstratives point to objects and ideas whose reference is understood in context. In a room, a gesture may supply the missing reference; during a screen share, the listener may have no access to the gesture or the content.
This is a problem of common ground, not necessarily a problem of vocabulary. One speaker thinks the relevant diagram is visible; the other cannot identify the thing being discussed. Repeating “on the left” does not help if no image is visible at all.
Good repair starts by recognising the difference between visual access and meaning. First establish what the screen contains, then say what matters, then invite the person to check the interpretation. If the original material is essential, provide an accessible way to inspect it rather than treating a spoken summary as a perfect substitute.
Did You Know? One visual can hide several questions
A chart can contain a title, axes, units, legends, coloured lines and footnotes. Saying “The blue line goes up” may omit the fact that the blue line measures attendance while the red line measures costs. The listener could follow the grammar yet reach the wrong conclusion.
A useful spoken description is selective but not misleading: “This chart compares four weeks. The horizontal axis shows week number; the vertical axis shows participants. The line labelled Group A rises from 10 to 16. Is that the trend you want us to discuss?” No actual research result is asserted here; these are invented classroom numbers.
The objective is not narrating every pixel. It is conveying exactly the information necessary for the shared question, without quietly changing the data.
The five-part repair: stop, name, locate, explain, check
Stop briefly when someone reports “I can’t see it.” Acknowledge the problem: “Thanks for telling me; my description was relying on the slide.” Do not continue the argument about an unseen figure.
Name the object rather than its position alone. Say “the results table” or “the circuit diagram” before “the one at the top”. If several images exist, give a stable label such as Slide 4 or Figure B.
Locate the relevant part through meaningful labels: “Column three, labelled response time”, or “the arrow connecting the battery to the lamp”. Position alone can be unreliable on mobile displays or alternative layouts.
Explain the precise fact or relation required for the conversation: what changed, what connects to what, or which row matters. State units and uncertainty when important; never describe an inference as though it were printed on the slide.
Check understanding in a way that allows a correction: “Can you identify which of the two values I mean?” or “Would a text version help?” An automatic “Everyone good?” may conceal that one participant still lacks access.
Worked dialogue 1: a mathematics group discussion
Fictional demonstration. Learner A: “Look at the bars on my screen. This one is bigger.” Learner B: “I can hear you, but the screen isn’t showing.” Learner A: “Thanks. It’s a bar chart comparing the number of library books borrowed by two classes. The P5A bar is 24 and the P5B bar is 18. I meant P5A is higher by six books. Is that the comparison we need?” Learner B: “Yes. I can compare those two numbers.”
The repair identifies the exact category, both values, the difference and the question. If the chart actually uses a broken axis, the numerical comparison must be checked before making a visual claim about bar heights. A better oral description protects the relationship instead of exaggerating it.
Poor alternative: “It’s the obvious taller one.” That line assumes the missing screen is the listener’s problem and adds no data. A learner could memorise every chart word and still be excluded by that sentence.
Worked dialogue 2: a science explanation with a diagram
Fictional demonstration. Teacher: “Current flows around this path.” Student: “Which path? The picture is not loading.” Teacher: “The diagram shows a battery, a switch and a lamp connected in one continuous loop. The switch is drawn closed. I’m tracing from one battery terminal through the lamp and switch, then back to the other terminal. Which part should I describe again?” Student: “The part where the wire returns to the battery.”
The teacher gives the components and their connection before inviting a targeted question. This does not claim that all circuits work identically or that a drawing alone establishes actual current in a real circuit. The diagram must still be checked against the real task.
Where the source diagram is required, give learners access to it in an appropriate format. A detailed spoken description can support understanding, but it should not replace tactile, text-based or other accessible provision when those are needed.
Worked dialogue 3: an adult team meeting
Fictional demonstration. Presenter: “You can see the priority matrix here.” Team member: “I can’t see your shared screen on my phone.” Presenter: “Thanks for saying so. The matrix has urgency across the columns and effort down the rows. The item labelled ‘fix broken sign-in’ sits in high urgency and low effort. That is the one I’m proposing first. I haven’t asked for a decision yet.” Team member: “Got it. Can you send the labelled table after the call?”
The speaker makes the visual structure and the status of the proposal audible. This protects both access and governance: a listener should not have to approve an unseen diagram, and a presenter should not quietly transform a proposal into a decision.
Notice the distinction between a visual fact and a recommendation. The chart places an item in a quadrant; prioritising it is a separate judgement. Good language preserves that distinction.
Worked dialogue 4: helping a family member online
Fictional demonstration. Grandparent: “I cannot see the part you mean in the online form.” Grandchild: “I won’t press anything for you. The page shows a heading called Contact Information, and below it there are fields for an email address and phone number. Which one do you want help finding?” Grandparent: “The phone field.”
