When we consider sponsorships, we’re most interested in investing our time and money in something that is aligned with our values. So, when I learned that the folks at the Canadian eLearning Conference were including a full lineup of speakers in accessibility and inclusion for a targeted programming track, I asked to sponsor it.
Being able to learn and participate in work and in society is a human right.1 When we don’t create learning experiences that are inclusive and accessible to all, we reinforce barriers that prevent people from participating and therefore deny them an essential human right. It’s a vicious cycle – you don’t design for accessibility because you don’t think you have any learners with disabilities, but you don’t have learners with disabilities because you aren’t including them.
Rather than making assumptions about individuals with disabilities, we can adopt a different mindset. Start by asking, “How can I remove as many barriers as possible to a person learning this?” This shift in perspective can lead to curiosity about people and how they learn, which will improve your design practice. By changing our framing, we open possibilities of what work could look like, helping us create better solutions that are beneficial to everyone.
By giving a stage to accessibility, I believe the Canadian eLearning Conference sets an example for the industry in how we can create a more inclusive future. So many modalities and technologies exist for teaching people. If we aren’t talking about accessibility in conjunction with those topics, we’re missing opportunities to reach a wider range of people and deliver a great experience.
The Canadian eLearning Conference is held in Toronto, Canada on June 13th and 14th. In addition to our sponsorship of the Accessibility and Inclusion Stream, I’ll be facilitating a session, Design for All: Essential Accessibility Practices for Instructional Designers, on June 14th from 9:45-10:45 AM. I want session attendees to feel confident about creating accessible content and leave with practical steps they can implement right away.
To learn more about the conference and register, visit the session information page on the Canadian eLearning Conference website.
- United Nations, “Human Rights,” accessed June 4, 2024, https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/human-rights#:~:text=Human%20rights%20are%20rights%20inherent,and%20education%2C%20and%20many%20more. ↩︎