Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

Last night I received a Google Alert for Glenda Watson Hyatt – one way to track what is being said about me on the web. I also receive alerts for cerebral palsy, virtual book tours and a few other key phrases; it’s like having my own research assistant.

Clicking on the link in the email, I was pleasantly surprised to see it is a video clip from the Misbehaving Women event held back in March. The clip shows Isabella Mori kindly nominating me for the award and then me give my brief speech using my laptop:

It is nice having that moment caught on video. However, I am little disappointed the camera wasn’t turned a few degrees to the right. One of the other award recipients Karen Taylor is Deaf and two of her colleagues graciously interpreted the evening for her. Had the camera included the interpreter in the shot, then this YouTube video would have been more accessible to those who are Deaf.
(The transcript for my speech is provided in an earlier post.)

It is often assumed that accommodating people with disabilities is costly, complicated and time-consuming. However, in many situations, as with this video, the resources (the interpreters) were right there. The camera only had to be turned slightly to include both speaker and the interpreter to make the video more accessible without addition cost or effort.

That is what Accessibility 100 is all about – free and inexpensive ways to increase accessibility for people with disabilities. Accessibility 100 is launching soon! Stay tuned! Meanwhile, be sure to send in your submissions for the Logo Contest.