The grandchild describes visible navigation while leaving personal choice with the form owner. For a real form involving payments, health, identity or authorisation, follow the official process and do not disclose or enter private information without appropriate permission.
Do not assume that the older person lacks digital skill, and do not assume the younger person has authority over their information. The repair is shared reference, not taking over.
A compact description for live meetings
A good description follows the conversational task. For a chart, name title, axes, categories, numbers and needed comparison. For a diagram, name components, connections and direction. For a document, name heading, paragraph or line and the claim being discussed. For a map, name location, route markers and relevant conditions.
Speak in manageable chunks. Pause after the first useful unit so the listener can correct it. Dumping every label at high speed recreates the same access problem in an auditory form.
If the material is private, ask whether the listener is authorised to receive it before sending a screenshot or reading protected details aloud. Accessibility should not mean removing reasonable privacy controls.
Register and tone choices
Classroom: “The picture isn’t appearing, so I’ll describe the relevant part.” Workplace: “To make the decision accessible, I’ll identify the table row and numbers verbally.” Friendly online chat: “I can’t see your screen. Which button are you talking about?”
A direct question is often the least awkward option. “I can’t see that slide; could you name the label?” is a request for usable information, not a confession of incompetence.
Do not say “as everyone can obviously see” after someone has said they cannot. That phrase denies a real communication gap. A calm acknowledgement makes the problem a shared task.
Common misconceptions
Misconception: if the screen-share icon is on, the audience can see. A presenter can confirm only what their own software indicates, not each participant’s actual view. Ask for a specific visibility check.
Misconception: saying colours is enough. Colour-only directions can be ineffective when colours are difficult to distinguish, when displays differ, or when someone cannot access the image. Use names, patterns, values and labels as available.
Misconception: describe everything. An exhaustive monologue can overload attention. Start with what is needed for the question, then offer the complete accessible material if it is required.
Misconception: a verbal paraphrase proves the data. The words should faithfully report the chart or table, including qualifications. They do not replace checking the source for accuracy.
Diagnostic questions
Can listeners name the object without seeing it? Can they identify the relevant category, unit, arrow or row? Have I separated the printed data from my interpretation? Can they request another format? Have I avoided exposing information to an unauthorised audience?
If the answer is no, repair the missing link before advancing the presentation. The goal is participation, not merely completing the speaker’s slides.
Retrieval practice with changing displays
First, cover a simple fictional chart and describe it from memory in four sentences: title and groups; axis or measurement; two values; question to answer. Let a partner draw what they understood, then compare it with the source. Repair the most important mismatch rather than praising vague resemblance.
Second, use an ordinary household instruction diagram. The speaker may point once, then must describe the component and its connection without gestures. The listener asks one targeted question. The exercise makes deictic words such as “this” meaningful only when both parties can identify the referent.
Third, repeat with a phone display too small to read. Allow the listener to request a text copy. Students should learn that asking for another format is an appropriate communication choice, not a failure.
After two days, practise the same skill with a completely different subject: a timetable instead of a chart, or a Science diagram instead of a Maths table. That change tests whether the method transfers.
Guidance for teachers, parents and teams
Teachers can pre-share appropriately accessible learning materials and provide text or verbal alternatives as needed. When a student reports a missing view, acknowledge it before asking a comprehension question. The British Council’s virtual-classroom accessibility guidance recommends combining audio and text thoughtfully and considering captions and alternative text.
Parents can teach a child to say exactly what is inaccessible: “The diagram is blank on my device”, rather than simply “I don’t understand.” That diagnostic sentence helps another person choose the appropriate repair.
Meeting leaders can make screen-access checks routine and avoid treating silence as consent. Where spoken instructions are hard to retain, the related eduKate lesson on turning spoken instructions into a written checklist teaches a complementary communication move.
Frequently asked questions
What should I say if I cannot see the screen? “I can hear you, but I can’t see the shared content. Could you name the slide and describe the important detail?”
Does a verbal description replace the original document? Not always. It can allow an immediate exchange to continue, but the complete source or an appropriate accessible version may still be necessary.
Should the presenter say every number? Only the numbers needed to support the point, while making fuller information available when decisions require it.
What if a participant cannot see colours? Use labels, names, values, positions and meaningful descriptions, not colour alone.
What if the screen contains sensitive information? Follow privacy and access rules. Do not read or distribute confidential material simply because a participant requests a different channel.
Sources
The language mechanism follows Cambridge Grammar Today on demonstratives, which explains shared reference through “this” and “that”. Accessibility and teaching guidance comes from the British Council on neurodiverse virtual classrooms and its visual-aid teaching resource. Every dialogue and number used above is an illustrative fiction, not a reported lesson or outcome.