At a glance

Mission

The mission of OAJ is to make news more accessible to all audiences so it is more inclusive of those with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and others with accessibility needs; and to make jobs more accessible to journalists with disabilities, with chronic illnesses, who are military veterans, and who are caregivers.

We do this by training journalists how to make news more accessible, helping news outlets build accessible journalism practices, and building accessible news outlets.

Our purpose is to make fact-based news accessible to all regardless of disability, location, or reading level. In doing so, we will create quality jobs that are inclusive and life-sustaining. We do this by partnering with others inside and outside of journalism willing to work and learn on accessibility issues.

Story

Founder Stacy Kess had nearly 20 years in the journalism industry when her life changed in 2017: she was hit head-on by a truck. Established in 2024, OAJ is the culmination of her personal and professional experience and draws on deep expertise that spans journalism and accessibility best practice.

Leadership

  • Stacy Kess, founder and chief of editorial and accessibility
  • E. Simone Jenerson, chief of operations
  • Ellen J. Meany, ANF executive director

Board of directors

  • Stacy Kess, director and acting chair
  • Ola Ojewumi, founding director
  • Shounteé Turner, director
  • E. Simone Jenerson, alternate director

Projects

Style and Accessibility Guide

A living resource for reporters, news outlets, and content creators that presents technical accessibility procedures in a format with which they are familiar.

The Word

A magazine covering trends in journalism, style, and accessibility. It launched in September 2025 and quickly found regular readership.

National Tab

The flagship news outlet under OAJ’s umbrella. It will include original reporting on national stories as experienced by those affected in local communities.

Funding

In our first two years, our lean startup nonprofit is funded mainly by grassroots support. As we scale and deliver on our mission, funding will be sourced from programmatic grants and philanthropic giving. OAJ is fiscally sponsored by the Alternative Newsweekly Foundation.

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