Every small step towards accessibility counts
Issue One
Hello! I’m Priti Salian, a journalist, researcher, and media trainer based out of Bengaluru, a city in south India. I’m thrilled to welcome you to Reframing Disability, your fortnightly dispatch untangling disability-inclusive narratives.
In this first issue, hear from Jody Santos about ways the Disability Justice Project makes filmmaking accessible to people with diverse disabilities, a quick explainer on camelCase hashtags, upcoming events you could attend virtually, or in person, an exciting opportunity, and links to two award-winning stories.
One of my most meaningful experiences late last year was a chance meeting on Facebook with Jody Santos, an associate professor of journalism at Boston’s Northeastern University. She is also the founder of the Disability Justice Project (DJP) - a one-of-a-kind fellowship, training persons with disabilities from the Global South in filmmaking, to tell stories centring disability. As I chatted with Jody, I realised how much I wanted to be a part of this movement she had started with the DJP. When she offered me a part-time role, I took it up in a heartbeat. Since the beginning of the year, I have worked for DJP as the community engagement coordinator of a growing group of alumni fellows and journalists covering disability globally, and recently, as an instructor of rights-based journalism to a cohort of disability-rights activists from Nepal. I’ve witnessed firsthand the effort that goes into making the programme accessible for fellows from varied cultural backgrounds and abilities, who speak different languages.
So far, DJP has trained four cohorts from nine countries. I interviewed Jody about her best accessibility and inclusion practices with the 14-week fellowship where every fellow produces one print and two video stories for the DJP’s fully accessible, Anthem-award-winning website. (Note: Yes, she is my boss, but no, she has no editorial control over this newsletter.) Read on for edited excerpts.
How did the idea of training people with disabilities to tell stories centring disability occur to you?
The idea of training persons with disabilities in general came about in my work as a journalist and a filmmaker. After my son was diagnosed with autism at the age of three, I became more active in disability rights and then, eventually, my work shifted in that direction. [My work] was on public television and national publications, and I really didn't see [it] having much of an impact, which is what you want as a journalist. So, I started thinking about how could I do journalism differently than I had been doing. Because, as I looked back on it in later years, I saw that some of my work actually did perpetuate certain narratives, where there was sort of the hero and the people who needed to be saved, and that those narratives evoked pity, and maybe people were motivated to give money, but they didn't necessarily see their connection or the connection that we all have to human rights and why they're important to all of us, and how disability rights are human rights. So, I started thinking about the need to take myself out of the equation, that no matter how much I tried to be neutral, or objective, or all those terms that we throw around, it was still being filtered through me. [...] I realised that it was really important for people with disabilities to be telling their own stories, and that doesn't happen nearly enough. [...] And then we had the pandemic, and I knew that there was a lot happening that we weren't hearing about because essentially a lot of countries were in lockdown. So we were hearing about, for instance, an increase in violence against women and girls with disabilities, but we really weren't able to get access to that story. And it’s just the thought occurred to me at one point like, if people just had their own cameras, and could start telling their stories rather than relying on the media, then we would know what was happening. These stories could start coming directly from them. So the pandemic kind of, created this sense of urgency around starting this model.
What did you know about accessibility before starting DJP and how did you learn more about it?
It was definitely a crash course for me. And it still is. And what I always say about being an accessible media organisation is that first of all, there's no roadmap. There's no one way to do anything. Take something like audio descriptions for video. Some people say, give it a whole lot of description. Other people say, minimal description. And the reality is some people like a lot, some people like a little and maybe ultimately we should have a choice like you want a little or do you want a lot. [...] I think we have been trailblazers in some of the ways that we've tried to be more accessible. And it just never stops because your audience changes, the access, the fellows change. So we're constantly learning and adapting. And that's exciting, in some ways, for sure. It's surprising now that I teach at a major university, and talk to a lot of other journalists, how little journalists in general seem to know, even about something like camelCase hashtags (explainer below), which I say to people, it's one small thing that you can do to signal that you're an inclusive organisation. And how many people even when I make that direct request, don't do it. Or, on Twitter [X], a lot of times, there's a journalist whose name I won't mention, a very, very big journalist, who posts photos without alt text. I don't know, considering how Twitter [X] is, how you can be on Twitter [X] and not know how to post alt text or not feel the obligation. So sometimes I can't repost things because there's no alt text to your photos. It's not accessible to people who use screen readers.
