Seeking Crowd Wisdom

[jesse_the_k]

...to help us spread the word about speaking up.

One of the goals of this year's WisCon access endeavor is to improve the con's experience for members with hearing impairments. We're supplying more mics for the panels. We reserve spaces front and center (marked with blue tape) which are handy for people who are speech reading.

But the crucial element is cooperation from all the members. I've come up with a wordy and sober statement. I'd love it if the collective wisdom could make this more succinct, more powerful, more impressive, more funny ... it just needs a whole lot of "more":

 begin quote 
It's important for all panelists to use the mics when provided, without hesitation, shyness, or complaint. What we say is interesting enough for the people without hearing impairments. If we don't use the mics, we're effectively preventing members with hearing impairments from participating. Since members in the audience don't have mics, we ask panelists to wait until the moderator has repeated the question before responding.
 quote ends 

Ideas? Thoughts?

Comments

[rydra_wong]

It's important for all panelists to use the mics when provided, without hesitation, shyness, or complaint.

"without hesitation [or] shyness" makes me flinch; I am hesitant and shy anyway, especially when using an unfamiliar piece of tech.

I appreciate where you're trying to go with that sentence, but it shouldn't be hurtful to panelists who may themselves have issues with anxiety or social awkwardness.

I'd suggest leaving it as "It's important for all panelists to use the mics when provided", cutting the rest of that sentence, and going straight into why it's important.