How can you create an inclusive digital publishing culture?

1 Define your goals

Before you start creating or updating your digital content, you need to define your goals and objectives for inclusion. What are the benefits of reaching and serving a wider and more diverse audience? How does inclusion align with your mission, vision, and values? How will you measure and evaluate your progress and impact? Having clear and specific goals will help you to focus your efforts and communicate your intentions.

2 Know your audience

To create an inclusive digital publishing culture, you need to know who your audience is and what their needs, preferences, and expectations are. You can use various methods to research and understand your audience, such as surveys, interviews, analytics, feedback, and personas. You should also consider the diversity of your audience in terms of demographics, cultures, languages, abilities, and backgrounds. Knowing your audience will help you to tailor your content and design to suit their preferences and needs.

3 Apply accessibility standards

Accessibility is a key aspect of inclusion, as it ensures that your digital content is usable and understandable by people with different abilities and disabilities. You can apply accessibility standards to your digital content by following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which provide recommendations and best practices for making web content accessible to everyone. You can also use tools and tests to check and improve the accessibility of your content, such as color contrast checkers, screen readers, and accessibility audits.

4 Use inclusive language

Language is a powerful tool for creating an inclusive digital publishing culture, as it shapes how you communicate with your audience and how they perceive your content. You can use inclusive language by avoiding stereotypes, biases, assumptions, and discrimination based on factors such as gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, and sexual orientation. You can also use inclusive language by being respectful, accurate, clear, and consistent in your word choices, tone, and style.

5 Encourage diversity and collaboration

Creating an inclusive digital publishing culture is not a solo effort. It requires the involvement and contribution of diverse and collaborative teams. You can encourage diversity and collaboration by hiring and promoting people from different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. You can also encourage diversity and collaboration by fostering a culture of learning, feedback, and innovation. By doing so, you can leverage the strengths and insights of your team members and create more relevant and engaging content for your audience.

6 Keep learning and improving

Creating an inclusive digital publishing culture is not a one-time project. It is an ongoing process that requires continuous learning and improvement. You can keep learning and improving by staying updated on the latest trends, research, and best practices in digital publishing and inclusion. You can also keep learning and improving by seeking feedback from your audience and your team members, and by using data and metrics to evaluate your performance and impact. By doing so, you can identify your strengths and weaknesses, and make adjustments and enhancements as needed.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?