Russell M. Dembin
@russdembin.bsky.social
Parent of two, educator, administrator, editor, writer, dramaturg, and scholar dedicated to anti-oppression; accessibility; diversity, equity & inclusion • Ph.D., UT Austin • (Formerly @Dramaturgs) • he/him • russelldembin.com
Today the arts camp where I work (and which I once attended) staged Into the Woods—my first time seeing it performed by students since becoming a parent and since returning to K-12 teaching. The finale’s “Children Will Listen” section is even more poignant when children sing those lyrics. #Sondheim
August 12, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Today the arts camp where I work (and which I once attended) staged Into the Woods—my first time seeing it performed by students since becoming a parent and since returning to K-12 teaching. The finale’s “Children Will Listen” section is even more poignant when children sing those lyrics. #Sondheim
I’m honored to be part of the @howlround.bsky.social starter pack. What incredible company! I’m grateful to be on this list.
January 13, 2025 at 8:46 PM
I’m honored to be part of the @howlround.bsky.social starter pack. What incredible company! I’m grateful to be on this list.
Reposted by Russell M. Dembin
2025 is a great year for you to start captioning your images with alt text if you haven't yet. It helps people with low vision and blindness experience more of the web, gives your images a wider audience, and even enhances searchability of your posts!
Perkins has a good "why" and "how" intro guide:
Perkins has a good "why" and "how" intro guide:
How to Write Alt Text and Image Descriptions for the visually impaired
Making your website and social media accessible to people with blindness and low vision.
www.perkins.org
January 2, 2025 at 1:19 AM
2025 is a great year for you to start captioning your images with alt text if you haven't yet. It helps people with low vision and blindness experience more of the web, gives your images a wider audience, and even enhances searchability of your posts!
Perkins has a good "why" and "how" intro guide:
Perkins has a good "why" and "how" intro guide:
Reposted by Russell M. Dembin
A reminder:
Alt text is primarily an accessibility aid for those using screen-readers.
However, it is also helpful to provide additional context for images or memes you post - especially where it isn’t clear what it is you are showing.
Please use alt text.
Alt text is primarily an accessibility aid for those using screen-readers.
However, it is also helpful to provide additional context for images or memes you post - especially where it isn’t clear what it is you are showing.
Please use alt text.
December 24, 2024 at 9:02 AM
A reminder:
Alt text is primarily an accessibility aid for those using screen-readers.
However, it is also helpful to provide additional context for images or memes you post - especially where it isn’t clear what it is you are showing.
Please use alt text.
Alt text is primarily an accessibility aid for those using screen-readers.
However, it is also helpful to provide additional context for images or memes you post - especially where it isn’t clear what it is you are showing.
Please use alt text.
Reposted by Russell M. Dembin
Useful tips for organising ALT text. 📝
Posting this again because a lot of people said they found it helpful! Guide to ALT text: www.perkins.org/resource/how...
October 19, 2024 at 10:01 AM
Useful tips for organising ALT text. 📝
Happy Indigenous Peoples Day! If you don’t know the work of @bethanyhughes.bsky.social, definitely check it out. She is an excellent scholar, and her upcoming book (Redface:
Race, Performance, and Indigeneity) promises to be a valuable contribution to the studies of performance and identity.
Race, Performance, and Indigeneity) promises to be a valuable contribution to the studies of performance and identity.
October 14, 2024 at 5:28 PM
Happy Indigenous Peoples Day! If you don’t know the work of @bethanyhughes.bsky.social, definitely check it out. She is an excellent scholar, and her upcoming book (Redface:
Race, Performance, and Indigeneity) promises to be a valuable contribution to the studies of performance and identity.
Race, Performance, and Indigeneity) promises to be a valuable contribution to the studies of performance and identity.
