You might think that TikTok is just about lip-synching but you’d be wrong. More and more people are using this social media platform to talk about all different parts of having a chronic illness or a disability.
Disclaimer: AD-This guide to TikTok is a paid collaboration with Fenetic Wellbeing but all words are completely are own
We already know it but most of the general public do not: there’s no age restriction on having a chronic illness or disability. So whilst TikTok might seem just like a young person’s platform, it’s actually a great way for young people to connect with fellow spoonies.
Even if TikTok’s demographic is younger, it’s worth noting that around 20-30% of people are thought to struggle with a chronic illness. “Staying connected is important, particularly during times like this where we can feel disconnected from others. Tiktok is great in engaging us with the world and making us laugh at the same time.” Fenetic Wellbeing who specialise in mobility aids for people young and old.
But how accessible is TikTok?
Unfortunately, it’s not as accessible as we’d like. Firstly, are people with disabilities being seen on TikTok in the first place?
In December 2019, TikTok acknowledged that videos made by people with visible disabilities were purposely prevented from going viral source. They sited that the reason is to prevent bullying however “UK-based organizations condemned the discovery.
“It’s good that TikTok has ended this bizarre policy,” Ceri Smith from the disability equality charity Scope said.
“Social media platforms must do more to tackle cyber-bullying, but hastily hiding away a group of users under the guise of protecting them is not the right approach at all.”
“It is concerning those young people with disabilities have been actively excluded from participating on a platform that prides itself as being fun and inclusive,” said chief executive Liam Hackett.
“This approach is discriminatory and further demonizes disability, which we already know attracts a huge amount of abuse and intolerance.” Source
Tik Tok also doesn’t currently have captions; making it inaccessible for deaf people. There’s currently a petition you can sign here to help make a potential change in this area.
How can we as users make our Tik Toks accessible?
Lot’s of chronic illness bloggers have found TikTok is a great way to grow their following and sense of community. But what can those of us with chronic illnesses and disabilities do to make sure our TikToks are as accessible as possible?
Firstly make sure your TikToks make sense from beginning to end and are clear to follow.
Next, consider closed captions. This post explains how you can add closed-captions to your TikTok video to help make it more accessible. Create video descriptions for your videos and include warnings for things like flashing lights and either put this in the main post or in the comments section. This is a guide specifically for creating video descriptions for your TikTok videos.
Chronic illness & Disability Tik Tok accounts to follow
Looking for some TikTok inspiration from the community? Here’s some of our favourite TikTok accounts to follow
Loving your blog and how you educate.
I am starting a new blog to with Adenomyosis and fibroids which I suffer from.
Would love to learn more on how to grow it and be more educative.