4.7: Accessible Text Descriptions

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Cutting the Issue Chart

This image is a worksheet-style flowchart titled “Cutting the Issue.” The purpose appears to be helping users break a large social or organizational problem into smaller causes, symptoms, and specific campaign issues.

Overall Layout

The chart is arranged in three levels from top to bottom:

1. One large box at the top labeled “Broad Problem.”
2. Three medium-sized boxes in the middle row labeled “Symptom or Cause.”
3. Four boxes in the bottom row labeled “Campaign Issue.”

Dark blue arrows connect the boxes, showing how a broad problem can be analyzed into causes or symptoms, which can then be narrowed into campaign issues.

Header

• The title “Cutting the Issue” appears in large bold black text in the upper left.
• In the upper right are attribution and branding elements:
  • Text reading: “tiny.cc/TFC-Campaign-Workbook”
  • “Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0”
  • “Training for Change”
  • A circular logo containing the words “Campaign Strategy Workbook.”

Flowchart Structure

• Top Level
  • A large rounded rectangle centered near the top is labeled:
  • “Broad Problem”
  • This box is empty except for the label.
• Middle Level
  • Three rounded rectangles sit beneath the Broad Problem box:
  • Left box
    • Label: “Symptom or Cause”
  • Center box
    • Label: “Symptom or Cause”
  • Right box
    • Label: “Symptom or Cause”

Connections from the Broad Problem

• An arrow points diagonally down left from the Broad Problem box to the left Symptom or Cause box.
• A second arrow points straight down from the Broad Problem box to the center Symptom or Cause box.
• A third arrow points diagonally down right from the Broad Problem box to the right Symptom or Cause box.

Bottom Level

• Four rounded rectangles are aligned across the bottom row. Each is labeled:
  • Campaign Issue (leftmost)
  • Campaign Issue (left-center)
  • Campaign Issue (right-center)
  • Campaign Issue (rightmost)

Connections from Symptoms/Causes to Campaign Issues

• Left Symptom or Cause
  • Two arrows emerge from the left middle box:
    • One arrow points down to the leftmost Campaign Issue box.
  • Another arrow points diagonally toward the left-center Campaign Issue box.
• Center Symptom or Cause
  • Three arrows emerge from the center middle box:
    • One arrow points diagonally left toward the left-center Campaign Issue box.
    • One arrow points downward toward the area between the two center Campaign Issue boxes.
    • One arrow points diagonally right toward the right-center Campaign Issue box.
  • Overall, the center box appears to contribute to both center campaign issues.
• Right Symptom or Cause
  • Two arrows emerge from the right middle box:
    • One arrow points diagonally down left toward the rightmost Campaign Issue box.
    • Another arrow points down toward the same rightmost Campaign Issue box.
  • This suggests that multiple symptoms or causes may converge on a single campaign issue.

Visual Style

• Background is light gray.
• The Broad Problem box is a darker blue-green color.
• The Symptom or Cause boxes are a lighter blue-green.
• The Campaign Issue boxes are light gray.
• All labels are bold, black, and centered within their boxes.
• Arrows are dark blue.
• At the very bottom edge of the image, only the top portion of a globe or Earth illustration is visible, partially cut off by the image boundary.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Action Star

 This image is a atrategic planning worksheet titled “Action Star: a tool for planning and evaluating actions.” It presents a star-shaped framework for designing or assessing a social change action, campaign, protest, or organizing effort.

The diagram consists of a large circle in the center labeled “Action,” surrounded by eight triangular points arranged like a star. Each point corresponds to a planning question or consideration. Explanatory text appears around the outside of the star, describing each category.

Header and Branding

• In the upper left corner is a drawing of a hammer standing upright.
• To the right of the hammer is the title:
  • “Action Star”
  • Subtitle: “a tool for planning and evaluating actions”
• In the upper right corner is a logo reading:
  • “Beautiful Trouble”
  • Tagline: “a toolbox for revolution”
  • Website: beautifultrouble.org

Central Diagram

• At the center is a large circle labeled: Action
• Surrounding the circle are eight evenly spaced triangular points, forming a star-like shape. Each point corresponds to one planning dimension.

Target (Top)

• Located above the central circle.
• Heading: Target
• Questions:
  • Who or what is the political target of our action? Why?
  • If they have the power to concede to our demands, how is our action designed to pressure them?
  • Will our action cost them something, or threaten to cost something (or threaten to cost them something)?
  • Will it put them in a decision dilemma where we win no matter how they respond?

Points of Intervention (Upper Right)

• Located to the upper right of the circle.
• Heading: Points of Intervention
• Questions:

  • In what arena are we intervening- the point of production (for example, a workplace), destruction (for example, an oil pipeline), consumption (for example, a store), decision-making (for example, a statehouse), assumption (for example, dominant beliefs and narratives)?

Spectrum of Allies (Right)

• Located directly right of the circle.
• Heading: Spectrum of Allies
• Questions:
  • How will our action activate passive allies, win over currently on-the-fence potential allies, and isolate our opposition?
  • Which specific constituencies do we want to prioritize?

Audience (Lower Right)

• Located below and right of the circle.
• Heading: Audience
• Questions:
  • Who is the priority audience and what message do we want to send them?
  • What kind of presentation and tone (for example, solemn, jubilant, angry, etc.) will be most effective?

Story (Bottom)

• Located directly below the circle.
• Heading: Story
• Questions:
  • How are we strategically narrating and framing the conflict?
  • Is there a villain in our story?
  • Are we putting forward our own sympathetic characters as protagonists?
  • Are we foreshadowing our desired outcome?

Values & Common Ground (Lower Left)

• Located below and left of the circle.
• Heading: Values & Common Ground
• Questions:
  • Are we connecting with people's values- especially the values of our intended audience- and appealing to their common sense?
  • What kinds of popular images and symbols are included in the action and messaging?

Action Logic (Left)

• Located directly left of the circle.
• Heading: Action Logic
• Questions:
  • Does the action tell a story and convey our intended message?
  • Will passerby intuitively "get it" without us having to say anything at all?

Building & Tending the Group (Upper Left)

• Located above and left of the circle.
• Heading: Building & Tending the Group
• Questions:
  • Will the action build the group's capacity?
  • Will it generate new interest and help plug new people in?
  • How can we use the planning process to build more group members' leadership and skills?
  • Are we adequately supporting each other as we make sacrifices and take risks together?

Attribution

• In the lower right corner appears the credit:
• “contributed by Jonathan Matthew Smucker”

Visual Style

• Black-and-white line drawing.
• Minimalist worksheet design.
• Large central circle with eight triangular points creating a sunburst or star appearance.
• Text blocks are arranged around the perimeter, each associated with one point of the star.
• The layout encourages users to consider an action from eight strategic perspectives simultaneously.