Happy Easter everyone. I hope you are still getting by ok, and finding some positives during these weird times. I’m writing this in the garden after a busy week. It’s nice to relax with Kasia and Sunny in this beautiful weather!

There has been lots going on the past week with my content that I would like to share. My blog and social media work began in 2009. In some ways creating content has become easier with practice. In other ways its hard to keep up with all the new trends and keeping the content fresh.

The Written Word

You may have seen my weekly posts last year called World Changer Wednesday. I was able to share posts on how to grow yourself, your message, your community and your impact.

This is just one example from back in January on Facebook.

That particular series ran its course, but I’m planning to simply blog and email a weekly newsletter now. Just like this post. I’m publishing more on social media, specifically as you’ll see in a minute with video and podcasts. So the newsletter will just recap things of interest from recent events.

Livestreaming The Daily Sib

Another piece of content I did last summer was my short form video each day. For example this episode in Croatia was popular. For the wrong reasons…

Having had a break, I wanted to start up again. With not going out the house let alone travelling it might have been boring. I then saw lots of people livestreaming during #covid19 lockdown.

So I started researching and testing different technologies. Over the past 10 days I’ve interviewed the Disability Horizons team members and disabled influencers. It’s been so fun!

Even more amazingly the software called StreamYard broadcasts to my YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. As well as enabling comments and questions to show up on the livestream.

If you haven’t yet met our Disability Horizons core team Liz, Chris and our volunteers you can right that wrong here!

Podcast in your ears

For a few months now I’ve been collaborating with Mai Ling Chan on the Xceptional Leaders podcast. We’ve taken it in turns to interview influencers in the disability world. As well as meeting from our homes in the UK and USA over Zoom to record each episodes introduction.

Having not published on the Martyn Sibley show podcast for a while, I also realised I could upload the audio of #thedailysib episodes there.

So as of earlier today I published the first episode of season 2. I was really humbled to have disability activist and TV presenter Sophie Morgan on in the week. Which you can see on the above link. But here’s the podcast version for you.

Captions and Subtitles

I believe in access for everybody. Growing up with my cousin who is profoundly deaf showed me the needs for this community.

However I’ve struggled to caption my videos and transcribe my podcasts for three reasons. Technology, time and money.

Unfortunately the software out there still isn’t quite able to manage livestreams. StreamYard which I’m using to broadcast my Daily Sib interviews is looking in to live captions, but at present they can’t do it. I was straight on to them about it.

When I did the non-live minute-long Daily Sib videos, I captioned them myself. It took me 20 minutes to edit the auto captions in the app I used. Meaning the recent livestream of 55 minutes was just impossible to do myself.

Equally the average cost per minute for outsourcing this is £3.50 per minute. Which I simply can’t afford.

My current solution to offer the deaf community is watching the replays on YouTube with the auto generated captions. But I will keep looking for new solutions.

Disability Horizons

Liz and the team have been super busy with Corona virus advice, things to do at home and partnering with Revitalise on our #covidcareplan campaign. Which also featured in Fridays Daily Sib livestream.

Please do head to www.disabilityhorizons.com to catch up with all of this and more!

What are you up to?

I’m signing off. I’d love to hear about your week and what you are up to over the Easter weekend though? Let me know by replying to the email or commenting in this article. Depending how you’re reading this.

Please do subscribe to my newsletter (receiving my book for free) and also subscribe to my YouTube.

Untill next time. Stay well!