Making your activism accessible: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 14:51, 6 July 2022
This page was created to support activists in making their spaces more accessible, to ensure everyone is welcome and encouraged to join the climate movement in whatever way they can! The information included comes from existing organizer databases and resources by movement thinkers. We've included resources from blogs written by people living with accessibility needs, as they are experts on this topic. Each personal experience is distinct, thus we encourage further insight from different positionalities on this topic. Several of the topics found in this guide are based on questions asked by activists in the HUB's community (i.e. how to make in-person events more accessible, how to make promotional materials more engaging etc.). This guide includes definitions of accessibility, considerations for accessible event and action planning, communication and content, creating an accessible culture and other suggestions related to creating a space that is inviting to all.
"Universal accessibility is the character of a product, process, service, information or environment which, with a view to fairness and an inclusive approach, allows anyone to carry out activities independently and to obtain equivalent results." - Groupe DÉFI Accessibilité (GDA) [1] & Ex Aequo
Ex Aequo distinguishes accessibility from adaptation:
- "Adaptation would consist of changes made in order to accommodate people in relation to “an environment, a communication, a program, or an already existing service.
- We adapt when we build a subway with only stairs, then add elevators several years later.
- We make it universally accessible when we provide access ramps to the buses."
Access Culture expands on the definition of accessibility, explaining:
"Spaces accessible to marginalized people – who are abused on many levels – embody openness, deliverance, freedom. An open space is an offered embrace. For people who live on the margins, who have to fight to prove their existence, who are excluded from movements, who are subject to abuse in the form of isolation, having access to spaces means having access to community, to connection, to existence.When we make spaces accessible, when we build movements based on inclusion, we recognize that each person has an intrinsic value, that our existence is beautiful and necessary. Creating accessible spaces is about recognizing that connection is necessary, that community is necessary, that our culture is built on the myth of separation, the lie of disconnection. We must move from independence to interdependence in order to transform society."
Accessibility in event/action planning
Choice of Location
Universal Accessibility Collective suggests that in a universally accessible place, a person in a wheelchair can move around in all the rooms and access a toilet. [2]
Some of the further suggests Sins Invalid offers based on your choice of location include [3] :
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IMPORTANT: Take the necessary precautions according to the space in order to avoid accidents and prevent unfortunate situations in the event of an emergency.
Examples: remember to cover electrical wires, identify or cover slippery surfaces, ensure that outdoor spaces are well lit and that the identified emergency exits are functional.
Meeting Attendees Needs
Universal Accessibility Collective suggests:
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Good Practices
Universal Accessibility Collective suggests:
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Creating Space for Every Identity
According to UK Mutual Aid, there are things groups can do to ensure that people feel comfortable coming to an event and expressing their concerns in the context of racism [4] :
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To ensure people feel comfortable coming to an event and expressing their concerns in the context of misogyny, sexism and transphobia [5] :
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To ensure people feel comfortable coming to an event and expressing their concerns in the context of poverty or being low-income [6] :
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Neurodivergent: Judy Singer, a sociologist who has autism, coined the term to describe how certain developmental disorders are normal variations in the brain, and people who have these features also have certain strengths. The neurodiverse umbrella includes but is not limited to ADHD, dyslexia, autism, and other learning disabilities. [7] Many include mental illnesses under the umbrella of neurodiversity too, such as but not limited to anxiety, bipolar, PTSD, schizophrenia etc. [8]
Introversion: Where people who are extroverted are stimulated by their environment and absorb energy by interacting with others, introverted people recharge when they are alone and feel overwhelmed by prolonged social interactions as well as certain stimulations from their environment (noise, strong light etc). [9]
To ensure people who are neurodivergent [10] [11] and/or introverted [12] [13] feel comfortable coming to an event and expressing their concerns or needs:
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Accessibility in Communications
There are many things to consider when it comes to accessible communication, from formatting to the language used. Accessible communication is extremely important. According to statistics from 2012, nearly half, about 49%, of people in what's colonially called Canada do not have sufficient literacy skills, and 55% do not have sufficient numeracy proficiency. Thus, it is important to ensure our written material is easy to read, easy to understand, easy to find the information you need and the information is easy to use the first time you read it.
General Guidelines for Accessible Written materials outlined by plainlanguage.gov [14]
1. Write for your audience. Use language your audience understands. If you are targeting the general public, a rule of thumb is to aim for an 8th grade reading level or lower. Check out the following resourcewhich can be used to reduce the reading level of your writing. 2. Put the most important information at the beginning, bolded, and include background information (when necessary) toward the end. 3. Limit paragraphs/written sections to 3-8 lines, 5 being a happy medium. 4. Use as few words as possible to get your point across! (e.g. a number of vs 'some', in order to vs 'to'.). Remove 'filler' words such as descriptive words that do not add to your main idea. 5. Format information in lists, tables etc. to break up written text and add variety that is more visually appealing. Add headings if they'll help break information up. 6. Add blank space! This draws the eyes better to key written ideas. Especially around important ideas and to separate sections. 7. Avoid jargon, abbreviations and technical terms. Keep your language as simple as possible (e.g. disseminate vs 'send', in accordance with vs 'by'). See more examples of simplifying your language here.8. Bold important ideas! 9. Illustrate text with images when possible. 10. Ensure your language is gender-neutral.
