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Research doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Gentle systems, checklists, and visual aids can make research accessible—even with brain fog or chronic pain. Your process is valid! #NeurodivergentWriting #GentleProductivity

#accessible writing #checklists #chronic illness #Dreamspace method #executive dysfunction #gentle research #neurodivergent writers #productivity hacks #research strategies #sustainable workflow #visual aids

Writing it’s something you learn by doing. This week’s anchor post breaks down why writing is a skill, not a personality trait, and how practice, finishing work, and basic SEO literacy build confidence over time (without burning out). #WritingLife #NeurodivergentWrit

#accessible writing #Creative Process #learning to write #neurodivergent writers #seo for writers #Sustainable Creativity #writing confidence #writing craft

You don’t need perfect tools to be a writer. Dictation, assistive tech, and low-energy workflows count. Writing survives through adaptation, not ideal setups. Use what you have. #AccessibleWriting #WritingLife

#accessible writing #assistive technology #disabled writers #neurodivergent writers #sustainable writing #writing process #writing tools

Writing with Hands That Don’t Always Cooperate

Some days, writing feels like trying to hold water in a sieve. When your hands ache, or they don’t move the way you want them to, or they just refuse to play along, everything that used to feel effortless suddenly requires strategy. It’s frustrating, it’s infuriating and, let’s be honest, it’s lonely sometimes, too. But I didn’t stop writing, and I won’t. Because my stories still matter, even…

#accessible writing #adaptive writing tools #chronic illness writer #creative process #creative routines #disability and creativity #honest creativity #overcoming obstacles #real life writing #resilient writing #small steps big impact #spoonie writer #storytelling with challenges #voice to text #writer life #writing hacks #writing mindset #writing tips #writing with limited mobility

Language and accessibility on tumblr

Before we talk about language, it is important to recognize that accessibility is not universal, and competing needs are part of disabled life. Competing needs is when the thing that makes something accessible for one person, also makes it inaccessible for another. With language, we can try to manage this by having multiple formats. This may include plain language translations, large typeset versions, images and/or image descriptions, or audio recordings of the text. These are just a few examples. However, including multiple formats takes time and effort. This can also be a barrier for disabled people. Sometimes other people can help, but sometimes we can’t avoid these competing needs. All we can do is try our best, and give each other understanding when we have to compromise.

I will try to write this post in as plain language as I can. In Kelsie Acton’s chapter ‘Plain Language for Disability Culture’1, she writes in what she calls ‘semi-plain language style’. She defines this as:

Use an active voice

Mostly use the 6000 most common words in the English language

Use short sentences

Use 14 point font

Use “I” and “you”

Plain language is important, because it makes ideas easy and clear to understand for the most people.

I do not have a lot of experience writing in plain language. I have ADHD. Part of having ADHD for me (and others like me 2) means my writing uses a lot of long sentences, brackets, and dashes, because that is how I think. Writing in plain language requires me to slow down and be intentional about what I say and how I say it. Many disabled authors have written about how we can use language to challenge ideas about time, speed, and efficiency(1). Writing in the way that is natural to me challenges the idea that narratives should be linear and efficient. For me, writing in plain language challenges the idea that adding more information will make an idea clearer. Both these ways of communicating are valid and important for accessibility. Both are necessary for understanding the world as disabled people do.

It is not always necessary to use complicated language to discuss complicated ideas. We can all try to accommodate each other.

On tumblr, writing in plain language is not common. Some people write with ‘correct’ grammar and punctuation. Many people write using punctuation rarely, or only for effect. This is sometimes referred to as ‘tumblr vernacular’. This can be difficult for some people to follow, especially if they are not familiar with it. However, it also removes barriers for some people who struggle with strict punctuation and grammar rules. It can also give people more flexibility in how they express their thoughts (like me), and makes it easier to include tone indicators (Examples: 3, 4).

Writing conventions on tumblr are flexible. People can use the way works best for them, or for the content they are posting. We can't always be accessible to everyone at the same time, but having flexibility helps.

1: Plain Language for Disability Culture (Kelsie Acton in Crip Authorship, 2023) https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/89491

2: Learning Disability Justice through Critical Participatory Action Research (Laura J. Wernickin in Crip Authorship, 2023) https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/89491

3: https://www.tumblr.com/hunterofhestia/770103242897096704/the-amount-of-times-people-have-gotten-mad-at-me?source=share

4: https://www.tumblr.com/chronicpaingirlie/732639202587574272/shaking-myself-very-gently-being-in-pain-takes?source=share

#plain language #accessibility #adhd #tumblr vernacular #accessible writing #competing needs

PSA please don't use fancy fonts on here, or if you do have a translation of it in normal font. I'm dyslexic, while I can read those fonts the amount of effort it takes isn't worth it. It would probably take me a good 2-3 minutes to read a 10 word sentence with those fonts.

#accessible writing #dyslexic #dyslexia #no fonts

Don't Go Chasing Synonyms, Please Stick to the Words and Phrases You're used to.

Don’t Go Chasing Synonyms, Please Stick to the Words and Phrases You’re used to.

Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of article writing and editing for clients. I have been pulling out my thesaurus a lot, which always makes me think about times I’ve seen words in sentences where they don’t belong.

I have spent a fair amount of time in online writing communities and writing-based roleplay communities. For some reason, in many of these groups, the need to sound “smarter” tends to…

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#accessible writing #synonyms #Writing guide #writing tutorial

Pretentious Writing Versus Accessible Writing

I’ve posted some “writing tips” in the past, but I want to state again–just for the record–that I consider myself only a writer; I don’t consider myself a bad writer, a good writer, a great writer, or any other “quality” of writer. I’ve been writing…

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#accessible writing #creative writing tips #Edmund Burke #Mary Wollstonecraft #pretentious writing #superfluous language #Thomas Paine #writing accessibly #writing for the masses #writing for the reader #writing for the target audience #writing pretentiously #writing styles #writing tips