Creating Engaging Training Materials

👩🦰 Designing Accessibility Personas (https://lnkd.in/evVnB4hd). How to embed accessibility and test for it early in the design process ↓ We often assume that digital products are merely that — products. They either work or don’t work. That they help people meet their needs or fail on their path to get there. But every product has its own embedded personality. It can be helpful or dull, fragile or reliable, supportive or misleading. When we design it, willingly or unwillingly, we embed our values, views and perspectives into it. Sometimes it’s meticulously shaped and refined. And sometimes it’s simply random. And when that happens, users assign their perception of the product’s personality to the product instead. Products are rarely accessible by accident. There must be an intent that captures and drives accessibility efforts in a product. And the best way to do that is by involving people with temporary, situational and permanent disabilities into the design process. One simple way of achieving that is by inviting people with disabilities in the design process. For that, we could recruit people via tools like Access Works or UserTesting, ask admins of groups and channels on accessibility to help, or drop an email to non-profits that work in accessibility space. Another way is establishing accessibility personas for user journeys. Consider them as user profiles that highlight common barriers faced by people with particular conditions and provide guidelines for designers and engineers on how to design and build for them. E.g. Simone, a dyslexic user, or Chris, a user with rheumatoid arthritis. For each, we document known challenges and notable considerations, designing training tasks for designers and developers and instructions to simulate experience through the lens of these personas. By no means does it replace proper accessibility testing, but it creates a shared understanding about what the experiences are like. You can build on top of Gov.uk’s profound research project (https://lnkd.in/evVnB4hd) — it also explains how to set up devices and browsers, so that each persona has their own browser profile. Once you do, you can always switch between them and simulate an experience, without changing settings every single time. All Accessibility Personas (+ Tasks, Research, Setup) https://lnkd.in/evVnB4hd Accessibility doesn’t have to be challenging if it’s considered early. No digital product is neutral. Accessibility is a deliberate decision, and a commitment. Not only does it help everyone; it also shows what a company believes in and values. And once you do have a commitment, and it will be much easier to retain accessibility, rather than adding it last minute as a crutch — because that’s where it’s way too late to do it right, and way too expensive to make it well. [Useful pointers in the comments ↓] #ux #accessibility

Bringing legal action against an employer isn't at the top of a Disabled person's agenda when we apply for a job or when we're in employment. Yet, 90% of corporate Disability Inclusion training, if it even exists, solely focuses on the legal side. "If we don't do this, we'll be taken to court... " It tends not to focus on the individual behind the Disability. Instead, it creates a narrative that the person is a potential risk, not a potential asset to the organisation. I'm not saying we shouldn't educate on legal responsibilities. That would be silly, and your governance teams would come chasing me. But we need to be taking a human-centric approach to our training. So here are some tips for creating a more impactful Disability Inclusion Training: 1. Disability Inclusion training should be mandatory for all employees. That includes your leadership teams. 2. Hire external Disabled trainers or organisations to deliver bespoke training. (Promise that's not a hint). 3. Explore the diversity of Disability. Disability is both visible and non-visible. There is no one experience and no one appearance. 4. You can't create awareness or make change without addressing systemic ableism. Educate about ableist bias, beliefs, behaviours, communication, language, microaggressions, stereotypes... 5. That also includes internalised ableism and health and wellbeing. 6. Adjustments/Accommodations: Go beyond the legal requirement. Educate on how and why these tools and supportive measures create equity. Provide examples of adjustments and signpost access routes. 7. Educate on the models of Disability and the language of each model. 8. Educate colleagues on accessibility. Explore how different barriers impact different individuals. Help them take accountability, show examples. 9. If you're not addressing intersectionality, you need to go back to the drawing board. We can't talk about one piece of a person's identity without acknowledging how other forms of systemic oppressions impact individuals. 10. Make it personal. Invite your Disability Staff Groups/Employee Resource Groups/Networks to either deliver the training or contribute. 11. Explore allyship. Don't just use it as a buzzword. 12. Make colleagues aware of company Disability policies and be sure they're accessible. 13. Accessibility needs to be at the core of this training, not just when creating your deck but also when delivering it. Ensure your deck is accessible and offer to provide it in advance of training. Explain slides in detail as you deliver and be sure to share information in a variety of different ways. 14. Make sure this training is updated and refreshed and always ask for feedback. Image Description: Carousel slide reads Disability Inclusion, Training Tips, go beyond the legal stuff. Five stick persons representing both visible and non-visible disabilities are below. The numbered text above is the slides text #MondayMotivation #DisabilityInclusion #DiversityAndInclusion #NDEAM

