Are You Leaving Disabled Travelers Out of Your Content? 📱

Are you leaving disabled travelers out of your content? Do you use captions when listening to a video on silent? Do you use hands-free voice speaking? You are probably using a technology feature that you did not even know was built with a disabled person in mind. In this video, I will be talking about how you and your content can be more empathetic and inclusive to disabled travelers. This is especially for you if you consume, watch, listen to, or even create content of any kind, and you've never even wondered how and whether or not a disabled person will see or hear your content. I am Zaakirah. I am a hard of hearing, visually impaired traveler who's been to over 15 countries, half of the United States and over 4 continents. I am also an accessibility advocate, brand cultivating strategist, and a travel consultant. I'm going to also talk to you about ways that you can continue to connect with me and work with me on this topic, on travel, branding, and beyond. So I've also been a speaker for a little over 10 years now. Having lost one of my eyes to a childhood eye cancer, I've been seeing life through one lens for over 30 years now. Just most recently in the last few years, especially since the pandemic, I've become more of an advocate, not just for myself, but for others around me who may want to be using social media, listening to, watching podcasts, go to certain travel destinations, but they can't because the content that's already out there is not really accessible for them to be able to learn and feel safe and feel secure about going to that specific location. So I began to take it upon myself to be more considerate and conscious and lead by example. One, not only is it because I can only see in one eye as a result of my childhood eye cancer, I also lost my hearing just a little bit. So when I am in person, when I am traveling to different places, I have to be very intentional about the noise levels of the environments that I'm going to, pay very close attention to the accents of people that I'm listening to, and to speak up and say I need to be able to have extra time to get to and from places, and I need to be able to see exactly what I need to know and where I need to go. Most people think that when you see someone who is in a wheelchair, when you see someone with a physical disability, that they only need one thing. They need to make sure that they can get in and out of wherever they're going to. They need to have a wide enough space to be able to use the bathroom or even enjoy the place that they're going. But sometimes we forget about the things that are disabled, that are invisibly disabled. Sometimes there are things that you cannot see. A hearing loss is something you cannot see. Neurodivergence is something that you cannot see. It's very easy to be considerate of our elders because we can see them progressively get older and not move as fast or not move as quickly or things will hurt a lot more. But what about those who are young and recently injured or recently lost their hearing or recently lost a body part that you can't exactly see? Sometimes it takes a little bit more empathy to be more inclusive, and that's kind of what I'm going to talk about a little bit more, about how you can do that. So I'm recording this video about a week before I'm going to be stepping on the stage at the Women in Travel Summit, or WITS Travel Creator Summit. It's the largest gathering of women and gender-diverse travel creators in the world. And they're going to be coming right to my backyard, if you will. Uh, they're going right to Chattanooga, Tennessee, which is where my dad is from. I used to live there when I was a child, and my dad is actually from a small town outside of, um, Chattanooga. And so it's so much fun to be able to bring this skill set into an environment that I know is going to be like a mini family reunion. You know, I've been doing travel content since before it was called content. I've been using YouTube, I've been using blogs, I've been using podcasts really since the early, you know, 2010s. But technically, my love for any kind of content really started when I was a child right there in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It's where I was first introduced to a Kodak Polaroid camera at the age of 5 years old. Because surviving cancer means I survived a trauma. So that means that I was needing some kind of creative outlet to just be at peace. And so I literally took pictures everywhere that I went. And as I got older, um, and got to go to my first international countries, that was when I started to take more pictures, take more videos, and turn it into a blog where I was writing about it. And then later on, a vlog where I would video about it and then turn that into an audio podcast. And eventually speak on the TEDx stage, patting myself on the back. Travel is supposed to expand how we see the world, but for many disabled travelers like myself, the world is still not designed for us to be in it. Thankfully, the last couple of years that I've been traveling, it's been a lot easier to advocate for myself. There's something called a sunflower lanyard where I can have a bright green lanyard around my neck and I can have an identity card where I can just