[Cato] Accessibility 101 Lite

[Hsiao, Terence]

Jess,

I'm making my way through Access 101 (very nicely done!) and thinking about the time it is taking me and the feedback you've received about creating a "lighter" version that just focuses on nuts and bolts.

I think creating a "lighter version" would be a mistake. There is something motivating about developing an understanding of what disabled people are experiencing. That carries you through the rest and creates the desire to change one's behavior. This is all about change. As we know, the  ADKAR model* starts with A and D because they are they prerequisites for change. K does you no good without A and D. Then we come to the second A - there are a lot of people who can memorize something, take a multiple choice test and pass it without ever developing that second A. That's not what we want.

Finally, if you go through every learning modality (as my assistant is doing) this is, in fact, a major investment of time. On the other hand, if you can get through this pretty quickly if you go the "read and apply" route. It is just not that big a deal. I waste more time websurfing every week - and I doubt I'm alone in that.

IMHO we should push back against attempts to "minimize" the training.

Terence

* The five Steps of the ADKAR change management Model are as follows:

Awareness - Create an understanding for the need to change - I.E. Why is the change necessary? Why is it happening now? What is wrong with what we are doing today? What will happen if we don't change? What's in it for the individuals?

Desire - Create the desire to support and take part in the change - Which is dependent on the nature of change, the credibility of the person leading the message of change, intrinsic factors, history of the organisation. Effective leading and influencing can go a long way to help people choose to follow the desire to change.

Knowledge - Give knowledge so people can understand how to change and what to do - I.E. providing training and education, detailed understanding of new tasks, processes and systems, and understanding new roles and responsibilities.

Ability - Provide the skills to implement change on a day to day basis - I.E. Providing day to day involvement, access to subject matter experts, provide effect performance monitoring, hands on exercise during training.

Reinforcement - Create the ability and environment to sustaining the change and keep it going, keeping the momentum going. - I.E. Celebrations and recognition, rewards, feedback to and from employees, audits and performance measurement systems, accountability systems.

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