7 ways to start a workshop that aren't icebreakers. "If you were a biscuit, what biscuit would you be?" Nobody performs better in a workshop because they tell the room they're a Hobnob. Icebreakers get people talking. But they don't get people thinking about the work. And the first 5 minutes set the pattern for everything that follows. Here are 7 openers that connect to the session and get the room working from minute one: 1. The commitment question. → "What's the one thing you want solved by the time you leave today?" Everyone writes. 60 seconds. Now you know what the room cares about and they've invested in the outcome before you've started. 2. The scale check. → "On a scale of 1-5, how confident are you that this team handles conflict well? Hold up your number." Instant data. The spread tells the room everything and gives you a natural entry: "I see some 2s. Tell me more." 3. The silent write. → "Write down the one thing about [topic] that frustrates you most. You have 90 seconds." No talking. No sharing yet. People commit a thought to paper before the group dynamic kicks in. The quality of everything that follows goes up. 4. The bold statement. Open with a claim that creates tension. → "Most teams think they have a communication problem. They don't. They have a trust problem." Then: "Agree or disagree? Talk to the person next to you. 2 minutes." The room is debating something relevant immediately. No warm-up needed. 5. The pair share. → "Turn to the person next to you. One thing you're hoping this session addresses. 2 minutes." Pairs are safe. People say things to one person they won't say to a room. Inside 2 minutes everyone has spoken and the room is alive. 6. The room poll. → "Stand up. Left wall if our biggest challenge is alignment. Right wall if it's execution. Back wall if it's something else." Movement. Decision-making. Visible data. The room is on their feet and clustered by opinion within 60 seconds. Ask each group why. 7. The "what do you already know?" round. → "Before I share anything, what does this group already know about [topic]? One sentence each." This signals respect. You're building on what they bring, not assuming blank slates. It also tells you where the room's knowledge sits so you can adjust. Every one of these does three things: → Connects directly to the work ahead → Gets every person participating in 5 minutes → Gives you data about the room before you deliver anything No biscuit questions required. ___ Save this for later (three dots, top right). Share with friends → ♻️ Repost. Get consultant-grade workshops every Sat → https://lnkd.in/eSfeUapJ

After decades of working with leaders at companies like Apple, Salesforce, and Cisco, we've identified 4 storytelling techniques that consistently work to deliver important messages in high-stakes settings: 1. Start with the unexpected Don’t begin your presentation with context. Instead, begin with the moment that makes people think, “Wait…what?” Instead of something like: “Here’s an update on our September campaign…” Try starting with the most interesting detail: “I broke our biggest marketing rule last month, and it worked.” Lead with the surprise. You can add context later. 2. Let people feel the tension After the surprise, don’t rewind to the beginning. Take your audience to the moment where things weren’t working. Flat numbers. Missed goals. Stalled progress. Instead of: “The campaign was underperforming, and our team went back to the drawing board.” Try:  "We were two weeks out from the end of the quarter. The campaign wasn’t producing results, and the team was out of ideas. That’s when I decided to take a risk...” You don’t need to explain the problem. You need to make people feel it. 3. Use real dialogue When your audience hears what was actually said, they stop listening to you and start visualizing the moment. This helps them connect emotionally with what you’re saying. Instead of: “The campaign manager said team morale was low and they were struggling to find a solution.” Try: “My campaign manager pulled me aside in the hallway and said, ‘We’ve tried everything. The team has been working overtime, and we don’t know what else to do.’” Dialogue brings listeners into the moment with you. It makes the story real. 4. Share the lesson Never assume people will infer the meaning you intended. End your story by answering: - What does this mean? - How should someone act differently now? Example: “Breaking our biggest marketing rule helped us turn this campaign around and hit our numbers. I strongly suggest we revisit our marketing guidelines. We could be leaving a ton of revenue on the table.” Without the lesson being clear, even a good story feels unfinished. These are the same techniques we teach to our clients at Duarte. Try them out during your next presentation and watch how people lean forward and tune in to your message. #ExecutivePresence #BusinessStorytelling #PresentationSkills