say, hey, I have a hearing loss. I need you to face me when you're talking to me because I am a lip reader. I'm trying to understand exactly what you're saying so that I do not miss anything. I need to know where do I need to go to get to the right airport line. I need to know where I need to go to go on my specific tour. But sometimes most people tend to forget about that. So it's very nice to be able to have that identification card because most people really do forget to ask the simple question, how can I help? And then we have to think about the online content when it comes to creating certain images and certain videos. Sometimes you're making your own graphics. I know we have to DIY and use AI for almost everything nowadays. But then you're making content where you like the color of the font, but the font, if you were to stand 10 feet away as if you were taking an eye exam, you have to think if you would be able to see that content. We want to be able to read what you, what you're saying. We want to be able to understand the photos that you're posting. We want to be able to watch the video that you're uploading or that you're watching too. You know, you may want to share a reel or a video or TikTok with someone, but If that person cannot hear, not just because they're in a very noisy environment, if that person cannot hear, how are they going to be able to know what it's about? A lot of our social media apps nowadays are doing a lot better with having captions included. YouTube, you can press the button, turn on the caption. Facebook, press the button, turn on the caption. Instagram, go to your setting, turn on the caption. But those captions are not always accurate, especially if there are names of places that are very foreign and unique or that are beautiful but heavy and hard to pick up on. So not only are we using captions to understand or learn the language when you watch it on Netflix or your favorite movie streaming app, but sometimes it actually allows someone who cannot hear as well to also enjoy the content as well. People also tend to forget that if you are uploading a piece of content that is An image of some kind or a video of some kind. If you imagine someone handing you a reel and you really have no idea what you're looking at, that's ideally why captions are also helpful. The same way you would explain it to a 5-year-old, to your spouse, to an elder. Look at this video of me speaking about disability. Look at this video about me speaking about a woman in travel, which, uh, travel creator or something. Sometimes we have to think outside of ourselves, step outside of our own comfort zone, see life differently. And also sometimes we just don't even think about the fact that there are technology tools out there for those who cannot see at all to still be able to enjoy content. A lot of technology tools nowadays have something called screen readers. So when you describe an image the same way you would describe it to a 5-year-old or an elder, you can then allow for a screen reader to be able to read every single thing. So sure, it may seem like a lot of extra work, but in the end, it helps you to be able to find content like this, content like the one that you're actually looking for, because those same words that are going into alternative descriptions and captions and even if you use artificial intelligence, it's more words to pick up And search engines. It makes it a lot easier for people who want to travel to places that you already live, or the same way that you would invite people to come to your hometown, come to your area, the same way you would show them around. Think about those who are disabled who may want to do the same thing. So you probably have a lot more questions, right, about, well, where do I even get started? How do I even do all of these things? The first thing I should definitely recommend is think of your 5 senses and use your 5 senses if you were to describe a person, place, or thing. Always think about your senses, use those words to describe a person, place, or thing. And always, if you can, enable captions. If you are one of those who makes your own videos, do your best to primarily focus on editing the captions of words that are not easily recognized. And ask how you can help someone. Sometimes the disabilities are not what can be visible, but that's what requires us to be more empathetic and understanding for someone else. So I'm saying all of this because I'm really, really passionate about it. Personally, I get annoyed when, you know, someone is so brilliant and has amazing content out there, but I can't watch it because I can't hear it, or I can't read it because the font is way too white, way too bright, and it's— and I just, I just can't see it. So I'm probably not the only one that will scroll right past, you know, a video if I don't know what it's going to be about, uh, or a flyer and I can't understand what it's going to be about. So I've decided to really just kind of empower people and mentor them to be able to do that. So if that sounds like something you want to talk to me about, then definitely take a look at the link in the description. And also take a look at the banner that I'm going to put on the screen if I can figure out how to do it. There. Okay, so I have sessions where I literally