By Suzanne Boys
On May 24, 2023, Cincinnati PRSA hosted a virtual lunch-and-learn titled Accessibility and Inclusion: Best
Practices for Communication and Programming. Nearly two dozen attendees joined to hear from a panel
of local experts. The panelists included Dr. Kara Ayers (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center),
Lisa Danford (Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services), Jason Harris (OTR Film
Festival/LADD), Dr. Patrick Ober (Stepping Stones), and TT Stern-Enzi (OTR Film Festival/LADD). The
speakers brought a wide range of expertise on accessibility and inclusion, which made for a practical,
frank, and insight-laden hour.
Inspired by panelist Jason Harris, speakers introduced themselves with brief bios and visual self-
descriptors. This modeled a simple way to include both those with visual disabilities and those who
cannot access their screens during a video call.
Dr. Patrick Ober then kicked off the conversation addressing challenges he has faced in making
communication and programming more inclusive and accessible. He emphasized the need to have
professionals or volunteers who can provide in-person support to people with disabilities. The driving
goal is to help people have the option to do the things they want to do. This might mean offering
supports like headphones, sensory stimulation tools, transport, and ramps. It also requires
understanding different ways people communicate and meeting them in that modality.
TT Stern-Enzi echoed that, noting the imperative to make spaces and experiences accessible. For the
OTR Film Festival, this means ensuring that theaters are accessible and that films are closed captioned.
His team is committed to giving captioning files back to filmmakers so they can take those files for future
showings.
Lisa Danford recommended several simple steps to begin making communication more accessible. Start
by using active voice, shorter sentences, and an eighth-grade reading level. And always consider the
communication needs of your target audience.
Jason Harris prompted attendees to hone their storytelling skills. Consider how you would tell the story
if it were not about someone with a disability. Tell good stories that humanize their subjects. Dr. Ayers
extended this, noting how important headlines are. Beware of words like “overcome” and “suffering
from.” Reconsider foregrounding a person’s disability gratuitously. Lisa Danford recommends asking
ourselves, “Would I write about this person or event if it didn’t include disability?” With this, she
reminded us that a good story is a good story, whether it includes a disability or not.
Dr. Kara Ayers explained the differences between person first versus identity first language. Using the
former, we might say, “A person who is blind.” Using the latter, we might say, “A blind person.” While
person first language has been taught as the gold standard, it came from parent-led movements.
Identity first language, on the other hand, has come from disability communities. When considering
which to use, consider which type of language individuals prefer. Dr. Ayers also emphasized how
important it is to use the word disability. There is a growing #SayTheWord movement, which was
started by disability community activist Lawrence Carter-Long. This movement highlights persistent
discomfort with the word disability. Instead of using euphemisms like special needs, this movement
invites us to use the preferred words disabled/disability. Dr. Ober emphasized how important it is to
listen to and learn from disability communities.
Panelists were asked for ways to make content more accessible. A simple step they offered was using
ALT text. This is concise copy that describes visual elements. For anyone using a screen reader, well-
crafted ALT text is imperative. Another tool is to use the “Read Aloud” feature on documents. On a
Word document, simply go to “Review,” then “Read Aloud.” This will show you problems and areas that
will cause confusion for anyone using the feature.
No matter what tool you use to make your communication more accessible, Lisa Danford recommends
inviting people with disabilities to review your work. This step is imperative not only to make our
communication accessible, but also to make our teams more inclusive. To this point, Jason Harris
recommends getting involved with organizations that are disability led. Dr. Ober offered a phrase
currently popular in disability communities: “nothing about us without us.” TT Sterns-Enzi echoed the
call for inclusion on our teams, encouraging us to ensure that disabled people are at the table and on
the team.
Our panelist offered a long list of resources, which readers can access here. Cincinnati PRSA offers its sincerest gratitude to our panelists for offering actionable tips each of us can use to make our communication and programming more accessible and inclusive. Many thanks, Jason, Kara, Lisa, Patrick, and TT!