Johny Cassidy

He/Him
Journalist

I’m an experienced BBC journalist with a huge passion for accessibility. For far too long the access requirements of people who access content in different ways hasn’t been taken seriously enough. I’ve been instrumental in pushing for better alt text for all images used in BBC News and have written extensive detailed guidance for all journalists on how to ensure the text descriptions we create are both meaningful and impactful. I’m also the co-chair of the BBC’s disabled staff network BBC Ability where I constantly advocate for a more inclusive work environment for all our disabled colleagues. I’m a regular speaker at industry events and conferences on the need for better representation and portrayal of disabled people in the journalism industry. We need to be aware of the barriers disabled people face in the workplace in order to remove them.

The disability community has been built on the shoulders of people who’ve fought tirelessly for a better and more equitable society for all of us. It’s an honour to be counted amongst the true disability champions who make up the Shaw Trust Power 100 list, and I feel privileged to be able to continue the fight.

Areas of expertise

Accessibility, Disability Advocacy, Employment, Equality, IT, Tech, Web design, Publishing, Television, radio, podcast

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