Ever asked your GenAI to make a worksheet and thought, “This looks fine”? Now ask yourself: 🤔 Can a student with dyslexia access it? 🤔 Can a learner using a screen reader make sense of it? 🤔 What about a child who reads slowly or needs visual scaffolds? Most AI-generated content isn’t designed for everyone because it is a product of its training data. Statistically it has a likely 'default' or 'norm'. This means that 'standard' prompts often lead to outputs that: ➡️ Use dense, unchunked text ➡️ Have no alt-text, headings or visual cues ➡️ Assume fluent reading, writing, and motor skills ➡️ Lack any option for audio, simplified text, or multiple formats And that’s accessibility bias. It closes doors for learners. It gatekeeps learning. This is Post 1 in my new series: “10 Types of Bias in AI-Generated Content: A Practical Guide for Teachers and Educators.” Attached you can see my guide to accessible prompting. In the downloadable guide, you’ll get: ✔️ Real examples of biased prompts and revised, inclusive alternatives ✔️ Statutory links (SEND Code, Equality Act, WCAG 2.1) ✔️ A bias-mitigating “super prompt” ✔️ A customisable template prompt for use in any subject or age group Have a read through, check out my shared chats, or skip straight to the 'super-prompts' at the end and try it yourself. Let's fight that bias any way we can and let me know any aspects that work well for your learners. What do you think? Al Kingsley MBE Prof Miles Berry Tina Austin Darren Coxon Chris Goodall Arafeh Karimi Tim Dasey Matthew Wemyss Maria Rossini Dan Fitzpatrick Sam Canning-Kaplan Mark Anderson FCCT Tom Moseley James Bedford SFHEA Rachel Kent ChatGPT for Education

You don’t need to know someone’s diagnosis to support them. You don’t need a label. You don’t need the backstory. Too often when someone says they’re disabled, it’s expected that they’ll follow up with details on their impairment or diagnosis. Some people might want to, or offer it - which is fine if it’s their choice. But, unless you’re a trained medical professional, you don’t actually need that information anyway (and even they don’t always need it!). The impairment or condition isn’t the disabler - the barriers are. You need to know what’s getting in the way of access and how you can help remove the barriers the disabled person is facing. Ask about access rather than impairments or conditions, and don’t worry about knowing the exact diagnosis. The barriers are the things you can change - so focus on them. But if someone’s struggling to get in the building, use the software, or take part in meetings – do you really need to know their medical history to do something about it? You can’t change someone’s diagnosis, but you can help remove the barriers someone is facing. Let’s normalise talking about adjustments - not conditions. Start with: - “What are your access needs?” - “What would help you do your best work?” - “What support do you need?” Support should never be conditional on sharing private medical information. ID: A Robbie Crow quote square with a dark purple background and colorful borders. The quote, in yellow text inside a green outlined box, reads “Before you ask someone what their impairment or condition is, first ask yourself what information you actually need. Focus on the things you can influence and changes you can make”. Information on my LinkedIn profile is in the bottom right-hand corner. #DisabilityInclusion #Disability #DisabilityEmployment #Adjustments #DiversityAndInclusion #Content

Do you use emojis instead of bullet points? Do you post a photo but forget to describe it? Maybe you love creating images where there is text over a photo... If you're doing any of these things, your communication is not as accessible as you might think. And as today is International Day of People with a Disability, it's a great time to reflect on our own accessible communication practices. The good news is that there are plenty of resources out there to help, like the brilliant Kelly Thibodeau, CUA, CPACC, and Matisse Hamel-Nelis, ADS, CPACC and Lisa Riemers' brand-new, amazingly helpful book, 'Accessible Communication: Create impact, avoid missteps, and build trust.' While you're getting your hands on a copy, here's five of my top tips to get you on the right track, especially if you're communicating through digital channels like social media. 1. Avoid emojis and emoticons. If a person uses a screen reader, these are very annoying! Also, they don't convey the same meaning for everyone. Use them sparingly, and at the end of a sentence if at all. 2. Include alt text and descriptions of your images. It's great for screen readers, great for SEO, and also just helpful for people to better understand the message the image is conveying. 3. Use colours with strong contrast. People with poor vision or visual processing can struggle to decipher text in different colours. Black on white is always a winner. There are great tools and guidelines out there to help assess your colour use. 4. Use short sentences and clear, common words. It's not just for accessibility ... it's just better for everyone! 5. Always include captions and transcripts for video and audio. People consume information in different ways and contexts anyway, and some people need a transcript to give them more time to process the messages. What else would you add to the list? [Image description: pale green tile with black text. The headline reads: Top tips for accessible communication, and lists the five points in this post. The logo for Cuttlefish, Mel's business, is on the right-hand side in black, all-caps text.]

