Articles

Full-length articles on accessibility and disability topics, available for reprint.

a pink-orange-purple gradient with a white icon of a unicorn and the words "I'm a Learning Style!" in white

The Learning Styles Myth

by Britne Jenke, CPACC
August 2, 2024May 26, 2025

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.

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.

a white icon of a person climbing a mountain on a rainbow gradient background with the acronym ABIDE in black at the bottom

What Does It Mean to ABIDE?

by Britne Jenke, CPACC
July 29, 2024June 13, 2025

This entry is part 4 of 4 in the series 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!

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.

A white icon of hands as fists representing equity over a gradient pink-purple-blue background

Civility Does Not Replace Equity

by Britne Jenke, CPACC
July 24, 2024June 13, 2025

This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series ABIDE

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.

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.

the word ABIDE in black text over two white hearts on a rainbow gradient background

ABIDE: Accessibility, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity

by Britne Jenke, CPACC
July 19, 2024June 13, 2025

This entry is part 2 of 4 in the series ABIDE

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.

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.

icons of people on platforms of different heights, over a colored blurred background of game pieces

Not Without Equity

by Britne Jenke, CPACC
July 13, 2024June 13, 2025

This entry is part 1 of 4 in the series ABIDE

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.

the words "special text" in various Unicode fonts

In Summary

Using "fancy fonts" from online generators might seem cool for social media, but they cause problems. These special fonts are actually made of different computer characters that can be hard for people with disabilities, like those using screen readers, to understand. They also make it harder for your content to show up in online searches and can even be linked to spam. It's much better to use regular fonts so everyone can easily read and find your content.

illustrated disabled people in brightly-colored clothing

Published: Are You Missing the D in DEI?

by Britne Jenke, CPACC
June 10, 2024May 26, 2025

I had an article published in the recent Workplace in Action® People Excellence magazine. My newest piece, “Are You Missing the ‘D’ in DEI?,” explores how diversity & inclusion initiatives may be missing the mark if they aren’t including disability.

My full article is shared below (along with a page for the #A11yBook!), but I hope you’ll check out the full magazine here as well. I’m still reading some of the great articles contributed by my colleagues. It’s a robust issue with a variety of perspectives!

In Summary

Many companies talk about being fair and including everyone. They can often forget about people with disabilities. When we leave out people with disabilities, it means those people feel unwelcome. Companies can miss out on great ideas and talented workers. To truly include everyone, businesses need to make sure events and online tools can be used by people with disabilities. Disabled voices should be heard in all discussions about fairness and inclusion.

a group of 3 people in a circle of arrows icon in white on a blue background

Making Work Accessible: Retention

by Britne Jenke, CPACC
May 31, 2024May 30, 2025

This entry is part 6 of 6 in the series Making Work Accessible

Welcome to this series of posts on Making Work Accessible! I’m so excited to share this deeper dive into accessibility at work, based on some content from a recent webinar and presentation. We’re going to explore the phases of the employee life cycle: Attraction, Recruitment, Onboarding, Development, and Retention. I’ll share some accessibility and inclusion best practices in each of these areas, and also include a related benefit of disability inclusion.

In HR, “retention” refers to the ability of an organization to keep its current employees and prevent employee turnover. What does that look like for people with disabilities?

In Summary

"Retention" means keeping people from leaving their jobs. To keep employees with disabilities, businesses should follow these best practices. When companies do this, employees feel more valued and tend to stay with the company longer, which benefits everyone.

an open book with a graduation cap in a light bulb icon in black on a green background

Making Work Accessible: Development

by Britne Jenke, CPACC
May 30, 2024May 30, 2025

This entry is part 5 of 6 in the series Making Work Accessible

In HR, “development” refers to training employees, providing coaching and feedback, and preparing them for future roles in the organization. What does that look like for people with disabilities?

In Summary

"Development" in a job means training and helping employees learn new skills. For people with disabilities, this means making sure everyone can access all resources. Companies that do this often make more money and can even get special perks.

a person with arrows to workflows icon in black on a yellow background

Making Work Accessible: Onboarding

by Britne Jenke, CPACC
May 29, 2024May 28, 2025

This entry is part 4 of 6 in the series Making Work Accessible

In HR, “onboarding” refers to the process of introducing a new employee to an organization and helping them adjust to their new role. What does that look like for people with disabilities?

In Summary

When a new person starts a job, "onboarding" is how the company helps them get settled. For employees with disabilities, making this process easy and fair is key. Doing the things in this article makes the company look better to customers and shows they care about fairness.