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Resources: The Role of AI in Building Accessible and Inclusive Communities (ODN2024)
Thank you so much to everyone that attended my Friday morning breakout session at the Organization Development Network (ODN) Summit 2024 – “The Role of AI in Building Accessible and Inclusive Communities.”
Please enjoy these collected resources on AI, accessibility, and community. I hope you’ll connect with me to continue the conversations after ODN2024 is over!
Read More »Resources: The Role of AI in Building Accessible and Inclusive Communities (ODN2024)
Equal Access Public Media (EAPM)
I’m excited to announce that I’ve been invited to join the board of Equal Access Public Media (EAPM)! Equal Access Public Media is a nonpartisan, nonprofit national news corporation. Our focus is making the news accessible and creating accessible jobs.
The Learning Styles Myth
When you’re working in adult learning and development, it’s only a matter of time before someone brings up “learning styles” as a methodology.
Otherwise content-rich books and articles fall on their face at the mention of this myth – it’s a clear cringe for those of us that have done the real work – and research.
Many adult learning practitioners know this myth well – and we do our best to stop it from perpetuating. Despite the popularity, there’s no credible evidence to support the concept of learning styles. While people may have preferences for how they like to learn, these preferences don’t often translate into better learning outcomes.
Read More »The Learning Styles Myth
In Summary
A lot of people think everyone has a special "learning style," like being a visual learner or a hands-on learner. But studies show this isn't true. Even though you might prefer to learn in a certain way, it doesn't mean you actually learn better that way. Instead of focusing on these "learning styles," it's smarter to teach in many different ways and have people actively participate so everyone can learn best.
What Does It Mean to ABIDE?
What Does It Mean to ABIDE? Some people hear this word and think of phrases like “abide by the rules” or “abide by a decision.” While this is one definition of the word, there’s another you may have encountered as well. Abide can mean “to tolerate or endure,” “to wait or persist,” and “to remain or stay.”
- to tolerate or endure: This implies patience and resilience in the face of challenges.
- to wait or persist: This suggests a commitment to a long-term goal and a willingness to persevere.
- to remain or stay: This emphasizes the importance of consistency and continuity in efforts to achieve equity.
While I’ve started using the acronym ABIDE to mean Accessibility, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity, I chose that word in particular to reinforce the idea that building an equitable workplace is a journey, not a destination. It requires sustained effort, patience, and resilience.
Haven’t come across this meaning yet? Let’s jump into some dictionaries!
Read More »What Does It Mean to ABIDE?
In Summary
The article explains the deeper meaning of the word ABIDE beyond just "following rules." While it's used as an acronym, the author specifically chose it to emphasize that creating a fair workplace is a long journey. ABIDE also means to tolerate, endure, wait, persist, remain, or stay. These meanings highlight the need for patience, resilience, and consistent effort.
Civility Does Not Replace Equity
SHRM appears to be doubling down on their recent statement on equity. Instead of, you know, listening to their membership as people speak out across publications and social media against the decision to remove equity from DEI. (I even considered adding letters to DEI! Have you heard of ABIDE?) The new SHRM direction appears to focus on civility. But civility does not replace equity.
Voices sticking with the SHRM decision to lump equity under inclusion have called it things like “a strategic move about driving results” and that it “brings more people along for the ride.”
Someone shared a recent interview with Johnny C. Taylor, and it’s simply solidified my decision that SHRM no longer represents me and my HR and DEI work.
Read More »Civility Does Not Replace Equity
In Summary
SHRM, an HR organization, is getting a lot of pushback for removing "equity" from its DEI efforts, now focusing on "civility" instead. The author strongly disagrees, feeling SHRM no longer represents their work. Just being polite isn't enough to fix unfairness. SHRM seems more interested in what bosses want than what HR and DEI people need. They believe SHRM made a bad choice, saying that real change requires more than just talking nicely.
ABIDE: Accessibility, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity
I’ve had so many great conversations since that SHRM announcement! Equity, while sometimes misunderstood, is such a critical part of the work that DEI professionals set out to do.
SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management) recently announced the “strategic decision” to rebrand DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) as Inclusion & Diversity (I&D), effective immediately.
Read more: Not Without Equity
I think, instead of removing letters from the acronyms we use to describe our work, we should be adding letters. Let’s consider ABIDE.
Read More »ABIDE: Accessibility, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity
In Summary
ABIDE stands for Accessibility, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity. It's a way to make sure everyone has equal chances and feels welcome. If any part of ABIDE is missing, it can cause problems. People can feel left out of fair opportunities. There are other similar acronyms, but what really matters is making things fair and inclusive for everyone.
Not Without Equity
If you haven’t yet heard, SHRM (the Society for Human Resource Management) recently announced the “strategic decision” to rebrand DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) as Inclusion & Diversity (I&D), effective immediately. In their words, “by emphasizing Inclusion-first, we aim to address the current shortcomings of DE&I programs, which have led to societal backlash and increasing polarization […] Equity will be integrated under the broader Inclusion framework.”
I’ve been giving a lot of thought to what this announcement means in the context of the work that I do.
In Summary
SHRM, a big HR group, recently changed its "DEI" program to "I&D". They say they want to focus more on inclusion. However, this change removes "Equity," which is about making things fair for everyone, especially those who've faced challenges. The author argues that without equity, diversity can just be about looks, without real equal chances. They believe getting rid of "equity" ignores that people start from different places and need different support to succeed. Because of this, the author plans to stop being involved with SHRM.
Recap: Writing for Accessible Learning
Thank you to everyone that attended “Writing for Accessible Learning: ALT Text, Captions, and Beyond!” at this year’s Accessibility Summer Camp! I had a blast presenting this session. I heard there were over 100 of you in the audience at one point!
This session equips instructional writers with practical skills to make materials accessible for all. Dive into clear language practices and free tools for readability checks. Craft engaging captions, transcripts, and ALT text for learners with disabilities. Leave empowered to write inclusively, boost engagement, and achieve better learning outcomes!
Recap: Accessibility for Online Learning (June 2024)
I can’t believe we’re halfway through 2024 already! The end of June marks 6 months of the ATD Chapter Tour of Accessibility for Online Learning, one of my most requested presentations.
I’ve seen Central Massachusetts, Puget Sound, Mississippi Valley, Houston, Chicagoland, Nebraska, Memphis, Kansas City, Tulsa, and even my home, Las Vegas! How did the audiences compare?
Read More »Recap: Accessibility for Online Learning (June 2024)