Digital Content and Access
Why Accessibility?
There is still so much to learn, to assess, to implement, and to optimize…
Why Accessibility?
I thought I knew how to create content for the “socials”— especially after being an early adapter of blogs, social media platforms such as MySpace, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram through the early 2000’s. I’ve been a community manager for online communities for years, a content creator with my role as a social media manager— I even taught a college course on digital media campaigns! This week alone, I’ve been introduced to specific requirements and policies that I may not have stumbled upon if not for the course I was taking. There is still so much to learn, to assess, to implement, and to optimize for a broad audience of digital spectators and users. Despite the functionalities that exist within social media platforms— which have come about more recently in past years (and what I have heavily relied on, without seeking for more), it definitely takes intention and practice to make accessibility— accessible—.
It does sound like a lot of work, but with increased awareness of what is available— from resources, tools, and guidelines, the content you create and distribute can even be more helpful for a wider audience.
WebAIM
For instance, WebAIM.org has some of the basics for you to explore. How can your word documents be accessible to individuals with disabilities? What about creating more enriching Zoom sessions and experiences with the documents and slides you provide? WebAIM has a resource or training for that. They also provide background information on the overall goals of web accessibility and the principles of accessible design (WebAIM, n.d.).
Interested in learning about their offerings? The WebAIM homepage can be navigated easily and the search bar tool can pull up specific accessibility needs.
Logo of Web AIM
Practice makes Access
After browsing through WebAIM’s offerings, choose one of their resource guides and check out how accessible a published or prominent word document in use is. Knowing what to look out for, what can be helpful, and how to implement these improvements makes a difference. The first step is in creating the awareness of accessibility elements. The practice of implementing and optimizing for accessibility is continuous—but will make all of the difference in the long run.
Let me know how it goes!
Reference:
WebAIM. (n.d.). Web accessibility in mind. https://webaim.org/