What Would Accessible News Mean to You?
What would our world be like if all news were accessible to all kinds of disabilities?
What would our world be like if all news were accessible to all kinds of disabilities?
It would be a place of greater understanding, heightened civic engagement, and truly inclusive communities: a world where access to information is enjoyed by all.
Currently, the landscape of news media presents barriers for people with disabilities. This inaccessibility creates an information gap, silencing voices and preventing millions from participating in societal discourse. If you can't access the news, how can you make informed decisions about your local community, national policies, or global events? How can you hold your leaders accountable?
The impact of a shift to a world of accessible news would be profound. Informed citizens are empowered citizens. When everyone has access to the same information, it fosters a more engaged and equitable society. Misinformation would be harder to spread as more people could verify facts directly. Empathy and understanding would grow as diverse perspectives, amplified by accessible platforms, reach a wider audience. It would also lead to a more representative news landscape, as accessible newsrooms employ more journalists with disabilities, bringing their lived experiences to the forefront of storytelling.
This is the driving force behind Equal Access Public Media. EAPM's mission is unequivocally clear: to make news accessible all the time, to everyone, because it's the right thing to do. Their upcoming National Tab publication represents this commitment, aiming to be a fully accessible national news source from its inception. EAPM isn't just advocating for retrofitting existing content; they are pioneering a new standard where accessibility is a fundamental pillar of news creation, not an afterthought.
They even wrote the standard: the Style and Accessibility Guide for news media. And as a public service, Equal Access Public Media will never be owned by any big tech mogul or Wall Street tycoons, remaining always dedicated to the good of the people.
Full transparency, I’m on the board of this amazingly impactful nonprofit. And I am asking for your help. I personally donated what I could, because I need accessible news myself to understand the world around me. But I can’t make this happen alone.
Is accessible news worth something to you? Please check out the work EAPM is doing and donate if you are able.
Love,
Britne