Last Updated on 20/09/2023 by Emma Purcell
The lABLEd Podcast, a show about disability, illness and difference, is looking for voluntary transcribers to help make its podcast series fully accessible by creating transcripts of each episode for people with hearing loss and other impairments who may benefit from its content in written formats.
About the lABLEd Podcast
The lABLEd Podcast is hosted by Alice Evans and Lucy Wood. They are two disabled thirty-something women who stumbled across each other online in 2020 after Lucy shared a post about the idea of doing a disability podcast.
They both discovered that they have a very similar approach to life and a similar outlook on disability. Lucy, who is a marketing coordinator at AccessAble, has cerebral palsy (CP) and is a wheelchair user. Alice, who is a disability advocate working in the charity sector, has the genetic eye condition retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and uses a guide dog.
Drawing on their own lived experiences of disability, they created the lABLEd Podcast, which puts the focus back on the individuals and the voices and stories of disabled people, rather than societal expectations.
The lABLEd Podcast exists to promote a different kind of disability advocacy, a platform where disabled people can tell their own stories and we can explore the vast scope of the disabled experience.
Each episode they interview a variety of people with different disabilities, impairments and health conditions. The guests share their experiences, challenges, attitudes they face from others and even their achievements and successes.
Our very own editor, Emma Purcell, recently appeared as a guest on the show. Her episode is now available to listen to online or wherever you get your podcasts.
In addition, the lABLEd Podcast has a feature called “History Lesson”, in which Lucy and Alice tell a story about a historical figure who lived with a disability or health condition. They also have another feature called “fABLEd”, where they discuss literature, TV shows and films with disabled characters and storylines.
You can find out more about the lABLEd Podcast and listen to previous episodes online or wherever you get your podcasts.
Become a voluntary transcriber at the lABLEd Podcast
Because the lABLEd Podcast is self-funded, the hosts, editor, transcribers and other members of the team are all volunteers. This voluntary transcriber role will be split between multiple other transcribers, potentially working two days fortnightly or monthly (to be negotiated).
Individuals who apply to be transcribers need to show commitment, passion and desire for the role. You also need a good understanding of the importance and value transcripts and full accessibility can bring to the disabled community.
Co-host Lucy Wood said: “We are committed to inclusion here at lABLEd. As disabled people, who host a podcast about disability, to not have transcripts available for those who need them doesn’t seem right to us.
We are looking to build a team of volunteers to join our small friendly team who will work with us to make sure we fulfill this commitment to our listeners. This role can be carried out remotely.
If you are interested in podcasting, accessibility and have a keen eye for detail please get in touch. No experience is necessary, we will give you full training and support.”
Job description
Successful candidates will work remotely. Your responsibilities will include creating accurate written versions of audio and recordings of the podcast, reviewing and editing transcriptions done by speech recognition software, and identifying any inconsistencies. You should have a good typing speed and superb attention to detail. Excellent listening skills are required for this role.
The candidate will possess superb reading and editing skills and the ability to focus for long periods.
Role Responsibilities:
- Understanding our specifications and noting any formatting or notation requests before completing the transcription.
- Completing transcriptions on time, reviewing drafts for any spelling, grammar, or formatting errors, as well as other inconsistencies.
- Keeping abreast of transcription software updates
- Communicating with the team when there are issues.
- Formatting the completed transcript and uploading it to our website on completion
Transcriber Requirements:
- Strong reading, writing and typing skills.
- A strong understanding of MS Office is essential
- Understanding Otter.ai transcription software is desired but not necessary as training will be given.
- Candidates will have a good typing speed and excellent reading skills.
- A high degree of professionalism and a superb work ethic is essential.
- Detail-oriented and deadline-driven.
- The ability to focus for long periods will be beneficial for this role.
- Knowledge of disability is desirable depending on experience.
The lABLEd Podcast actively welcomes applications from diverse backgrounds. For more information or to apply, please send a CV and cover email telling them about yourself.
Suitable candidates will be invited to interview remotely.
To apply, contact Lucy and Alice at labledpodcast@gmail.com.
