S1E2 - ATD Core 4 and More

Jacob just got back from the ATD Core 4 conference in Indianapolis, and Nicole wants to hear all about it. They talk about what went well and what got missed: a LEGO Serious Play session where finding the pieces by touch turned into a lesson about accessibility, a speaker who asked the room whether he could skip the microphone, and how a stage, a missing ramp and standard-height chairs can quietly leave people out. Then Nicole shares a project where accessibility was saved for the very end, and the two talk about how to move it earlier: clear contract dates, time for a second review, and building accessibly from the start instead of treating it as a final quality check. Full transcript and episode page: https://www.beyondalttextpod.com IN THIS EPISODE 0:00 Intro 0:17 Jacob's trip to ATD Core 4 in Indianapolis 2:43 LEGO Serious Play 4:09 Building without seeing the pieces 6:15 How conference organizers can be proactive 7:02 Just use the microphone 8:27 Share your slides before your session 10:04 The stage, the missing ramp and the chairs 12:38 Accessing Higher Ground and sign language interpreters 15:37 When accessibility gets left to the end of a project 19:02 Moving accessibility earlier: contracts and review dates 21:12 Accessible design is a design choice 22:59 Know your tools and share what you learn 24:28 Wrapping up, and what's next TAKEAWAYS - Use the microphone, every time. Don't ask the room whether it's okay to skip it; people rarely feel safe saying they need it, and live captions depend on it. - Share your slides and materials before your session, not after. - Check the physical space: a ramp to the stage, a clearly marked edge on any riser, and a range of seating, like footrests or adjustable chairs. - Before you book a venue, ask about accessibility and whether they work with local sign language interpreters. - Put accessibility dates in the contract: when testing happens, when revisions are due, and time to retest. - Build accessibly from the start. Alt text and focus order take very little time when you do them as you go. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE - ATD, the Association for Talent Development: https://www.td.org - Accessing Higher Ground conference: https://www.accessinghigherground.org - LEGO Serious Play: https://www.lego.com/en-us/themes/serious-play PEOPLE JACOB MET AT ATD CORE 4 - Moe Ash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moeash7/ - Betty Dannewitz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ifyouaskbetty/ - Katrina Kennedy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrinakennedytraining/ - Bianca Woods: https://www.linkedin.com/in/biancawoods/ YOUR HOSTS Jacob Wood Website: https://jacobwood.me LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-wood-writer Nicole L'Etoile Website: https://www.letoile-education.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleletoile/ GET IN TOUCH Have a question, a tip or a story to share? We'd love to hear from you, and we're still looking for a sign-off catchphrase, so send us your ideas. Visit https://www.beyondalttextpod.com This podcast is powered by Pinecast.