Interview with Nikki Kuhn

QUESTION 01 Can you tell us a bit about yourself, and how your disability might impact your experience, as someone who attends live in-person and virtual events?

I am neurodivergent (ADHD and Dsylexic). Live events require a certain amount of masking (hiding stims or adjusting them to be more socially acceptable) and can be quite draining. Virtual events allow for less masking, but require more focus, and I really benefit from Closed Captions to stay engaged and present in conversations.

I have a passion for accessibility because I believe that there is strength in diversity and that we lose out when we exclude others. I am always working on educating others, sharing accessibility resources, and addressing concerns to enable us to create a more inclusive world. Accessibility benefits all!

QUESTION 02 Thinking back on some of your experiences attending in-person or virtual events, what are some of the worst things speakers, trainers, and other communication experts can do to ruin your experience as an attendee?

In our post-Covid and highly virtual world, one of my biggest pet peeves is when speakers require and/or shame others to turn on their camera. Zoom fatigue is real and sometimes I like the ability to unmask and simply just be instead of worrying about how I’m presenting myself to others. Especially as a mom, my life is chaotic and sometimes having that displayed on camera can be a distraction to others on the call. I appreciate understanding and flexibility to allow folks to show up as they are or need to be.

QUESTION 03 Can you share some of the great things speakers, trainers, and other communication experts sometimes do that make a positive impact on your ability to fully enjoy your in-person or virtual event experiences?

I’m thrilled when I hear, “I’d love to see your faces so if you feel comfortable feel free to turn your camera on.” It doesn’t shame participants, it allows the autonomy and respect to chose what works best for you, but also empowers members to be more engaged if that’s what they feel comfortable doing.

QUESTION 04 If you had one piece of advice to give speakers, trainers, and other communication experts, so their content became more inclusive of people who have disabilities, what would it be?

To be considerate that there are many ways of learning, engaging, and participating. I strongly believe accessibility benefits all and when we incorporate that awareness everyone feels more comfortable. For instance, if the only means of asking a question is verbally (whether in person or online), you can exclude people with disabilities that may struggle to find the right time to speak up, or cannot easily engage physically. But when you offer other means of engagement, for example a means to digitally ask questions, you then allow for the users are too shy to be involved or the users who might need more time to process their questions.

QUESTION 05 Thank you for sharing some of your insights with us today. As we wrap up our conversation, is there anything that you’d like to add, such as another thought, another piece of advice, another perspective, etc.?

As an IAAP Certified Professional in Web Accessibility, I have loads of advice on how to make presentations and digital content more accessible.