talk you through this a bit more. You have to tell me more about what you're up to, what you're creating, and how you can do that. And then these are about 30 minutes to an hour-long session, and they also come with a guide, a accessibility guide that I made where I can expand a bit more about how you can make sure that your content is a bit more accessible. So definitely either tap on a link that is in the description or click on the QR code on the screen, whichever way it is on your screen. And so I also will be speaking a bit more about this once I go to my first ever WITS Travel Creator Summit. It's going to be so amazing to speak on the main stage about this because I think it's something that's important. You know, we're all very focused on us selves right now. There's a lot going on in the world, but not many people really know that when you leave out people who are disabled, that's a lot of money going down the drain. You know, a lot of them don't want to be limited and don't want to continue to feel insecure about the thing that they have already been living with. You know, they want to be more confident in being able to tell that story, confident in being able to advocate for themselves. So I'm looking forward to talking more about this and continue to be that advocate, being the one who sees only in one eye. Even though I can see pretty well in one eye, it does get a little blurry at nighttime. Even though I can hear deep voices pretty well in music. I can feel the bass, but high pitches are very hard for me to hear. So that's why, you know, I like to make sure that I have all the information, you know, up front. But then there's other people who need more time and more space to process things. So this is where I really become that accessibility advocate as well when it comes to doing that. So, if again, it sounds like you, you can book a mentorship session with me. Take a look at my accessibility guide, or if this is just completely new to you, I have a book. My mom and I wrote a book about what it has been like just being sometimes the only one in the room who is going through what we were going through and how we overcame all that resilience with the amount of confidence that you may see me using right now, no matter how nervous I actually am. So my book is also available on Amazon as well. Awesome. And I would just put up one link where you can just see all of the things, and you can just go to my website, zaakirahnayar.com/social, and it'll take you to all of the things. Follow me on my other social media channels. Um, if you are not going to— if you are seeing this before the Women in Travel or WITS Travel Creator Summit, the tickets are still available if you want to do that, and I have a discount code. Um, for getting that ticket as well. And of course, my Amazon book, it's available on ebook, paperback, and audiobook, as well as more mentorship sessions to make sure that even if you are new to entrepreneurship and you want to be able to figure out how to, um, get clarity, right? Some people sometimes call me their, their brand strategist, not just brand cultivating uh, shattered it. But sometimes I'm the brand therapist, right? Because we have a lot going on in this world right now, and I've been through so many things, and you've been through so many things. But how do we put that to the side? Not, you know, brush it off or put it to the side, but focus on the things that make you really happy and excited, especially when it comes to traveling, especially when it comes to, um, creating content, especially when it comes to just being creative and entrepreneurial. How many times are you putting that to the side? You're putting all your bills and your responsibilities first, but you know, what are, what are the things that are also going to be able to bring you joy? So, uh, for the last 10 years, I've literally been helping, um, people to be able to do that confidently, tell their stories and build their brands. So I'm here when you're ready for that. Now, if you're like, but wait a minute, you said something about the Woman in Travel Summit, what is that? Well, all I will say is that you need to stay tuned to their social media channel tuned to my social media channel so that you can learn more about it. But I'm just very excited to be in person, in real, in real life, um, gathering with my fellow creators, my fellow travelers. I've been looking at my other fellow speaker lineup and there are a couple of people that we've crossed paths online and it's going to be amazing to be able to just, you know, I'm a hugger, so hugging them in person, so it's gonna be great. And yeah, please continue to be more empathetic. Think more about the types of content that you consume and how you can— if you are one of those where you would speak up in the comments section of somebody else's post and make sure that it's accessible for someone, please do. You know, it really does take a community to make sure that we are all more empathetic and inclusive so that the world can be even more accessible. So thank you for being here. And, um, you know, this conversation is something that needs to be shared wide, because if you got something from this today, then someone else will also want to do the same thing. So I will see you in the next video.