3. Training and Development
3.1 Universal Design and Digital Accessibility
Action 3.1B Provide role-based training on universal design and digital accessibility practices.
Guidance
Providing role-based training and development on universal design and digital accessibility to relevant staff members ensures they can play their part in ensuring the physical and digital environment in your workplace is inclusive of everybody (see Domain 2).
Universal Design is defined by the UN as “the design of products, environments, programmes and services to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialised design.” The seven principles of universal design can be applied to support the user-centred design of almost anything.
Ensuring digital accessibility practices are applied means that digital materials and platforms used in the organisation adhere to the POUR principle (explained below). It helps us make sure digital content can be accessed and used by everyone, including disabled people.
“Inaccessible application forms which are not compatible with Assistive Technology (AT) use are a common problem.”
WIDE Consultation Participant – Disability Organisation
POUR stands for Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust.
- Perceivable – People must be able to see or hear the content, in different ways if needed (like with captions or screen readers).
- Operable – Everyone should be able to use the site, app, or document, including by using a keyboard instead of a mouse.
- Understandable – Content and navigation should be clear and easy to follow.
- Robust – The website, app or document should work well with different devices and assistive technologies, now and in the future.
Not all staff members will need the same level and depth of understanding in universal design and digital accessibility, so you should tailor your training and development drives according to the size and scope of the organisation, and the key skills required for various roles. Here’s some examples of roles you might target and the nature of training which may be appropriate:
- Facilities and Estates: staff managing the physical environment in the workplace and procuring services for new builds or building adaptations will benefit from a strong understanding of universal design in the built environment and associated standards.
- IT and Web Team: training in meeting the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards in digital design tasks, and in how to conduct accessibility testing, will ensure these professionals have the skills required to make your website and internal platforms fully accessible to all.
- Communications: staff leading on internal and external communications should part-take in specific training and development in delivering accessible communications to ensure all staff and the public can receive and understand your messaging.
- General Staff: basic training and development on how to create accessible documents and slide decks will ensure that the materials used across the business every day will be useable by all staff. This is particularly important for businesses based in office environments.
- Legal Team: for organisations in scope, self-directed exploration by the legal team of company obligations to meet digital accessibility standards as outlined in the Web Accessibility Directive and European Accessibility Act can ensure your organisation mitigates legal risk.
“Implement mandatory role-based training on disability awareness and accessibility…. (such as) how to communicate inclusively, digital accessibility, specialised training for the legal team.”
WIDE Consultation Participant – Employer
By offering comprehensive, role-based training on digital accessibility, you demonstrate a commitment to creating an inclusive digital environment. This approach ensures that relevant employees are equipped with the knowledge and skills to contribute to an accessible workplace.
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