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writtenbylyds

Accessibility week round-up!

Updated: Mar 7, 2021

Good accessibility is happening. Let’s find it and celebrate it. Together.


Screenshot from my instagram story promoting the last video in my accessibility themed week, including a still image of me talking to camera.
Promoting Vid 4 on IG stories

What. A. Week!


When I created Written by Lyds earlier this month, I knew accessibility was one of the things that I wanted to talk about a lot. In a quest to spread positivity and restore faith in humanity, highlighting good accessibility is an absolute win. Every time.


Yes, in a perfect world everything would always have been designed so that people who have disabilities can join in. I acknowledge that. But if we lived in a perfect world, I wouldn’t still have acne in my 30’s. What an absolute chuffing delight that is.


The reality is, that isn’t the case. Instead of bashing and trashing where accessibility’s lacking (am I crazy or does that rhyme?), my choice is to celebrate and applaud where it’s happening. To remind me and all of you that things do get better. Except my face full of spots apparently.


If you’ve popped over to my Accessibility page, you’ll know that I’ve asked you to help me do that. But sometimes I forget that whilst I’ve been immersed in this for the past 10 years of my career, you probably haven’t. And you may have read that page, or my Instagram post on 3rd Feb and thought ‘what in the shitting hell are you talking about lady?!’


So I made two decisions.

1. Have an accessibility themed week on Instagram

2. Cover my zitty face with concealer and talk about it on video.


If you haven’t seen them yet, head over to @writtenbylyds on Instagram and have a listen.

In the first video, I explain what accessibility is and the kind of things I’d love for you to share.

Screenshot from my instagram story promoting the third video in my accessibility themed week, including a still image of me talking to camera.
Promoting Vid 3 on IG stories

Here’s a fun fact. I spent all morning feeling sick because I knew I had to do it. How ridiculous. It was my bloody idea in the first place and literally no one would be any the wiser if I didn’t.


And here’s another. It took me four takes…purely because I kept getting my own email address wrong. My own email address. That was written down in front of me.


For videos two, three and four, I thought it was relevant to share some tips on how to make your own Instagram posts accessible! Those of you who have watched them, I really hope you found them interesting, useful, and the tips surprisingly easy to do. Accessibility doesn’t have to be hard and complicated. A lot of the time it’s the obvious and simple adjustments that work the best.


What I can tell you is that, once I’d gotten over the nausea, I really enjoyed making those videos. Personally it was so nice to be talking about something that is often quite emotive, in such a positive way.

Still shots of me giving a thumbs up and saying thank you in British Sign Language
Good job you beauts, and thank you!

And your response has been marvellous, you absolute legends! Both with examples of accessibility you’ve seen, some of which are just, WOW, and in how useful you’ve found the tips. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know that listening to me for those few minutes made a difference.


This is a subject I’m going to keep coming back to, to share with everybody the wonderful examples that you let me know about. So please do keep them coming, either through Instagram DM’s or by emailing me at lydia@writtenbylyds.com.


In the meantime, this may have got you thinking more about whether or not your particular business or organisation could be more accessible. If it has, and you want to talk to me in a professional capacity about how/if I can help, again please do get in touch in the same way.

Similarly, if my blog posts have taken your fancy and you have any freelance writing opportunities that suit my style, I’d love to chat.


Thank you again for your support this week. You know, together we really can make the world a brighter place.


Lyds, out x

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