Reposted by Russell M. Dembin
do you know that many public libraries will accept book order requests from residents?
a really great way to support writers/translators is to ask your libraries to get books so they're more widely available.
plus in some places like Canada, we get a license fee for having books in libraries
a really great way to support writers/translators is to ask your libraries to get books so they're more widely available.
plus in some places like Canada, we get a license fee for having books in libraries
This is such a beautiful book. Am savoring a page, a poem, at a time from the library. Highly recommend.
happy to share that i just had a meeting with my publisher about The Lantern and the Night Moths and there will be a second print run soon
August 23, 2024 at 9:07 AM
do you know that many public libraries will accept book order requests from residents?
a really great way to support writers/translators is to ask your libraries to get books so they're more widely available.
plus in some places like Canada, we get a license fee for having books in libraries
a really great way to support writers/translators is to ask your libraries to get books so they're more widely available.
plus in some places like Canada, we get a license fee for having books in libraries
I haven’t read this piece in full, but it is very much worth checking out. Thanks for sharing it, @jessesword.com.
August 16, 2024 at 3:16 PM
I haven’t read this piece in full, but it is very much worth checking out. Thanks for sharing it, @jessesword.com.
It turns out that New York Public Library cards are available (for free) to even more people than I realized: anyone who lives, works, goes to school, or pays property taxes in New York State. If you meet any of these qualifications and don’t have a card, you can apply for one here:
August 10, 2024 at 12:11 PM
It turns out that New York Public Library cards are available (for free) to even more people than I realized: anyone who lives, works, goes to school, or pays property taxes in New York State. If you meet any of these qualifications and don’t have a card, you can apply for one here:
Reposted by Russell M. Dembin
HEY YOU. YES, YOU!
Do you wish your library had more queer trans books? Did you know you can make that happen?
Go to their website, or visit in person with a list and REQUEST THOSE BOOKS! They will almost certainly order them, and then you and other library patrons can read them!
Do you wish your library had more queer trans books? Did you know you can make that happen?
Go to their website, or visit in person with a list and REQUEST THOSE BOOKS! They will almost certainly order them, and then you and other library patrons can read them!
Just wondering if a touch more organisation might some good? But really all it is is a bunch of people with queer trans books in their preferred genres filling out a request form. I just really want to encourage people to do it!
August 9, 2024 at 10:01 PM
HEY YOU. YES, YOU!
Do you wish your library had more queer trans books? Did you know you can make that happen?
Go to their website, or visit in person with a list and REQUEST THOSE BOOKS! They will almost certainly order them, and then you and other library patrons can read them!
Do you wish your library had more queer trans books? Did you know you can make that happen?
Go to their website, or visit in person with a list and REQUEST THOSE BOOKS! They will almost certainly order them, and then you and other library patrons can read them!
Reposted by Russell M. Dembin
🌍 Celebrating the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples!
We honour Indigenous cultures, histories, and contributions globally.
#IndigenousPeoplesDay #IndigenousEditors
We honour Indigenous cultures, histories, and contributions globally.
#IndigenousPeoplesDay #IndigenousEditors
August 9, 2024 at 9:18 PM
🌍 Celebrating the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples!
We honour Indigenous cultures, histories, and contributions globally.
#IndigenousPeoplesDay #IndigenousEditors
We honour Indigenous cultures, histories, and contributions globally.
#IndigenousPeoplesDay #IndigenousEditors
Reposted by Russell M. Dembin
The database for books featuring trans & enby MCs by trans & enby authors is live. It's still small, but new submissions are coming in as I speak so it will get bigger 💜 I'm sorry I couldn't make it much fancier, but I'll keep researching ways to make it a little better.
transenbybooks.carrd.co
transenbybooks.carrd.co
Trans and Enby Book Database
Trans and enby characters by trans and enby authors.
transenbybooks.carrd.co
July 29, 2024 at 11:51 PM
The database for books featuring trans & enby MCs by trans & enby authors is live. It's still small, but new submissions are coming in as I speak so it will get bigger 💜 I'm sorry I couldn't make it much fancier, but I'll keep researching ways to make it a little better.
transenbybooks.carrd.co
transenbybooks.carrd.co
Today I submitted my first copyedit in a while. Every time I work on a freelance editing assignment I have renewed gratitude that free remote access to The Chicago Manual of Style is available through the New York Public Library—and that any state resident can get an NYPL card. #AmEditing
Apply for a Free Library Card Today!
