Storytelling for your audience

- Storytelling is a practice that is as old as time. We use stories to build community with each other, to better understand one another, and to help us understand the world around us. Really, they're about people. Technology can be daunting at times, but storytelling can help bridge that gap. A good story allows someone who's not an expert at technology to understand how they can use technology to empower themselves and others. So how can you tell a good story that will build support for your accessibility program? Microsoft has adopted The Five P's of Storytelling to help bring these stories to life. Let's look at how we can use The Five P's to tell great accessibility stories. The first P is People. Good stories shine a spotlight on unique individuals and help us get to know them better. When telling an accessibility story, people should be at the center of it. People with disabilities should tell their own stories, rather than people telling stories for them. The second P is Pictures. Good stories also have captivating pictures. Anytime you use an image, or a picture to help tell your story, do so because people will likely remember it. The third P is Personal. Good stories are personal. We're all human after all, and you'll only connect with people if you're willing to make yourself vulnerable, to open up, and to show emotion if it makes sense to do so. The fourth P is Place. If telling stories is what we do to pass information from one community to another, then the environment is the context for that connection. That's why good stories take place into consideration. Place can also help you get to know people in your stories, so be aware of how that environment can enhance the story. The fifth P is Platform. A story will affect the listener differently depending on the platform on which it's told. For example, a story told over the phone will feel different than a story told face-to-face. Your company might have a great set of tools for telling digital stories, but the best stories can sometimes be analog. Always think about your audience. Who are you speaking to? The answer will affect which platform you decide to use. Telling a good story is one of the most powerful actions you can take to make a case for accessibility at your company. It brings the concept of accessibility out of an abstract realm into a world of people with unique perspectives and experiences. It's much easier to feel connected to a person than a concept. Hearing a person's tangible story makes accessibility feel tangible, too, and necessary.