BITES // 04.08.21 // ACCESSIBILITY
Every month we collect six of the best pieces of content published on the web and share them with you, because we believe that the most extraordinary thinking is inspired by looking to unexpected places. BITES is a reading list for those who want to bring a little of the outside, in.
1. NEWS FOR ALL
The information landscape for the past few years have been abuzz with conversations about trusted sources of information and news being available for all who seek it. Verizon Media wants to make sure that population includes those who are blind, deaf, and speech impaired. They are planning to bring forth a series of new initiatives to champion a 100% accessible web environment, starting with their search engine property Yahoo. Starting on April 1st, all Yahoo video content will have closed captioning. As a part of this initiative, Verizon Media is also donating to accredited organizations such as the National Association of the Deaf, the American Council of the Blind and the American Association of People with Disabilities. Verizon Media is showing brands what it means to be more than just committees and talk!
2. ANYONE CAN FLY WITH EASE
Clothing designs seldom factor in those with disabilities. Nike saw there was a gap in the market for footwear that was both functional and fashionable for people with disabilities. Tim Hopkins, a creative engineer at Nike, collaborated with disabled athletes to design the Nike FlyEase, a completely hands-free sneaker. The shoe’s innovative design uses a bend in the sole that allows wearers to slip it on and off. The FlyEase is appealing to all kinds of athletes, as it comes in bright trendy colorways. More mainstream apparel brands need to follow Nike’s lead and address the needs and struggles faced by consumers with disabilities because they account for a huge share of the population, and because it’s the right thing to do.
3. TIKTOK IS TALKING
The Covid-19 Pandemic has changed the way people do everything, but more than anything it has changed the way we communicate with the world around us. Keeping physical distance for many has become keeping social distance as well, as many have had to remain safe at home- sometimes alone. Fortunately, we are a people of innovators and have turned to the digital landscape to remain connected to loved ones and strangers alike. People have done so most notably on the social media app, TikTok. However, it was only recently that they added a new text-to-speech feature to allow those with visual impairments access to enjoy the platform; and the app still hasn’t added a close captioning feature so deaf users can read the audio heard in videos. So there is still a long way to go, when deaf users have to fashion the app to be accessible for themselves.
4. VISIBILITY TO BE MODELED
This past month Rihanna’s lingerie and sleepwear brand Savage X Fenty introduced their first little person model Tamera, who looked glamorous and sexy in her matching lingerie. Choosing a little person ambassador to be a face of the popular brand is a victory for anyone who truly celebrates diversity because true diversity has to be visible. Rihanna is known to be a trendsetter in all that she does, but her most admirable contribution has been creating an industry standard environment of inclusivity across her brands. Her beauty venture Fenty Beauty had the largest shade range in the beauty industry until other brands envied the buzz it got, and Savage X Fenty offers extended sizes, and showcases a diverse array of models in its fashion shows. So Rihanna has truly shown she is an advocate for REAL industry representation, a key component for consumers who want to see themselves mirrored in store windows and ad campaigns, and also of innovation that forces other brands to emulate.
5. PACKAGING PEOPLE CAN FEEL
Cleanlogic, a clean and sustainable beauty brand, has been a topic of conversation for their packaging that features braille for the visually impaired. Their founder, Isaac Sharpiro designed it with his mother in mind who lost her sight when she was very young. Also, a portion of Cleanlogic’s sales go to visually impaired charities that help blind people lead more independent lives. They just launched their new rebrand in March, and shifted to all paper packaging as well; eliminating the soft plastic that is the norm amongst bath and beauty brands. They also collaborated with American Foundation for the Blind to make sure all the braille on their packaging is accurate. Since their launch in 2001, some other brands have begun incorporating braille into their packaging including Pharell’s 2020 launch of his brand Humanrace. Including braille on beauty packaging is just one example of how we can incorporate inclusivity into our lives in small ways that have virtually no affect on anyone else, but can make a huge impact for those that need it. These small details should become commonplace across all products!
6. HEALTHCARE SHOULDN’T NEED TO BE HEARD
This week AdventHealth- the medical group that operates in 9 states, premiered a new ad that featured custom closed captioning, audio descriptions for the deaf and hard of hearing, and audio closed captioning for the blind and hard of seeing. The ad titled ‘The Sound of Healing’ featured clips of small human moments of healing that have taken place in a lot of our lives during this pandemic, with a special focus on the sounds each activity makes; such as a mom and child outside rollerblading, people doing aerobics with their masks on, a pregnant woman learning breathing techniques with a nurse, and even the hospital staff cheering at the end as a covid patient is released. The ad is beautiful in that it reminds us of the humanizing things that connect us all, despite ability.
TAKEAWAY:
This month we chose to share web content that sheds a little light on accessibility because it is important to act as a lifelong learner for what could make life more accessible, and raise awareness. Continuously challenging ourselves to be advocates for accessibility, reminds us of our responsibility to think of ways we can share space with people who experience the world through a different lens. We never know what raising awareness in small ways could do to inspire or encourage others, as well as help foster a much more ethical world.
