Listen to the full audio of Zaakirah's main stage talk on creating more accessible travel content from the WITS Travel Creator Summit in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as well as the recap of the conference experience.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

[0:00] – Introduction: Who is Zaakirah Muhammad?

[1:09] – First time attending the WITS Travel Creator Summit in Chattanooga, TN

[1:35] – About Zaakirah: brand strategist, travel creator, blind in one eye, hard of hearing

[1:50] – Being in a room with women and gender-diverse creators; her first major keynote session

[2:23] – Why she wasn't nervous: her 2024 TEDx talk experience

[2:45] – Her keynote topic: accessible content creation

[3:14] – Conference culture: WhatsApp group, community support, content collaboration

[3:51] – WITS paid their speakers — a rare and valued practice

[4:00] – Leaving WITS feeling seen, welcomed, and valued

[5:42] – Bessie Smith Cultural Center: Chattanooga history, Usher, and Kane Brown

[6:31] – Black Travel Alliance ice cream social at Scoop-alicious

[7:10] – Speaker networking event at the Hotel Chalet (the old train depot)

[9:16] – The Bessie Coleman Awards: honoring women trailblazers

[9:55] – Should you attend WITS? (Coming to Michigan near Detroit in 2027!)

[11:06] – 🎤 MAIN STAGE KEYNOTE BEGINS: "Making Your Travel Content More Accessible"

[11:20] – Opening audience poll: travelers with disabilities you can't see

[13:37] – Accessibility is not one size fits all — who gets left behind

[14:35] – Real-world example: Aburi Botanical Garden in Ghana & asking for accommodations

[15:25] – The Hidden Disability Sunflower Lanyard: a tool for invisible disabilities at airports

[16:10] – Tip #1: Use and edit captions — don't rely on auto-captions alone

[17:20] – Tip #2: Video and image descriptions — good for SEO and screen readers

[18:00] – Tip #3: Include accessibility info in your travel content (ramps, noise, lighting, crowd level)

[18:58] – Captions: every platform has them — use them or tell your audience how to enable them

[19:15] – Using Canva's alt text feature for accessible graphics

[21:09] – Empathy as an accessibility tool: the business case for inclusive content

[21:46] – "Design your content so that no one is excluded"

RESOURCES & LINKS:

📖 Book: Seeing Life Through a Different Lens by Zaakirah Muhammad https://amzn.to/4eAjnLx
🗓️ WITS Travel Creator Summit 2027 – Ann Arbor, Michigan (near Detroit) https://witsummit.com/annarbor
🌻 Get Your Accessible Content Guide: https://zaakirah-nayyar.kit.com/
💻 Book a 1-on-1 mentorship with Zaakirah: https://bit.ly/4eFWmrw
📬 Email Zaakirah with questions: zaakirah@zaakirahnayyar.com

CONNECT WITH ZAAKIRAH: Instagram | YouTube @illuminousone

Tell us in the comments: What is ONE thing you will do to make your travel content more accessible?