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Writing Image Descriptions [15]
Most important elements to describe
Basic process for writing a description
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Meeting Disability and Accessibility Guidelines [16] [17]
Tips for maximizing accessibility according to the specific type of online document are available using this resource.
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Creating Accessible Group Cultures
The following section drew from the writings of:
- Liz Kessler, a person who describes themselves as disabled and who is involved in struggles for justice [18]
- Lee, a disabled, queer, trans and autistic activist. [19]
Practices that Foster Accessible Cultures
Different abilities, different limits... work with them! Do not set standards for hard, or how much, work should be completed. |
Incorporate regular discussions about personal and group boundaries. This allows each person to give their consent actively and enthusiastically when they have the capacity to do so. This also promotes respect for these limits. Short term limits for long term sustainability. |
Accept people who are less reliable and do not depend on one person to hold an activity. Last-minute disengagement related to personal conditions or situations is common! Accept these contingencies and be interested in what the disengaged person needs to be able to pause or move forward. |
Do not overload the schedule. No need to follow the capitalist (and counter-intuitive) 9 to 5. |
Plan break times. Do not have meetings or tasks to complete during breaks. Commit to the entire team taking a break so no one feels excluded or singled out. |
Focus on the content (rather than how it's said). Some people will express ideas or comments while crying or angrily rather than using statements such as "I feel..." and "I think...". No matter how emotional the person is when sharing their ideas, what they have to say is of equal importance. |
Create communities that last beyond activism. When a person takes a break from activism, access to the support and social contact of the activist community encourages resilience. |
Listen to people who tell you what they need. Social norms are tailored to some identities more than others. If you feel comfortable in a space and other people tell you that you don't, it may be time to take action so that they too feel comfortable. |
Accept that accessibility is a process. There is no set finish line, we have to stay tuned and pay attention to the people around us. |
Understand intellectual privilege and recognize that there are many forms of intelligence. Emphasizing intellectualism reinforces that people should conform to one form of intelligence – that is, so-called intelligence as defined in white, bodily, elitists, and academic contexts. Recognize that there are many forms of intelligence, and that people are valuable regardless of their perceived intelligence. |
Not interpreting eye contact or body language. Ask to touch a person (even for a hug) and avoid imposing eye contact. |
Taking into account classism and internalized ableism. Asking about someone's occupation can create a feeling of exclusion for people with certain identities. Not everyone has the privilege that comes with having a 'good' job; social connection, higher income and sometimes health insurance. |
Deconstructing the Politics of Desire. The people who are most often 'front and center' in our communities enjoy white privilege, attractiveness (or body) privilege, able-bodied privilege, and class. |
Pay particular attention to intersectional perspectives. Intersectional perspectives are those of people who experience more than one social identity limiting their accessibility to spaces. |
Create habits related to accessibility. For example, the use of a planning list adapted to the current project or process helps team members to develop reflexes as to the accessibility aspects to consider when organizing an activity. UK Mutual Aid has developed a list specific to holding face-to-face, hybrid or online events which you can use to adopt specific practices in your teams. |
- ↑ Groupe DEFI Accessibilite (GDA) - Research report for associations in Montreal - Universal Accessibility and contributing designs (version 5.3), Langevin, Rocque, Chalghoumi & Ghorayeb, University of Montreal
- ↑ https://collectifau.ca/
- ↑ https://www.sinsinvalid.org/blog/access-suggestions-for-a-public-event
- ↑ https://www.mutual-aid.co.uk/
- ↑ https://www.mutual-aid.co.uk/
- ↑ https://www.mutual-aid.co.uk/
- ↑ https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/features/what-is-neurodiversity
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CYBl-miPcCL/
- ↑ Cain, Susan. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, Brown Publishing Group, New York, 2012.
- ↑ https://accessculture.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/how-to-be-an-ally-to-disabled-neurodiverse-folks-in-activist-academic-communities/
- ↑ https://www.cs.jhu.edu/~misha/DIReadingSeminar/Papers/Hughes16.pdf
- ↑ The Invisible Students in the Classroom: How to Include the Introverts Without Excluding the Extroverts. MA thesis by Sharron Emilie Dow.
- ↑ https://thecatalystnews.com/2021/03/04/how-to-care-for-your-introvert/
- ↑ https://www.plainlanguage.gov/guidelines/
- ↑ https://antimonarchy.tumblr.com/post/635980711208386560/how-to-create-image-descriptions
- ↑ https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/advice/employers/creating-a-dyslexia-friendly-workplace/dyslexia-friendly-style-guide
- ↑ https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/
- ↑ https://data.over-blog-kiwi.com/1/85/65/14/20180525/ob_91a56c_milieu-militant-inclusif-neurodivergen.pdf
- ↑ https://accessculture.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/how-to-be-an-ally-to-disabled-neurodiverse-folks-in-activist-academic-communities/