What is Content DEI? And Why It Matters
Content is now a seamless part of everyday life. We read, watch, listen to, and consume content almost every minute of our free time. These digital experiences are a part of our shared culture. Yet, just like in the physical world, too often, large segments of society are denied equal access to online spaces.
We're all familiar with the difficulties people in wheelchairs face trying to navigate the world. The stairs. The ramps. The curb. It's tangible and real. It's harder to appreciate that same experience in the online world – yet it's no less real. And, as our lives move increasingly online, it can be as ostracizing and damaging too.
That's where content DEI comes in: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Most barriers exist due to innocent oversight; website owners and designers simply don't consider such barriers and concerns when creating and posting content. It's thoughtlessness, not maliciousness. People aren't intentionally trying to exclude. Nonetheless, to marginalized groups – race, gender, physical disability, and more – these barriers can have a tangible impact.
Finding a way to accommodate everyone is critical to creating a culture and internet where we can all find our voice. Here's how.​
​What is content DEI?
Content DEI, or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, is how a website addresses and presents in its content – images and words – the ideas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
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Let's break this down.
Diversity is nothing more than the fact there are people of many different groups in society – both cultural and ethnic. If we are to have a shared society, everyone should have the right to participate.
Equity is a little vague. It is about fairness and justice in the way people are treated. But it also contains an understanding that we do not all start from the same place. And that such imbalances can be adjusted later through things like content DEI – making a conscious commitment to fairness and impartiality.
Inclusion ties the other ideas together. It is simply the state of being included. How that is enacted is more complicated, though. In content, it's in every decision a website creator, designer, or content producer makes. As well as including a broad range of experiences and backgrounds among those actually doing the creating.
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In our context, the focus is on products, services, promotion, customer loyalty, sales, and any other business goals of the enterprise represented.
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This can seem a daunting challenge at first – particularly if the definitions and terms seem difficult. However, there is a growing awareness in the vast movements being made with diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives around the world.
Who does content DEI include?
Everyone, of course. But it places special emphasis on generating exposure and inclusivity for certain groups, including:
- Racial diversity
- Gender diversity
- Age diversity
- Size and shape inclusiveness
- Visual- and hearing-impaired inclusiveness
- Physical handicap inclusiveness
- Religious and belief system equity
​How is content DEI being put into action?
"Modeled after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin – and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 — the ADA is an "equal opportunity" law for people with disabilities." — Introduction to the ADA
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The ADA, the Americans with Disabilities Act, is at the core of efforts to open places and spaces – both in the world and online – for people with disabilities. Another effort is the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), part of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which advocates accessibility in digital spaces. The WAI subsides discipline-specific resources for content writers, designers, developers, and almost every other member of the content creator digital community.
In addition, by featuring the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) in their websites, people who run the digital architecture can put the inclusivity of people with disabilities at its heart.
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What can you do?
Understanding your audience is paramount, whatever you're producing – be it website content, microcopy, or blog posts. It's the first step toward creating more diverse and inclusive content.
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Using resources, like the Conscious Style Guide, can "help writers and editors think critically about using language – including words, portrayals, framing, and representation – to empower instead of limit." It's a powerful message.
Don't be daunted. Considering voice and tone from a DEI perspective is likely to unnerve you. Where to begin? It's ok. Normalizing content for digital spaces begins when craft content for everyone. You want to de-emphasize otherness.
Think about the latest piece of content you produced or consumed. From this perspective, consider how you could give the piece a fresh take from a DEI perspective. What's the new story? Who features? Who's it for?
Even better, ask and engage with people from misrepresented communities. Craft. Collaborate. Create.
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The Breakdown
It's not all implicit bias workshops or employee resource groups. Content DEI is an action. It is in the creation of all products, services, and content. Consciously including others and fostering a sense of belonging in your content is key, not just to creating better work, but also finding a broader audience.
What are you going to create next?