Photo by: tzahiV via Canva
Many people think accessibility relates only to visual, auditory, and mobility impairments (we covered visual and auditory in part one of this blog!) but, as designers, we must design for cognitive impairments as well. Cognitive disabilities often impact one or more of the following: memory, attention and focus, problem solving, and literacy (including reading, verbal, and mathematical comprehension). Additionally, many cognitive disorders go undiagnosed, so the learner may not even be aware of what they need in a learning environment. So, our job as designers is to create a learning environment that will be accessible to all impairments, including cognitive.
Here are a few tips for making synchronous training more accessible for the cognitively impaired.
1. Focus on a practical approach versus theory. Use real life examples for case studies and role plays. Build in plenty of opportunity for practice.
2. Incorporate active learning by combining physical and cognitive learning opportunities (e.g. rather than lecturing, have the learners brainstorm while writing on the whiteboard).
3. Chunk content in small digestible pieces. Follow the memory rule of 7 +/- 2 by breaking up the task into smaller sub-tasks/steps. Then design each sub-task to follow the PAF guidelines (1/3 = presentation of content, 2/3 = application and feedback).
4. Use a variety of visual and auditory methods to deliver the content but avoid flashy animations and loud background music.
5. Focus on the essential information and get rid of the “nice to know” information. Write in a clear and concise manner using an active voice and eliminate redundancy.
6. Focus on reasoning rather than memorization. Use the six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy to formulate questions to ask the learners.
7. Allow for self-guided learning. Ensure there’s enough time for learners to read information and answer questions. Build in individual practice opportunities with reasonable, yet tight, time constraints. (If time’s too short, the learner may feel rushed or distressed. If time’s too long, the learner may lose focus and not finish.)
8. Use the acronym POUR as a reminder of what to include (for all impairments). Focus on the four principles of accessibility that form the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG):
Perceivable – content must be presented in a way that learners can see or hear it.
Operable – platform must provide the ability for learners to interact (e.g. with the keyboard or by voice).
Understandable – content and instructions must use clear and simple language to ensure readability, and the tools must function in ways that are common and predictable.
Robust – content must allow for reliable interpretation through a variety of applications and assistive technologies.
Overall, your goal is to design content that is engaging and interactive, requires reasoning rather than memorization, and focuses on relevant, practical content and application.
Incorporating these tips will help learners feel more at ease when it comes to memory, focus and attention, problem-solving, and literacy challenges.
Check out the Instructional Design for the Virtual Trainer workshop if you’re tasked with designing virtual classroom training. If your focus is on the delivery of synchronous training, The Virtual Trainer workshop is the one for you!
