The audience members we leave behind
My book, “The Inclusive Speaker“, features eight personas that represent different audience members with disabilities, each providing a list of do’s and don’ts for inclusive speaking based on their unique challenges and perspectives. By considering these guidelines, speaking professionals can ensure that they are providing the necessary accommodations, whether physical or sensory, to make their events welcoming and accessible to all attendees.
Not only does this create a more inclusive experience for the audience, but it can also help speaking professionals attract more attendees and broaden the reach of their message. In today’s world, where inclusivity is increasingly valued, speaking professionals who prioritize accessibility and diversity can differentiate themselves from the competition and may be more attractive to potential clients.
By taking steps to create inclusive events, inclusive speakers can not only promote accessibility and diversity, but they can also potentially increase their impact… and their income! In short, these personas are a valuable resource for anyone looking to create more inclusive speaking experiences.
Meet the INKLUSIVCOMM personas
“Why aren’t speakers relying on powerful visuals more to support the message on their slides, instead of boring bullet points and big walls of text?”
“How hard can it be for speakers to provide sufficient colour contrast for text and graphics, and why do they keep sharing information based on colour alone?”
“Verbally describing visuals and key data points would go such a long way towards helping me understand what the speakers refer to, or talk about in their talks!”
“Videos and animations are great, don’t get me wrong. But too many speakers use flashing effects and distracting animations that just make my head spin!”
“Dear speakers, please caption the videos you share! It’s really not that complicated. And while you’re at it, can you also plan for live transcripts?”
“Unclear instructions, unnecessary distractions, and long lectures are surefire ways for a speaker to completely lose my attention in a matter of minutes.”
“Speakers tend to overcomplicate things with figures of speech and complex metaphors that often send me in panic mode. Plain English works so much better!”
“Speakers, please use the microphone! You’re not as loud as you think. Also, why do you have to make the text so small and so hard to read?”
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Did you know?
Over 66% of the Internet Top 500 retailers have now been named in an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) web or app accessibility case since 2017, with over 40% of those retailers having had to deal with more than one lawsuit. Large retailers were top targets in 2019, with close to 1,350 lawsuits. If you operate in that industry or collaborate with brands that do, are you paying attention?