“Self description for inclusive meetings” What fresh hell is this?

[BlueOrangeRed]

AIBU to not understand this at all? I’ve just attended an online event with around 20 people, from a mix of organisations.

The three organisers of the event introduced themselves by name then followed up with descriptions of themselves along the lines of “My pronouns are she/her. I’m a white woman in my mid thirties. I have blonde hair and am wearing a blue top”

A quick google afterwards came up with the following: “For inclusive meetings, a self-description offers context for visually impaired attendees, focusing on key identifiers like Name, Role, Pronouns, and brief visual cues (gender, skin tone, hair, clothing/accessories, background), keeping it concise (1-2 sentences) and optional, to help everyone feel seen and reduce assumptions. Start with your name and role, then add pronouns (she/her, he/him, they/them) and a quick visual detail like "brown skin, bald head, black hoodie," ensuring it's about access, not performance

It will be a cold day in hell before I start introducing myself like this. Leaving aside the foregrounding of pronouns issue, I can see zero benefits, but lots of pitfalls, about reminding everyone in a meeting that I’m a woman in my early fifties. I would also hate it if I was the youngest colleague there, for example. Or the only non white participant.

I’ve never experienced this before. Is this the latest thing to tick some inclusivity box, and for people to perform some virtue signalling? Because the cynic in me really can’t see how it will help anyone. Do visually impaired people find these kind of descriptions helpful?

Or am I just hopelessly out of touch? I don’t go to many events so maybe I am and this kind of thing is now the norm.

It's bollocks

Hahaha how many of “us” will say …. Bit overweight, unkempt hair, beige and blue striped top with black jeans”

With 20 + people i'd never remember their descriptions ...

If be so tempted to say i'm Luleilester - from Zargon where we don't age, with green hair and a fluffy tail ...

I don't think any elements should be compulsory but I can see benefits to it - the description is so visually impaired people can form an image in their minds, making it easier to keep track of who is speaking. I don't think you need to include your age, pronouns or ethnicity - just "I'm Sarah, the Project Lead, I have brown hair and I'm wearing a green blouse" or whatever.

I could be completely wrong about this...

I think it might be something to do with inclusion for people with visual impairments. So the description will make it easier for them to form a picture and associate it with the voice.

I saw a youth parliament thing where some people did it as well.

All that time wasted from the meeting. But I suppose it does allow any seriously visually impaired person (on average there won't be one in the meeting) to judge other people on their looks too: "I'm an obese, balding white man in my early sixties. I'm wearing glasses, a shirt and tie and pyjama bottoms." Of course everyone will be looking at you and deciding how THEY would describe you.

'I'm Egglio, my role is professional office cynic and bullshit detector, I have a permanently raised eyebrow, HRT induced acne and glasses. I look skinny in my teams headshot, but that belies my enormous arse.'

Ironically, the ‘inclusive’ bunch seem wholly preoccupied on pointing out labels and differences and categorising and identifying disabilities and impairments and barriers. The most inclusive thing anyone can do is adopt the approach of, “I’m here, I’m human and none of us are the same - great to meet you all - let’s crack on with the business.” The diversity of thought is what actually counts, not hair colour and how well someone can see it.

Sounds hideous! Who benefits from knowing if someone on the call is a particular skin tone or wears a blue top? I would identify myself as tall, slim and incredibly glamorous and see if anyone dares tell me otherwise!

I get the point about visually impaired people but if you're someone who's never had any vision it's all a bit pointless because you have no points of reference.

I wonder if anyone actually asked any visually impaired people if they would find it useful, or did someone else decide they knew what was best for them?

Ha ha! What is this woke nonsense? I, someone with working eyes, cannot see the point of this at all. Absolute waste of me and my working eyes time.

Fewer than 20% of people considered legally blind have no vision whatsoever.

This made me think of Jesse's Shed: Today I am mostly wearing Issey Miyake.

The sad thing is, it's quite possible that no one did ask now

My mum used to volunteer assisting with braille books being distributed - this was maybe 30 years ago? Obviously audiobooks have taken over from that

At that time, I would have been reasonably convinced that the relevant parties would have been consulted .

Now it's all box ticking and nonsultations.

Not very inclusive of the less than 20% that will have no points of reference.

Ah.. typical fucking ablism wrapped up in taking the piss.

Has it occurred to ANY of you lovely people that names these days can be very unisex and cross ethnicity, and online meetings can distort voices. Telling people who may be visually impaired who you are, where you're from and a small visual reference on your appearance gives them a point of reference to know if there are people of differing demographics in the group.

@Kreepture I like your post and I provided a similar theory up thread

But it's now occurred to me that I can't think of a situation where I'd want to mention my skin colour in a meeting.

I'm happy to say I'm wearing a blue top or whatever. But I can see things like skin colour forming part of a set of expectations.

hmmmmmmmm

I’m hearing impaired. The last thing I want is more information imparted via overly long winded narration.

I am not in that position so can't comment. It would be interesting to know what happens in the mind of a completely blind person, who has never had sight, when things like colours are mentioned.

Was there anyone with a visual impairment in the meeting? If so then it’s perfectly reasonable

That are covered with incontinence pads so if I sneeze I will have to leave you for a bit.

It’s been around for a while though thankfully I’ve never been at a meeting like it. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AADeQ7rwpDg

Breath of fresh air in this odd age.

@EmeraldRoulette i suppose it depends on the circumstances of that meeting. Nor do i think it should be compulsory

But if you're in an online meeting, where everyone is on video cam, and everyone else who CAN see, can see that one or more persons may be black, or Asian...etc, but the visually impaired person cannot, how is that fair to them? They may end up operating/speaking at a disadvantage.