Accessibility

Karina, a woman with a short pixie cut wearing a black face mask is interviewing another person, with curly brown hair in front of a camera at the Global Disability Summit 2025

The Global Disability News Network is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone, and applying the relevant accessibility standards.

Efforts to support accessibility: 

The Global Disability News Network takes the following measures to ensure accessibility:

  • Accessibility is part of our mission statement.
  • Accessibility is part of our internal policies.
  • Accessibility is integrated into our procurement practices.
  • An accessibility officer or official has been appointed.
  • Continual accessibility training is provided for employees.
  • Clear accessibility targets and responsibilities exist within the organization.
  • Formal accessibility quality assurance methods exist within the organization.

Feedback process

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of this site. Please contact us via one of the following methods: 

Karina Sturm

E-mail: karina@globaldisabilitynews.org

Respond Time: 5 Days

Status of compatibility 

This website aims to be fully compliant with worldwide recommendations for digital accessibility.

Evaluation Method

The agency responsible for design and programming tested this website based on BITV 2.1 standards (Germany) and WCAG 2.2 (international). 

This statement was created on January 1, 2026 with the help of the Siteimprove Accessibility Statement Generator Tool.

Accessibility Standards – Content

The Global Disability News Network (TGDNN) is committed to producing content that is accessible, anti-ableist, and inclusive of other marginalized communities. By collaborating with us, you agree to follow these minimum standards.

1. General Principles

  • Center disabled people and other marginalized communities in how stories are told. (Nothing about us, without us)
  • Respect people’s self-identification regarding disability, gender, race, sexuality, and other identities.
  • Use the names, pronouns, and terminology people choose for themselves.
  • Avoid ableist, racist, sexist, fatphobic and other discriminatory language or imagery.

2. Video Content

2.1 Captions (Required)

All videos must include captions that are:

  • Human-created or human-edited. Auto-generated captions alone are not accepted.
  • Complete and accurate: Include all spoken dialogue and relevant non-speech audio (e.g., [applause], [laughter], [music], [phone rings]).
  • Synchronized: Timed correctly with the audio.
  • Language-appropriate: Captions must be in the primary language of the video; translations are welcome but do not replace same-language captions.

2.2 Audio Description

  • Wherever key information is conveyed visually in a video (actions, graphics, on-screen text, speakers’ gestures or facial expressions that matter for understanding), collaborators are expected to provide audio description (AD).
  • If AD is not available, the text with the video (YouTube, for instance) must at minimum describe essential on-screen actions and visual context.
  • Our team can help support these efforts and/or recommend third-party services.

2.3 Visual Design & Player Requirements

  • On-screen text must be large enough and with high contrast against the background.
  • Do not use excessive flashing or strobing effects.
  • Avoid putting essential text only inside uncaptioned graphics; this information must also appear in captions or the accompanying text.

3. Audio-Only Content (Podcasts, Radio, etc.)

3.1 Transcripts (Required)

All audio-only content must include a complete transcript that:

  • Contains all spoken content, clearly indicating different speakers.
  • Includes relevant non-speech audio where it affects meaning (e.g., [sad music], [crowd chanting]).
  • Is provided in an accessible, text-based format (e.g., HTML, accessible PDF, or .docx — not as an image).

4. Images, Graphics, and Social Media Assets

4.1 Alternative Text (ALT Text) – Required

All images used in or provided to TGDNN must include ALT text that:

  • Communicates the essential information or function of the image.
  • Is concise but meaningful (usually 1–2 sentences for simple images; more for complex graphics like charts).
  • Includes visible text from the image if that text is relevant (e.g., text in memes, infographics, posters).

4.2 Complex Graphics

For charts, infographics, or data visualizations:

  • Provide a short ALT text plus a longer description in the body text or a linked document, summarizing the key message of the data.

5. Written Content & Documents

  • Use meaningful headings, lists, and structure so screen readers can navigate content.
  • Avoid conveying information only through color (e.g., “items in red are urgent” should also use labels or icons).
  • Keep paragraph length reasonable and avoid unnecessary jargon; when technical terms are needed, explain them where possible.
  • If you submit PDFs, they must be tagged and accessible; wherever feasible, also submit the source text (e.g. Word/HTML).

6. Names, Pronouns, and Identity

  • Always use people’s correct names and pronouns in all materials (text, captions, ALT text, transcripts, credits).
  • If you are unsure, ask the person directly or leave space for TGDNN to confirm before publication.
  • Do not alter or “correct” someone’s chosen terminology for their identity (e.g., identity-first vs. person-first language) without their explicit consent.
  • When quoting or featuring people, follow their access needs and boundaries (e.g., terms they do not want used about them, topics that are off-limits).

7. Content Warnings & Sensitive Topics

  • For content involving violence, self-harm, abuse, medical trauma, or other potentially triggering topics, provide clear content warnings at the beginning of the piece (and, where possible, in captions and descriptions).
  • If showing graphic or distressing material, consider whether it is essential to the story and minimize gratuitous detail.

8. Language & Representation

  • Use non-stigmatizing language about disability, mental health, body size, migration, gender, sexuality, race, class, and other identities.
  • Avoid framing disabled people or other marginalized groups as:
    • Objects of pity (e.g., “suffering from” as default),
    • Inspirational props (“inspiration porn”),
    • Problems or burdens.
  • Focus on people’s agency, expertise, and lived experience rather than only on “overcoming” or “tragedy.”

Submission Checklist

When submitting content to TGDNN, collaborators should provide:

  • For videos:
    • Confirmed: captions added and checked manually
    • Status of audio description (separate track / integrated / not available)
    • Any content warnings
    • A short text description of the video for publication pages
  • For podcasts/audio:
    • Full transcript file or link
    • Content warnings
  • For images:
    • ALT text for each image
  • For all content:
    • Correct names and pronouns of people featured
    • Any specific accessibility notes or requests from contributors

AI Policy for Writers and Journalists:

The Global Disability News Network presents news by and for global citizens with disabilities in an ethical and authentic way. With artificial intelligence (AI) becoming a part of news work, we want to explain what we consider appropriate and inappropriate uses of AI for News Network articles and videos.

We allow use of AI for research, editing, and transcripts, but the final published story should be created/written by you. You should gather the information for the story in the standard way of journalism, by interviewing sources, reading documents/reviewing multimedia sources, evaluating content for the story yourself, and fact-checking the story for accuracy from the sources you cite. It is acceptable to use AI search engines, for transcribing interviews, or to create accurate captions that you have checked. 

You should verify any research provided by an AI search engine. Look at the sources AI uses and evaluate them carefully. AI often provides factually incorrect information or even complete falsehoods in its language learning models. AI does not seek what humans call verified facts, but instead looks for plausible patterns, according to the United Nations University: “When you give one a prompt, it doesn’t think or understand. It simply predicts the next most plausible word based on that model, then the next, and the next — stringing them together to form a coherent-sounding response.” You should never use AI to generate a full story for The News Network, and we are unable to publish stories that are fully generated through AI. 

When submitting content to the News Network, please be transparent about how you have used AI in the reporting process. If you have questions about what is acceptable, ask our News Director, Karina Sturm, at karina@globaldisabilitynews.org.

If you are a reader, please find our journalistic ethics and AI guidelines for readers here.