The Secret to the Successful Adoption of Accessibility Work

Have you heard of Implementation Science? (Stay with me here.)

Implementation Science is essentially the study of how to put what we know works into actual, real world practice. It looks at the methods and strategies that help healthcare organizations turn research and evidence-based practices into everyday care. Basically, it’s the study of the “What” versus the “How”.

And while Implementation Science is focused to healthcare settings, that same “Know vs Do” gap is something many of us can relate to as practitioners in our respective domains.

The issue is that much of our Accessibility-related education focuses on building awareness, without also equipping individuals with the relevant and actionable skills to start implementing changed behaviour straight away.

This is an issue because when we do so, we’re effectively widening that “Know vs Do” gap, leaving people to feel helpless in their ability to participate in change. They may leave the training or event feeling motivated, but soon after, feel overwhelmed—perceiving the issue as being too complex and out of their individual control. And what happens next? Avoidance, and ultimately, disengagement.

Accessibility education shouldn’t leave people more aware of everything they’re currently doing wrong. It should leave them feeling personally capable of doing the next thing right.

Awareness tells people that barriers exist. It may even tell them what those barriers might look like. But literacy gives them the skills and capacity to actually do something about it.

So, what’s the secret to the successful adoption of accessibility work? Personal agency.