How to Improve Your Software Training to Make It Accessible

Published October 10, 2022

One of the biggest concerns that business leaders have is the length of time it takes to onboard employees to new software tools. IT leadership can spend months searching for the right SaaS vendor and then still have to work through the employee onboarding process. Some experts estimate that it can take more than two years to fully roll out a new software option for companies with more than 1,000 employees. 

But it shouldn’t be all about speed. You also need to train to use new tools. This includes providing accommodations for employees with disabilities. 

Here are a few best practices to make your software training process more accessible for employees with disabilities. 

Respect different learning styles and speeds

Everyone learns differently. Some people enjoy watching video tutorials or following a recording. Other people prefer to follow written instructions. 

You can make your training materials more accessible by offering them in different formats. Provide a video recording along with written instructions. Create interactive tasks so employees can experience the software in a structured environment. 

Along with accommodating multiple learning styles, consider that people learn at different speeds. Some employees may take longer to complete a training course than others. Some people may need to return to the material multiple times. That’s okay. 

Test gamification and microlearning

Two methods to consider as you invest in software training solutions are gamification and microlearning. These techniques appeal to different types of people, but the ultimate goal is to get people engaged while they use the new tool or app. 

  • Gamification uses gameplay mechanics like rewards and new challenges to encourage trainees as they progress. 
  • Microlearning breaks complex concepts down into smaller bits. Instead of covering a lot of information in a long session, trainees might learn for a few minutes at a time or only learn one new concept a day. 

For example, you might create a Question of the Day that asks about a feature in the new software system. Employees who complete all five questions in a workweek could receive a reward on Friday. This incorporates both gamification and microlearning. 

Make sure all training materials are accessible

Remember, your employees with disabilities don’t exclusively need to learn about the accessibility features. They need to know just as much about the software as their peers. However, if your training materials aren’t accessible, some employees may not be able to participate and learn what they need to know fully. 

Train all employees on accessibility features

Accessibility training isn’t just for employees with disabilities. This places an unfair burden on them to learn more about the software than employees without disabilities. Plus, there are many benefits of training your entire staff on accessibility features:

  • Employees can help each other out when they forget where a certain tool is located.
  • Existing employees can train new hires on accessibility features with confidence. 
  • If an employee with a disability shares their screen, other employees will understand why it has different features, like larger text. 

Incorporating accessibility features into onboarding and training can also increase awareness about how employees with disabilities navigate the workplace. 

Provide remote and in-person training

Since the start of the pandemic, more companies have established hybrid work environments where employees work some of the time remotely. Some of your employees might remain fully remote. It makes sense for your training to accommodate both types of workers and allow people to make the most of how they learn best. 

Some remote employees will prefer virtual onboarding. They don’t have to travel to the office, which can be challenging for some people with disabilities. Others might want to attend an in-person session so they can ask questions and work directly with a trainer. 

Add offline access and downloadable content

If your employees with disabilities use assistive technology, they may need to download the training materials and review them offline. This is easy if you already provide the materials in multiple formats. Plus, any employee can use these offline guides if they need help using specific features. 

Set up multiple evaluation opportunities

If you need to test your employees to ensure they fully understand how to use the tools, set up multiple options for team members to prove what they know. Consider creating a multiple-choice exam based on the tool or developing practice projects so employees can prove their mastery. 

This evaluation should be a low-stress process. Your goal is understanding whether the employee knows how to use the software tool.

 

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