Three Tools I Use for Accessibility

Published October 29, 2022

It can be easy to feel like the only accessibility tools regularly in use are ones specifically targeted at those with disabilities. While solutions like screen readers, voice-to-text software, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices are often the most visible, the ingenuity and reality of living with a disability mean that, far more often, the goal is to make an already existing product work for you. Here are three tools I use as a freelance writer with cerebral palsy that aren’t strictly aimed at disabled people.

Notion: not just for work

Notion has become ubiquitous in what I like to call the productivity-obsessed sector of YouTube. And while I do use it to manage my business, I also use it to manage my personal life. Any tasks that I know I want to keep track of – stretching, water and medication intake, journaling – are all organized separately. I share a cooking page with my wife, allowing us to meal plan efficiently.

What does food have to do with accessibility in the workplace? I’ve realized in the last couple of years that cooking is one of the main drains of my energy. I was spending way too much money ordering food because I didn’t have the spoons to balance my workload with my everyday life. Using the same tool I use for work to manage that area of friction meant that I could integrate the two easier and not have to learn two completely different ways of doing things.

One of the main benefits of Notion is that it is endlessly customizable. Previously, I used Trello, which has a task board-style structure. But I realized I needed more functionality, so I settled on Notion. It turns out that when you’re disabled and your entire life revolves around the inconsistency of your body, finding a digital tool that can adapt – and that doesn’t have some cheesy play on the words disabled or accessible – can really support you in a myriad of ways.

Toggl: spending your time wisely

I recently returned to using Toggl – a time-tracking app – after a few years away. After finishing my undergraduate degree and ending my tenure as a newspaper editor-in-chief, I thought that my life would calm down and I could go back to a less stringent way of tracking my time.  I thought a simple, occasional glance at a clock and a post-it as needed would be enough. I was wrong.

Notion helped me keep track for a couple of years, but now Toggl is my tool of choice. It’s an open-source app that allows you to track your time across projects and tasks. For me, this is less about understanding my billable hours – the clock check method works fine for that – and more about understanding where I’m spending most of my time. 

I'm constantly asking myself where I can spend my limited energy and how I can adjust my schedule. I used to work 60-hour weeks, a lot for any person, let alone an energy-depleted disabled person, and Toggl helps me be more intentional about how I spend my work time. As someone who doesn't naturally take many breaks, the occasional reminder to step away is a plus.

Headphones: more than a must

I have recently come to understand that I am neurodivergent and becoming more prone to sensory overload as I get older. I’ve always been a fan of large over-ear headphones that block out the world. I currently use the Sony WH-X900N and Razer Hammerhead True Wireless Earbuds. Switching between the two allows me to give the top of my head a break when sensory overload ramps up, and the earbuds make me feel less over the top in Zoom meetings. And switching to wireless headphones means no more cords stuck in my wheelchair’s wheels. Nothing made me feel sillier than having to tell the tech repair person, “Yeah, I got it caught on the front caster of my chair, can you fix them?”

Being able to shift between the two models relatively seamlessly – both are Bluetooth and configured to work with my phone and desktop computer – means I have a little more control of my physical environment.

I share this to get you to think about what tools you use for access – remember, access isn’t just a disability issue – and how you can increase access for all via tools you already use.

 

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