Apply for a free library card from The New York Public Library.
www.nypl.org
July 29, 2024 at 9:58 PM
Today I submitted my first copyedit in a while. Every time I work on a freelance editing assignment I have renewed gratitude that free remote access to The Chicago Manual of Style is available through the New York Public Library—and that any state resident can get an NYPL card. #AmEditing
Reposted by Russell M. Dembin
Please stop putting links in your alt text. They can't be clicked and screen reader users are stuck listening as it reads out h t t p : / / ... Etcetera.
Thankyou 💖
Thankyou 💖
July 29, 2024 at 7:21 PM
Please stop putting links in your alt text. They can't be clicked and screen reader users are stuck listening as it reads out h t t p : / / ... Etcetera.
Thankyou 💖
Thankyou 💖
Happy centennial, WNYC! @npr.org
WNYC is now doing a live "reimagining" of its first broadcast 100 years ago, and it's super charming
WNYC Centennial Celebration
On July 8, 2024 at 8:54 p.m. ET, it will be exactly 100 years since WNYC — now the largest independent public radio station in the U.S. — came on the air for...
www.youtube.com
July 9, 2024 at 1:18 AM
Happy centennial, WNYC! @npr.org
Lately a more recent post on this topic came up in my feed; I’m having trouble finding that one now, so I’m resharing this post. In terms of #accessibilty, is there a preference between #PascalCase and #camelCase (the latter beginning with a lowercase letter)? @matthewoliphant.com @catmachine.com
Camel Case (or Pascal Case) is to hashtags what alt-text is to images.
#camelCase
#PascalCase
There's an SAT question in here somewhere.
#camelCase
#PascalCase
There's an SAT question in here somewhere.
Hashtags are here!
July 6, 2024 at 2:07 PM
Lately a more recent post on this topic came up in my feed; I’m having trouble finding that one now, so I’m resharing this post. In terms of #accessibilty, is there a preference between #PascalCase and #camelCase (the latter beginning with a lowercase letter)? @matthewoliphant.com @catmachine.com
Thanks to @kslivensky.bsky.social for sharing this post.
July 3, 2024 at 2:47 PM
Thanks to @kslivensky.bsky.social for sharing this post.
Reposted by Russell M. Dembin
You need this today. For morale.
June 28, 2024 at 3:14 PM
You need this today. For morale.
Reposted by Russell M. Dembin
Also apropos of it being disability pride month - another easy thing you can do to make your social media posts more accessible is to use camel case, effectively capitalising each word in hashtags. This is easier for everyone to read and can be processed by screen reading software.
July 3, 2024 at 11:27 AM
Also apropos of it being disability pride month - another easy thing you can do to make your social media posts more accessible is to use camel case, effectively capitalising each word in hashtags. This is easier for everyone to read and can be processed by screen reading software.
I’m back for more recommendations: What are your favorite black-and-white or other high-contrast books for babies? cc @sujeilugo.bsky.social @gennie.bsky.social @kellyweill.bsky.social @kacy-h.bsky.social @parkergoodreau.bsky.social @mindyreads.bsky.social @samanthalf.bsky.social
Library staff and patrons, caregivers, and book lovers in general: Which titles geared toward toddlers or babies should families own, as opposed to borrow? cc @sujeilugo.bsky.social @gennie.bsky.social @kellyweill.bsky.social @kacy-h.bsky.social @parkergoodreau.bsky.social
Thanks to @jennakr.bsky.social, @annegmorgan.bsky.social, Lindsey R. Barr et al. at Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas, my spouse and I have a gift card to help us grow our book collection for our toddler and newborn. Which titles do you feel families should own (as opposed to borrow)?
