Visual descriptions guide

About

What are visual descriptions?

Visual descriptions (also referred to as self descriptions) are a practice to increase inclusivity and accessibility in which speakers at an event or meeting describe their physical appearance and context. Visual descriptions are optional but strongly recommended at TTS, as they provide access to information for blind and low vision individuals, and people joining by phone.

While speakers should only share the information they are comfortable with, bear in mind that sharing details about belonging to particular groups helps give social cues about who else from those groups is in the space. For blind/low vision individuals of color, sharing race helps with knowing where there is racial diversity or lack thereof. For blind and low vision individuals from the LGBTQIA community, visual descriptions in which the speaker identifies as being part of the LGBTQIA community lets others know where there is diversity or lack thereof.

One colleague shared his experience hearing another colleague's visual description: “I almost fell off the chair at the last town hall when LBS described having purple hair. I can go on how a lot of these social cues really help to demonstrate an organization's/event's/etc. culture” - Justen Proctor

Examples

In a meeting where multiple people will provide visual descriptions only one person needs to mention the purpose. All speakers following should go straight into sharing their visual descriptions.

Example 1. Hi! My name is Faith. Before I begin — to increase accessibility and inclusivity in our conversation today — I’m sharing a little bit about myself. I’m a brown-skinned black woman with medium length kinky hair sitting in a fuchsia office chair. I’m wearing a green shirt and a beige skirt, with gold hoop earrings. My glasses have blue frames with rectangular lenses.

Example 2. Greetings. I’m Madison, my pronouns are she/they and I’m a middle-aged white woman with an androgynous appearance. I have short brown hair, I’m wearing a gray t-shirt and my black cocker spaniel Lulo is sleeping on the couch next to me.

How to use visual descriptions

When to provide a visual description

• During a verbal introduction at a meeting or event

What to mention

• Hairstyle and hair color
• Race/ethnicity
• Age or age range (optional)
• Gender
• Clothing description
• Any additional distinctive accessories, such as glasses or large jewelry
• Mobility aids, such as a guide dog, wheelchair, blindness cane, hearing aids, etc.

What not to mention

• Comments related to attractiveness, such as ugly/beautiful
• Self-deprecating statements
• Body measurements, clothing sizes
• Lengthy descriptions (over 30 seconds)

How to make your visual description personal

• Include what you anticipate happening in the room, such as a dog entering the room or a child potentially passing by
• Details about race, other cultural groups you might belong to
• Share what you are comfortable sharing
• Details about life circumstances, for example, short hair as a result of chemotherapy or having low energy today

How to implement them outside of TTS

TTS can set an example when interacting with partners who are not familiar with the practice of visual descriptions. When comfortable, incorporate visual descriptions into your own introductions, explaining the purpose briefly. While we shouldn't expect or require others to follow suit, we can share resources (like this guide) when asked.

Considerations for the speaker

Whether or not to share a visual description and what you share is up to the speaker’s comfort. Some speakers may decline or feel reluctant to share visual descriptions due to concerns around discrimination or biases related to race, gender, age, sexual orientation, etc. In a discussion on a TTS-Slack channel, speakers who are women specifically expressed that the reluctance to share stemmed from being judged by their physical appearance as opposed to their competencies in the workplace as well as a discomfort with sharing physical attributes they feel don’t suit them well. Speakers should be gentle with themselves and remember the ultimate goal is not for us or others to judge their looks but to provide equal access to information.

Resources

• , external,How to create helpful visual descriptions for visually impaired audiences
• , external,Self-description for inclusive meetings
• , external,Making a case for self-description