This document summarizes an accessibility training program delivered to the Coles app team by Allison Ravenhall of Intopia. The training was delivered in multiple shorter sessions over 3 months and covered a modular syllabus of accessibility concepts, assistive technologies, development techniques, and tools. Feedback indicated the spaced out training allowed better absorption of content and engagement compared to full day sessions. Participants found the small group and one-on-one delivery helpful for asking questions. However, the reference materials were not used and some felt not enough activities were included.

1. Personalised technical accessibility
training
CSUN 2020
Allison Ravenhall
Digital Accessibility Sensei
@RavenAlly
12 March 2020

2. A different take on a11y training
• Players
• Problems
• Proposal
• Plan
• Execution
• Outcomes

3. Players

5. 2014: Gisele Mesnage sues Coles
Source: bit.ly/abc-gisele-coles

6. 2017: Coles launches Quiet Hour
Source: bit.ly/abc-coles-quiet-hour

7. Coles Digital
Accessibility manager
2 accessibility analysts
App team:
• 1 business analyst
• 4 developers
• 2 testers

8. Intopia
Allison
• Training design and delivery
Ricky
• Content creator

9. Problems

10. “A whole day of training is too long”

11. “Not enough time for activities”

12. “High quality content, low recall”

13. Managing different personalities

14. Wide spread of a11y knowledge

15. Proposal

16. Train the Coles app team
Multiple, shorter sessions
Role- and tech-specific content
1 : 1 or small group delivery
Reference materials

17. Plan

18. 1. Modular syllabus

19. 2. Module topics

20. 3. Project plan

21. 4. Lesson plans
Goals
Attendees
Prerequisites
Equipment
Concepts, needs, techniques
Notes
Run sheet

22. 5. Reference materials
Concepts
Impacts to users
Dev and test techniques
Links to WCAG 2.1
Curated articles for more context

23. Execution

24. A11y concepts, laws, personas

25. VoiceOver demo
and Q & A with
Scott Nixon

26. Solo / 2-person sessions
• Assistive technologies
• Site-level principles
• Page-level principles
• Component-level principles
• Tools
• Ask me anything, wrap up, retro

27. Statistics
• ~3 months
• 18 lesson plans
• 40 x 2 hour sessions
• 200+ pages of reference materials

28. Outcomes & reflections

29. Two full days of training, but spaced
out in a timeline that allows me to
actually absorb it – that was great.
Business analyst

30. I don’t fall asleep even though it’s an
afternoon session so it must be
engaging! I haven’t been bored, that’s
where one-on-one helps.
iOS developer

31. Scott’s session was so helpful, was
very interesting to see the impact
when we don’t do our job well.
Android developer

32. Prefer training in pairs, hear different
voices, sometimes I get a break, he
can answer when I don’t know the
answer.
Not more than 4-5 people, would
otherwise lose the opportunity to ask
questions and get personal space.
Tester

33. Participants have a passion for
accessibility, which is an ongoing shift
in attitude and behaviours. This is also
changing their team culture.
Coles post-program review

34. No one used the reference materials.

35. Not enough activities.

36. My time and their money

37. What next?

38. Let’s chat
@Intopia Intopia intopia.digital hello@intopia.digital
Let’s chat
@Intopia Intopia intopia.digital hello@intopia.digital
@RavenAlly