June 9, 2024 at 6:10 PM
I’m back for more recommendations: What are your favorite black-and-white or other high-contrast books for babies? cc @sujeilugo.bsky.social @gennie.bsky.social @kellyweill.bsky.social @kacy-h.bsky.social @parkergoodreau.bsky.social @mindyreads.bsky.social @samanthalf.bsky.social
Reposted by Russell M. Dembin
🌌 A cover of Blackbird done by Emma Stevens in traditional Mi'kmaq for the International Year of Indigenous Languages that the UN held in 2019
youtu.be/99-LoEkAA3w?...
youtu.be/99-LoEkAA3w?...
Emma Stevens - Blackbird by The Beatles sung in Mi'kmaq
The International Year of Indigenous Languages is a United Nations observance in 2019 that aims to raise awareness of the consequences of the endangerment of...
youtu.be
May 28, 2024 at 12:02 AM
🌌 A cover of Blackbird done by Emma Stevens in traditional Mi'kmaq for the International Year of Indigenous Languages that the UN held in 2019
youtu.be/99-LoEkAA3w?...
youtu.be/99-LoEkAA3w?...
Reposted by Russell M. Dembin
"This [long-forgotten slave narrative], scholars who have seen it say, is unique for its global perspective and its uncensored fury, from a man living far outside the trans-Atlantic network of white abolitionists who often limited what the formerly enslaved could write about their experiences."
Reading this newly discovered mind-blowing "slave narrative" by Harriet Jacobs' brother John Swanson Jacobs, who fled slavery and became a Black sailor. It is untouched by white abolitionist editors and published in an Australian newspaper. The narrative is unfiltered, raw, and radical. 🗃️
May 26, 2024 at 10:47 PM
"This [long-forgotten slave narrative], scholars who have seen it say, is unique for its global perspective and its uncensored fury, from a man living far outside the trans-Atlantic network of white abolitionists who often limited what the formerly enslaved could write about their experiences."
I haven’t heard the whole episode, though based on what I’ve caught so far, the latest installment of Notes from America with Kai Wright, “What ‘The Wiz’ Was and Is to Black Culture,” is very much worth checking out. #TheWiz #Broadway #musicals
What ‘The Wiz’ Was And Is to Black Culture | Notes from America with Kai Wright | WNYC Studios
For nearly 50 years, “The Wiz” has been a staple in Black families. To celebrate its return to Broadway, we take calls about your connections to the show and discuss its legacy.
www.wnycstudios.org
May 6, 2024 at 9:53 PM
What an exciting opportunity to acquire new books and to support independent stores. Today, in addition to purchasing the upcoming title from Karen Yin through Karen’s Bookshop.org store, I ordered several great baby books recommended here while supporting a colleague’s new bookstore in my area. 📚
Free shipping all weekend at Bookshop.org! 📚
The Conscious Style Guide: A Flexible Approach to Language That Includes, Respects, and Empowers a book by Karen Yin
An adaptable guide for anyone who wants to communicate with compassion in a rapidly changing environment. Most of us want to choose inclusive, respectful, and empowering language when communicating w...
bookshop.org
April 28, 2024 at 6:45 PM
What an exciting opportunity to acquire new books and to support independent stores. Today, in addition to purchasing the upcoming title from Karen Yin through Karen’s Bookshop.org store, I ordered several great baby books recommended here while supporting a colleague’s new bookstore in my area. 📚
For people here who participated in theater in middle and/or high school or have familiarity with such programs, curricular or after school: Who would you say is an exceptional drama teacher (working currently or retired), or what is a school that has a club/program with an innovative structure?
April 20, 2024 at 7:48 PM
For people here who participated in theater in middle and/or high school or have familiarity with such programs, curricular or after school: Who would you say is an exceptional drama teacher (working currently or retired), or what is a school that has a club/program with an innovative structure?