The Dos and Don’ts of Accessibility

Exactly HOW to Make Your Speech More Accessible… 

Substitute the wrong work into a written caption… and watch chaos ensue!

Don’t believe me?  

One time I was trying to send our editor Rachael a transcript for an article.  Only problem… the transcription service didn’t know I was saying the word “deck”... as in “slide deck.” 

I’ll let you read for yourself…

0:59 Like, no, this d*** is the manifestation of all my best work. I'm not going to give it away so everyone can steal it.

1:07 And, and to be honest, I get it. It is very common for organizers to ask for your d*** to share with attendees, and many organizers kind of feel entitled to the d*** because you know, after all, they've hired you to present that d***.

🤣😂😅

Now, imagine if something similar happened during your speech when the closed captioning service decided to make… shall we say… “a creative substitution”… 

Oh dear…

But that won’t happen to you!

Because today we’re going to talk about some very specific things that you SHOULD do and things you SHOULD NOT do so your speech is more accessible for your audience…

This will cover everything from translators, to closed captionings… all the way down hearing loops and bean bags.  

Let’s go!

🔑 Access is the Key

First, a reminder…  We recently spoke with DEI speaker Dustin Giannelli to hear his valuable insights on how speakers can help audience members with disabilities get the most from presentations. 

As someone who was diagnosed with profound bilateral hearing loss at the age of 5 years, Dustin lives this first-hand.  Most of this advice comes from him, and we are incredibly grateful.

As he told us...

“The key to success in life is communication… and the key to communication is access.”  

There are millions of people with disabilities in our country, so let’s look at some important ways you can make the experience you deliver more accessible for ALL audience members.

Do This BEFORE You Go On Stage

1) Introduce yourself to the translator and share any important terms or names that you include in your speech.

This helps the translator be fully prepared when it comes time to translate your speech in real time.  Dustin warned that you can’t assume every translator knows every sign, so they may need to look up how to sign something in advance.

Often, translators have a specific area of expertise.  So, if you’re speaking at a science conference, you won’t have a translator who specializes in movie critiques.  Instead, you’ll get a science terminology expert.