Storytelling is a powerful way to engage audiences—we know all this, or at least we should. It can be the difference between engaged brand ambassadors and a captive audience, or a lack of engagement and a redundant brand.
The stories we should telling and the language we should be using for a diverse and inclusive audience....
However, when looking at nonprofits, therapists and assistive technology there is an extra layer we must consider in our storytelling. We’re looking at a different landscape here, one where the words you use in your copy and content must be used cautiously and carefully.
This can seem like an insurmountable hill to climb, instead of a narrative that feels easy to maintain throughout your content, you’re now having to consider very carefully the expressions and turns of phrase you use. The potential to offend if you don’t write more thoughtfully could be catastrophic. If you offend and alienate your audience then you’re not off to a good start.
Whether you’re producing content for those who will invest in your services, or investors you want to impress enough to invest in your new product - use of language is more important than ever. Even those without a disability, possibly investors or CEOs of nonprofits can be turned off by the wrong language and make your services or product redundant.
How can you avoid patronising, offending and alienating your audience if you choose to lead with storytelling?
1 As in the neurotypical world, as in the neurodivergent one - put your readers, customers, those you are trying to engage with at the forefront of your stories. Any copywriter worth their salt will tell you to include your customers in your content and copy, to quote them directly and allow their experiences to influence your content.
Never more so than for those with disabilities. By allowing their voices to take the limelight you help to convert readers into customers, investors and brand ambassadors. You also learn to customise yourself with the kind of language they use to describe themselves. To avoid generalisations and stereotyping of people with disabilities try honing in on the lived experience of their disability - and avoid guesswork.
2 Framing your language in a way that doesn’t insult the reader - one turn of phrase I don’t like is one people often use to describe someone with autism. I’m sure it’s used with other disabilities too. “She/he’s suffering from…” This is a negative way of seeing a disability, generating pity and altering the kind of relationship this person has with their disability. Don’t treat them as if they’re fighting a battle or talk about them as if they’re an inspiration just for being alive. Unless they do something inspirational that they believe will inspire others through their actions, let them control the narrative of their lives. Be respectful and not patronising.
3 Make sure your language has any accommodations the reader might need to help them understand what you’re writing about. Consider transcripts, subtitles, alt texts and captions. Plain unambiguous language applies to neurodivergent and disabled audiences as much as it does to neurotypical.
4 If you don’t understand something then ask, don’t generalise or rely on guesswork. One thing I don’t like in any storytelling as an autistic person, whether it’s an article or a web page, is an assumption that we’re all waiting to be ‘cured.’ This can cause offence as well as distress to the reader. The same applies to other incurable conditions or disabilities.
You may be using fiction or fictionalised characters for a brand story, if so, make them believable, don’t use them as warnings, examples of how not to be, or again as mentioned earlier, inspirational for simply going about their daily business. Make sure your characters are fully developed with a strong narrative and do your research before you begin.
There are some offensive motifs and recurring themes in attitudes towards the disabled. Look them up, learn what they are, and learn to avoid them in your copy and content.
5 How do you know your storytelling isn’t going to cause any harm or distress? Ask someone. Ask those with disabilities for their opinions and feedback on anything you’ve written and see whether there should be improvements or rewrites.
Don't just rely on the creators of a product, and those behind the scenes on the information you need, unless you know for certain they've done their research, and/or have team members who also have the disability you're going to be writing about. I have seen people post on LinkedIn in the past quoting things they believe to be the holy grail of whichever disability they've created an ad for, and they've been wrong.
What I've seen is that in the main, you do voice of customer research, interviews, collate valuable data and carry out any other valuable research and then write unambiguously for your intended audience much in the same way you would for a neurotypical audience. Treat them like valuable, interesting members of society, ask them what they struggle with, ask them what would make particular tasks easier to carry out, ask them what would make their lives easier or better. Don't guess.
Navigating storytelling doesn't have to be difficult when you've done your research and engaged with your audience...
By asking, and by including those you are writing about in the process of creating your copy and content, you have a far better chance of creating narratives that inspire confidence, stories that engage, and content that resonates with the reader.
If in doubt, always ask.
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