This year, Northeastern University’s Enabling Engineering Club designed a low-cost wheelchair camera mount. This mount will enable filmmakers who use wheelchairs to set up their cameras independently. Jody had approached the club after one of DJP’s fellows, Julie-Marie Chibekete, mentioned facing challenges using a regular tripod. Julie-Marie has worked with the university to test and improve the product. I asked Jody how DJP makes filmmaking accessible to blind fellows.
The reality is that video production is probably one of the least accessible industries in the world. And I really think that we have been trailblazers, in some of what we have done, but we are limited by technology. So, now, using the iPhone is a major step forward for us. And certainly, there are other filmmakers who are using the iPhone. [...] The iPhone with VoiceOver can tell a filmmaker what's in the viewfinder. [...] And then it'll also tell the user like, whether their interview subject is in focus, whether the camera is tilted, so it just gives more support, especially in an interview setting, So that has been pretty big, though it's not perfect, by any means. Most of the DJP fellows who are blind still need assistance with setting up the camera and making sure that everything is set to go. And then the one thing that we're working on now is the editing software. There's really no editing software that's completely accessible. So we use an online cloud-based video editing platform called WeVideo that works in web browsers. It can be used on any computer, so you could go to a library and you could access your project. So in some ways that eliminates questions like, “Well, what kind of computer do you have? Is the software compatible?” etc. And everything gets uploaded to the cloud versus external hard drives and all of these things that can really complicate it. But WeVideo is not accessible to screen reader users. One of our fellows yesterday [said], “I figured out how to upload my videos on WeVideo using the screen reader,” which I personally didn't think was possible. So a lot of times our fellows are also showing us how it's done, which again, is incredibly exciting. But we're also talking with other software developers if we could co-create some version with them that would be accessible to screen readers and would give more independence to filmmakers who are blind or low vision or deaf or hard of hearing.
Do all the blind and visually impaired fellows need assistance?
It’s a combination. Some of them will need assistance. Some of them can do it on their own. The fellows who are blind will need some assistance in finishing their videos. For example, Sa [Utailesolo], a fellow from Samoa, has low vision. He's been doing everything on his own with a magnifier on his computer. And he gets super close to the computer to see. I saw him edit his entire video from start to finish, and he also shot everything from start to finish. So it depends. Retta (Mahretta Maha), from Indonesia, was our first blind fellow. When she shoots, she has an assistant, but she's the director. So she really is directing them like, “Get this shot, that shot, I want that.” She has a really good sense of how to put together a video.
What does a videographer need to know about accessibility and disability ethics? Any specific camera angles that should be used?
For instance, when you position the camera above your subject, it can make the subject look smaller and weak. We want to avoid that type of shot. We talk sometimes about the power shot and when the camera is a little bit lower or beneath the person, how it can make them look more powerful. My philosophy is not to be manipulative at all, just to shoot it straight on and to be conscious of what you're shooting and why you're shooting it. I think that's the main thing.
And any shots that should be avoided if you're filming someone with a disability?
We don't avoid showing a person's disability. If they use a wheelchair, we show the wheelchair; if they are blind and use a cane, we show that. We want to promote inclusivity and representation and help break down preconceived notions about the limitations of persons with disabilities. We don't dwell on the disability. We focus on their complete identity. The disability is part of the story, but our focus is on shared human experiences.
Could you talk about the impact DJP has had so far?
First of all, there's an impact on the fellows personally, when they start telling their own stories, and they have more control over how that story is told. I see fellows who become more comfortable in talking about disability. And then, we've seen stories that either in the reporting, or in the publishing of the video have had an impact on local healthcare policies. I think ultimately, we want to train enough fellows and we want fellows to actually begin working in some of the more mainstream media outlets in their countries, so that we can change the narrative on a broader level. I think that's kind of where we're hoping to go with it. And then even by involving mentors now, at newspapers, in the countries where we work, that they become part of that narrative shift too.
Our mentors, [after interacting with the fellows for 14 weeks] have been able to incorporate more reporting on disability into their own work, and as journalism professors, are much more aware.
What do people need to know to make their newsrooms accessible and inclusive of disability?
