{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"You are Leaving Disabled Travelers Out of Your Content","description":"This episode challenges content creators and travelers to make their content more empathetic and inclusive for disabled audiences. Timestamps 0:00 \u2014 Intro & welcome to the See Life Different podcast 0:28 \u2014 Zaakirah's background: cancer survivor, brand strategist, author, world traveler 0:42 \u2014 Episode topic: Are you leaving disabled travelers out of your content? 1:20 \u2014 Zaakirah's personal story: visually impaired and hard of hearing, visited 15+ countries and 4+ continents 1:48 \u2014 Her role as an accessibility advocate and travel consultant 2:21 \u2014 How the pandemic amplified the need for accessible content for disabled audiences 2:51 \u2014 Living with invisible disabilities: hearing loss, low vision, and the challenge of being seen 3:50 \u2014 What most people get wrong about disability \u2014 visible vs. invisible conditions 4:15 \u2014 Neurodivergence, recent injuries, and why empathy matters 4:35 \u2014 Upcoming speaking engagement: Women in Travel Summit (WITS) in Chattanooga, TN 5:18 \u2014 Zaakirah's history with travel content creation, dating back to the early 2010s 5:39 \u2014 How a Kodak Polaroid camera at age 5 sparked her love of storytelling 6:18 \u2014 From blog to vlog to podcast to TEDx stage 6:19 \u2014 Travel should expand how we see the world \u2014 but the world isn't designed for disabled travelers 6:49 \u2014 The Sunflower Lanyard: a tool for identifying hidden disabilities while traveling 7:08 \u2014 Lip reading, airport navigation, and advocating for yourself on tour 7:08 \u2014 The simple question most people forget: "How can I help?" 7:47 \u2014 Creating accessible visual content: font contrast, color readability, and DIY graphics 8:08 \u2014 Captions: why they matter beyond just muting your phone 8:30 \u2014 How social media platforms handle auto-captions \u2014 and where they fall short 8:37 \u2014 Captions as a tool for language learners AND those with hearing loss 9:11 \u2014 Describing images and videos the way you'd explain it to a five-year-old or an elder 9:35 \u2014 Screen readers and alt text: creating content accessible to those who cannot see 10:00 \u2014 SEO bonus: accessibility features also improve content discoverability 10:21 \u2014 Inviting disabled travelers into your hometown content 10:41 \u2014 Where to start: use your five senses to describe people, places, and things 11:02 \u2014 Enable captions and edit auto-generated ones for accuracy 11:28 \u2014 Why Zaakirah is personally passionate about accessible content 11:45 \u2014 Scrolling past content you can't hear or read \u2014 and the revenue creators lose 12:07 \u2014 How to work with Zaakirah: mentorship sessions and accessibility guides 12:39 \u2014 Booking a session: 30-min to 1-hour with an included accessibility guide 12:59 \u2014 Speaking at the WITS Travel Creators Summit 13:05 \u2014 The financial case for accessibility: disabled audiences represent real spending power 13:29 \u2014 Confidence, advocacy, and telling your story as a disabled person 13:48 \u2014 Zaakirah's personal experience with low vision at night and hearing high pitches 14:05 \u2014 Processing time and neurodivergence in accessible spaces 14:26 \u2014 Book written with her mom: resilience, confidence, and being the only one in the room 14:37 \u2014 Book available on Amazon (ebook, paperback, audiobook) 14:37 \u2014 Visit zaakirahtnayyar.com\/social for all links 15:08 \u2014 Mentorship, brand strategy, and being a "brand therapist" 15:31 \u2014 Finding joy in creativity and entrepreneurship amid life's responsibilities 15:49 \u2014 10 years of helping people build their brands and tell their stories 16:09 \u2014 Women in Travel Summit: stay tuned for more details 16:24 \u2014 In-person community with fellow creators and speakers 17:04 \u2014 Call to action: speak up in comments, advocate for accessibility, share this episode 17:09 \u2014 Closing: share this episode widely and see you next time Zaakirah is a hard-of-hearing, visually impaired traveler who has visited over 15 countries. She is an accessibility advocate, brand strategist, and travel consultant. Connect with Zaakirah Website & all links: https:\/\/zaakirahtnayyar.com\/social Mentorship sessions + Accessibility Guide available for booking: https:\/\/zaakirah-nayyar.kit.com\/profile? Book available on Amazon (ebook, paperback, and audiobook): https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Seeing-Life-Through-Different-Lens-ebook\/dp\/B081MR9TKP\/ If this episode resonated with you, share it \u2014 accessibility starts with awareness ","author_name":"See Life Different","author_url":"https:\/\/zaakirahnayyar.com\/podcast","html":"