The ultimate guide to creating transformational workshop experiences (Even if you're not a natural facilitator) Ever had that gut-punch moment after a workshop where you just know it didn’t land? I’ve been there. Back then, I thought great workshops were all about cramming in as much content as possible. You know what I mean: - Slides with inspirational quotes. - The theory behind the frameworks. - More activities than a summer camp schedule… Subconsciously I believed that: The more I shared, the more people would see me as an expert. The more I shared, the more valuable the workshop. And participants would surely walk away transformed. Spoiler: they didn’t. They were hit-and-miss. But then on a leadership retreat in 2016, I stumbled onto something that changed everything. Something so obvious it's almost easy to miss. But when you intentionally use them, it took my workshops from "meh" to "mind-blowing": Three simple principles: 1️⃣ Context-based Learning People don't show up as blank slates. They bring their own experiences, challenges, and goals. When I started anchoring my content in their reality, things clicked. Suddenly, what I was sharing felt relevant and useful — like I was talking with them instead of at them. 2️⃣ Experiential Learning Turns out, people don’t learn by being told. They learn by doing (duh). When I shifted to creating experiences, the room came alive. And participants actually remembered what they’d learned. Experiences like roleplays, discussions, real-world scenarios, the odd game... 3️⃣ Evocative Facilitation This one was a game-changer. The best workshops aren’t just informative — they’re emotional. The experiences we run spark thoughts and reactions. And it's our job to ask powerful questions to invite reflection. Guiding participants to their own "aha!" moments to use in the real world. (yup, workshops aren't the real world) ... When I started being intentional with these three principles, something clicked. Participants started coming up to me after sessions, saying things like: "That’s exactly what I needed." "I feel like you were speaking directly to me." "I’ve never felt so seen in a workshop before." And best of all? Those workshops led to repeat bookings, referrals, and clients who couldn’t wait to work with me again. Is this the missing piece to your expertise? - If so, design experiences around context. •Facilitate experiences that evoke reactions •Unpack reactions to land the learning ♻️ Share if you found this useful ✍️ Do you use any principles to design your workshops?

🎧 #Storylistening for Instructional Designers (or how to get real stories from your SME instead of dry facts) 🗣️ Everyone talks about storytelling – and rightly so. Stories work! 💡 But what if your subject matter expert (SME) isn't naturally a storyteller? 🤔 Just listening to them recite a pile of facts? Not that helpful. 😐 You could find the same in Wikipedia. Or ask ChatGPT. 🤖 👉 So what should you do? Learn storylistening – the skill of not telling stories, but hearing them. 👂✨ 📌 The rules are simple: 1️⃣ Study the topic in advance – don't come in as an empty glass. 📚 2️⃣ Prepare questions – not as a checklist, but as a guide. 🧭 3️⃣ Listen carefully. And with curiosity. Yes, curiosity! 🧐 People tell better stories when they feel respected and heard. ❤️ 💬 Here’s a list of questions that truly encourage storytelling – the kind that brings examples, emotions, and turning points: 🎯 How did this process or approach first come into play in your work? 🛠️ Can you walk me through a specific situation where it worked especially well? 🌟 Tell me about a time when things didn’t go as planned – what happened? ⚠️ What’s the most surprising or unexpected thing you’ve encountered with this? 😲 Was there a turning point that changed how you see or use this? 🔄 What’s an example that you often use to explain this to others? 📖 Describe a situation where someone learned this the hard way. 🧠💥 Can you recall a moment when you or someone else had a breakthrough? 💡🎉 Tell me about a challenge you faced with this and how you overcame it. 🧗♀️ What real-life story do you think best illustrates the value of this process? 🏆 If I were watching this unfold in real time, what would I see? 🌈 And when the story starts flowing – don’t hold back: ✨ Really? Tell me more! ✨ Wow! That’s so unexpected. ✨ No way – what happened next? ✨ What were you thinking in that moment? ✨ And then? ✨ That’s brilliant – how did you come up with it? These questions aren't magic… But they create the space where real stories emerge. 🪄 And it's from these stories that strong, effective learning solutions are built. 🚀 #storylistening #LandD