What are some ways to make public speaking more accessible for people with disabilities?

Working with blind speakers and engaging visually-impaired audiences have been an illuminating experience for me. Here're 3 ways to make public speaking more accessible: 1. Decenter your experience. As sighted people, we gravitate toward using eye contact and body movement as the primary audience engagement tools. Now focus on connecting with them by varying your pitch, volume, and also silence. 2. The most powerful visual aid is the imagery you conjure in people’s mind. Describe what you want them to know, eg. use sonorous verbs to create an action sequence. 3. Don’t let speed overtake accessibility. Being inclusive includes humbling ourselves to possible changes, unexpected challenges, and taking the time to let things unfold.

Patience has worked for me. Always know that they feel your pulse. Some of them are too sensitive so they sense when you feel they are not worth your time. Some will try to provoke you to see how "real" you are. Speak love, show love, live love, when you are with them. They pick what you even didn't know you are giving.

In my experience I think the best way to make your speech accessible is to ensure the venue is accessible, and that you advertise this in all marketing. Also have a sign language interpreter on stage, and again advertise this. Also offer digital access to your speeches so you can add captions, and people can access from the comfort of their own home. Also, do your market research and ask people what do you need ? What do you want? How can I help my work be more accessible ? Peace and love Toby G MBE

Make the arrangements with their comfort at heart . Allow them bring to the venue whatever that will aid them to deliver at their best.

Believe in yourself and love who you are. Everyone has what makes them special...find yours abd use it glorious. There is a profound charm God gave you, find it, work on it and perfect it. Always prayerfully build yourself with Divinity.

Remember as long as we are still alive, God intends for us to deliver our mandates gloriously and all we need , has been made available for us. Trust God, that makes no mistakes.

I believe that providing inclusive venues and equipment is crucial. This means ensuring that venues have wheelchair accessibility, appropriate lighting, and hearing loop systems for individuals with hearing impairments. As someone who values inclusivity, I think promoting assistive technology can make a significant difference. Offering live captioning or sign language interpretation services can empower those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

It's perfectly okay to use stimming mechanisms during a speech. It's not unprofessional but a way for a panelist with a learning disability or attention issue to fully concentrate without masking their true authentic selves. Also, we need to dismantle the practice mechanisms that can force a panelist with a learning disability or attention issue to mask themselves. One of them is forced eye contact or body language positions that forces a panelist to abide by neurotypical practices that they're not conformable with.