I think what they need to know first is that every small step matters, every small step signals that you're trying to be an inclusive organisation, and you're going to fail and need to adapt and change. I once read something about how if you're serious about accessibility, create a separate chat on WhatsApp, or elsewhere, where all you're doing is talking about accessibility like, “Hey, maybe we should be doing this or what if we did that?” There's at least one place where it's completely focused on the topic of inclusion and accessibility.
But what are camelCase hashtags?
camelCase is a way of writing words in a compound phrase so that the first letter of each word, excluding the first word, is capitalised. When you use camelCase in your hashtag, it becomes easier to distinguish between words. For example, #callMeLater, instead of #callmelater. Which one reads better?
PascalCase is another way in which the first letter of each word, including the first word, is capitalised, this way: #CallMeLater.
People who are blind and have low vision use a screen reader, an assistive software that reads text out loud on their phones, tablets and computers. Without camelCase or PascalCase, screen readers are often unable to recognise phrases with hashtags and cannot read them. Using camelCase or PascalCase hashtags is perhaps the simplest step for social media accessibility. It will not only make your social media posts accessible to screen reader users, but also to people with dyslexia who struggle with forming and recognising words, people with low language literacy, cognitive impairments, and anyone who likes a smooth reading experience. Well, who doesn’t?
If you’ve read this issue so far, you might be inspired to take small steps towards accessibility. Because accessibility benefits everyone. And I can’t emphasise that enough.
Consider the example of subtitles. YPulse, a publication covering insights and research on GenZ and Millennials, in its recent report from North America and Europe, found that more than half of young people surveyed prefer to use subtitles while watching TV and movies. “It’s not just because they need them,” YPulse wrote. They make use of subtitles while watching movies/TV “to keep up with murmuring dialogue, to distinguish thick accents (looking at you Peaky Blinders), and some say just to get a head start on a scene and go back to looking at their phone.”
Subtitles also provide access to content from different countries and languages, and improve literacy. Research shows that same-language subtitling can make functional readers out of struggling ones. I wrote about it for BBC Future a few years ago. Oh, and did I mention the use of captions for deaf and hard-of-hearing users yet?
Each issue of this newsletter will continue to talk about and simplify accessibility for you. For any further insights specifically on social media accessibility, I highly recommend Accessible Social, a free resource by the American social media strategist, Alexa Heinrich.
Upcoming events and media
The Annual India Inclusion Summit will be held on Saturday, 4th November, at Radisson Blu Hotel, Bengaluru, India. If you cannot make it in person, don’t miss the livestream at www.indiainclusionsummit.com.
Attend a webinar on “Understanding the value and benefits of digital accessibility for housing processes” on Thursday, 30th November at 1 pm EST.
Book your tickets for the second edition of the International Purple Fest, a weeklong festival celebrating persons with disabilities in Goa. Early bird tickets priced at 700 INR are available until 30th November. Event dates: 8th January to 13th January 2024.
This weekend, I’ll be bingeing on the four-episode Netflix release “All The Light We Cannot See” featuring blind actors found through a worldwide casting call. What about you?
Opportunity for writers/journalists/disability advocates
“Omidyar Network is looking for pitches for essays on how disability justice should shape the future of technology, the economy, or our culture/society. Rate is $4,000 for 2,000 words. Email pitches to dj@omidyar.com by Nov 10th.”
Food for your storytelling soul
Finally, I’ll leave links to two significant stories that won the 2023 Katherine Schneider Journalism Award for Excellence in Reporting on Disability. (Apply next year if you cover disability!)
Since I love all her work, I was happy to find this innovative piece Amanda Morris reported for the New York Times among the winners. She reports how over the years, American Sign Language has been transformed by video technology and social media.
Did you know that pelvic organ prolapse is one among the hundreds of invisible disabilities? In this piece for Scroll.in, Romita Saluja highlights how patriarchy and stigma make accessing care an immense challenge for women with pelvic organ prolapse in rural India. The story quotes my school friend, and an excellent gynaecologist, Dr. Anupama Bahadur.
Thanks for reading this first edition. Please share your feedback on what you liked or didn’t. What would you like to see in the upcoming issues? Just hit reply to share your thoughts, or say ‘hello’.
Don’t forget to boost all your hashtags with camelCase or PascalCase and share your little stride towards accessibility on socials using #AccessibilityBrag and #ReframingDisability. Tag me on LinkedIn and Twitter, and I’ll support you! Remember, every small step taken for accessibility counts!
Warmly,
Priti
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