Lack of Access to the Fun Technology
Inclusivity demonstrates an understanding that we can’t all process or consume information and content in the “easiest” way.
Accessibility can be kind of a fluid term, but I feel that offering your content in a variety of ways that meets the needs of deaf or hard of hearing includes a population that is often forgotten about when implementing “fun” technology like video.
REAL TALK
First thing I want to mention is that I do not consider myself hard of hearing… I’m deaf. I don’t like the phrase hard of hearing, I think it leads to a lot of misconceptions when I meet new people. The thing is…. I may be able to hear you (with my tools, i.e. my hearing aid and the dreaded cochlear implant), but it doesn’t necessarily mean I UNDERSTAND you. And also I do speak really well, and that I contribute to approximately 13234517 years of speech therapy. But there are some people who don’t consider themselves deaf, that’s a whole other issue in and of itself.
Here’s the thing, there’s SO MUCH FUN TECHNOLOGY out there… and yet, I feel like our community can’t really partake in these fun technology. Podcasts…..audio books because they both rely on something we just don’t have access to, and that’s SOUND. I have this deep-seated “envy,” every time someone mentions an amazing podcast, or that they’ve read an audio book. I think it would be amazing to be able to go on walks with my dog and be able to just listen to a book, or a podcast. I really do feel like I’m missing out on some amazing conversations that don’t necessarily translate well to the “written word.”
BUT when we talk about video…. come on, let’s make these accessible to us.
Figuring out the tech is the hard part
I know that technology isn’t always the easiest thing. There’s so many tools out there that you really just need to figure out what fits in your arsenal of tools. I have my favorite go to tools that I use and endlessly recommend to people. Then when I have to learn something new, it’s like OMG how hard is this going to be. It really is about finding the tool that fits YOU. That’s why there’s so many options out there. So don’t let the sheer number of apps/tools that are out there scare you. Test a few out. In fact, I’ve tested a couple out for you and I share my feedback here!
I really don’t consider myself super tech savvy… especially when it comes to video, but I’m willing to learn because I want to share with you what tools and/or apps that I’ve tried that I think would be rather simple for you to utilize to make your videos more accessible. So hop on over to my resource page, and test out some of the ones I recommend.
Determining what you will do is EASY
Once you determine that you want to be better, be more inclusive, be more accessible. That's EASY.
That's the first step towards making your world a little easier for those who have a disability.
So what are you waiting for…
Pop on over to my Tools + Apps page to find the right technology to make your content accessible!
