Although we aim to ensure that our practices are as flawless as possible, sometimes we slip and make mistakes. But what are mistakes, if not opportunities to learn and improve? This is especially true for online presence, social media and accessibility. As a team that is dedicated to disability inclusion, we try to make our social media content more inclusive by offering both image descriptions and alt-text to the creatives. However, a few days ago, we were testing a new text editor for LinkedIn and initially did not notice that the formatted words impacted accessibility for those who use screen readers. Fortunately, one of our lovely followers called our attention to this problem. We are an inclusive community and we are always happy to have your feedback and learn from you along the way! #Mistakes #Learning #Accessibility #DigitalAccessibility #Access4you #A4U
Marketing & Communications Strategist | Building Authentic & Inclusive Brand Experiences | Business Development | International Coordination | Partnership Management
I made a mistake. As a marketer, I always look for ways to make our content stand out. So, I was very happy to find a tool that bolds our text in our LinkedIn posts, hoping it would grab more attention. Well, it sure did - but not necessarily in the way we intended! It turned out that this formatted text cannot be read by screen readers, making our posts inaccessible for many using assistive technologies. As someone passionate about inclusion and educating others on the importance of accessibility, not only in the built environment but also in our posts, this made me feel very bad. But lesson learned. We’re dropping the bold and doubling down on making our content accessible to everyone. Thanks, Lia Stoll ??, for the heads up ?? Learn from my mistake and make accessibility a priority wherever you can. Image description: The image features a meme with two parts. At the top, there is text that reads: "When someone asks me how I got better:". Below this, there is a happy SpongeBob SquarePants image with a big smile and open arms. Underneath the SpongeBob image, there is text that says: "Lots and lots of mistakes."