Getting curious about digital accessibility with Chrissy Chiodo

Not Just About Copy with Emma McMillan

Today’s guest on the Not Just About Copy podcast is Christina Chiodo.

Chrissy is a website strategist and copywriter with a particular interest in digital accessibility. She believes that proper 'human first' website design and copywriting means thinking through the access needs of your users as a core part of each project, not as an afterthought. Accessible design and clearly conveyed information benefits everyone, not just people with disabilities, and accessibility doesn't have to compete with aesthetics.

Chrissy is on a bit of a mission to educate people on how they can make their online spaces user-friendly, accessible AND beautiful. In 2021, she completed a Professional Certificate in Web Accessibility Compliance as a means to back up her passion for accessibility with information and actionable steps.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Chrissy’s deep curiosity for accessibility, design thinking, usability and belonging
• How Chrissy became interested in digital access and where this journey has led her
• Why it’s important for us to make a collective shift towards a more inclusive world
• How we can put accessibility in into action - and it’s more than colour contrast
• How an accessibility mindset can inform how we develop courses and write content such as websites, social media posts and sales pages

Chrissy mentions so many wonderful resources, so make sure you check out the full list below.

How you can connect with Chrissy

• Website: https://thatsoundsnice.com.au/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsounds.nice/
• LinkedIn

Resources mentioned

Books:

• A Book Apart (Publishers)
• My fave: Design for Cognitive Bias — David Dylan Thomas
• Offline Matters: The Less-Digital Guide to Creative Work — Jess Henderson
• Say Hello — Carly Findlay
• Being Heumann: The Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist — Judith Heumann
• Growing Up Disabled in Australia Anthology — Edited by Carly Findlay
• Mismatch: How Inclusion Shapes Design — Kat Holmes
• What Can a Body Do?: How We Meet the Built World — Sara Hendren

Courses:

• Professional Certificate of Web Accessibility Compliance — Centre for Inclusive Design/UniSA
• Accessible Communication and Marketing — Vision Australia
• Accessible Biz 101 Workshop— Acc

This podcast is produced by Emma McMillan & Sarah Harney.
I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which I record this podcast, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nations and honour their deep language and storytelling traditions. I pay my respect to Elders past, present and emerging.

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