Listen "How to Make Your Communications Accessible with Louise Gibson"
Episode Synopsis
In this episode of PR in the Real World, Louise Gibson - Social Media, Design, Advertising & Sponsorship Team Manager at Sheffield City Council - explains how to build accessibility and inclusion into everyday communications so more people can access, understand and act without adding cost or complexity. This conversation is about practical inclusion and performance. Louise shares why accessible comms consistently works harder and why using corporate channels as we did, even a couple of years ago, won’t deliver the same results today. She brings a lived perspective as a deaf communicator who grew up in a deaf household, and she shows how small changes - especially on social media - translate into real-world impact. Her mantra is ‘progress, not perfection’: choose one change, embed it as a habit over nine to ten weeks and then layer in the next. It’s a sustainable way to remove barriers without overwhelming busy teams. Links & referencesImproving accessibility in social media communications: https://lgcomms.org.uk/news-opinion/blog/improving-accessibility-in-social-media-communications/Sheffield City Council - main site: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/Sheffield City Council - Newsroom: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/newsSheffield City Council - Social Media House Rules (Linktree): https://linktr.ee/sheffieldcitycouncilDisabled By Society - Jamie Shields: https://disabledbysociety.com/RNIB - How to make your social media accessible (+ checklist): https://www.rnib.org.uk/living-with-sight-loss/assistive-aids-and-technology/tv-audio-and-gaming/guide-to-accessible-social-media/How screen readers handle emoji-heavy text (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XJBIUH_o4wWeb Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 - official W3C guidance: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/Simon Sinek - Start With Why: https://simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why/CIPR - Chartered Institute of Public Relations: https://cipr.co.uk/LGA - Comms Hub: https://www.local.gov.uk/our-support/comms-hub-communications-supportWomen in PR - 40 over 40 Power List (2025): https://www.womeninpr.org.uk/women-in-pr-reveals-40-over-40-power-list/Andrew Bruce Smith - AI in PR: https://escherman.com/andrew-bruce-smith/CAN Digital - public-sector campaign: https://can-digital.net/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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