How would you approach educating team members on the latest accessibility standards and guidelines?

In our experience, one of the most effective ways to educate the team on accessibility is through “live code walkthroughs”. Instead of just covering WCAG theory, we go through the actual code the team is working on and highlight common issues like missing alt attributes or low color contrast. Then we introduce tools like axe DevTools, Lighthouse, and screen readers such as NVDA or VoiceOver, followed by small hands-on exercises so team members can test things themselves. Culturally, it’s also crucial to show that accessibility isn’t just about a specific group — it directly impacts SEO, performance, and overall user experience.

Regularly updating training materials, offering refresher courses, and encouraging faculty and staff to stay informed about new accessibility tools and legal requirements ensures that accessibility and compliance efforts remain effective over time. Establishing accessibility working groups or mentorship programs can facilitate collaboration and provide ongoing support for educators and other members of your faculty and staff as they strive to improve their digital accessibility skills. To ensure relevance, it may be helpful to tailor training programs to specific roles, like web development and instructional design. Additionally, providing “take home” resources, like step-by-step guides and checklists.

To teach team members about the latest accessibility rules, I would start with short, easy-to-understand training sessions. I’d share helpful tools like checklists, videos, and real examples. We’d use tools like Axe or Lighthouse during our daily work to learn by doing. I’d also run regular checks on our work to see how accessible it is and discuss ways to improve. Choosing a few team members to stay updated and share new tips helps everyone stay on track. The goal is to make learning about accessibility simple, ongoing, and part of our daily work.

1. Understand the New Changes First Take time to read, analyze, and understand the new standard and guidelines. 2. Create a short and easy-to-understand summary or visual presentation that highlights the key points, changes, and what the team needs to know. 3. Hold a Team Briefing or Workshop Organize a meeting or training session (online or offline) to explain the updates, answer questions, and show how it affects their daily work. 4. Provide Written Materials and References Share handouts, links, or a quick reference guide (FAQ, checklist, or SOP updates) so the team can review it anytime. 4. Monitor Implementation & Give Feedback Follow up regularly to make sure the changes are applied correctly, provide feedback, and offer support.

Important thing to remind your team member: -Discuss the importance during training or meeting updates -Make sure team member participates on your update regarding any comment and questions they have. -Send meeting minutes and updates via email for their easy access.

Accessibility training shouldn’t be a snooze-fest or a checkbox exercise; it’s about creating something meaningful for everyone. Step one? Make it real. Show your team why accessibility matters with examples that connect to everyday experiences (remember how you felt the last time captions rescued you from a noisy coffee shop?). Step two? Keep it collaborative. Host workshops or even friendly competitions to make learning interactive. And step three? Break it down. Give them bite-sized updates on accessibility guidelines over time rather than a firehose of info. Because, frankly, nobody loves feeling like they’re cramming for a pop quiz! Accessible design is just good design, so let's make it exciting, not exhausting.

Accessibility isn’t a one-time lesson. It changes. So I keep my team updated—quick sessions, small updates, real talk. When WCAG updates, we talk about it. Not just to follow rules, but to build better for everyone.

Ongoing updates ensure the team stays current with evolving accessibility standards like WCAG. Share regular updates through newsletters, brief training sessions, or internal channels. Encourage continuous learning with access to articles, webinars, and tools. Create a feedback loop where team members can share challenges and insights, keeping accessibility a consistent, evolving part of the workflow.

Learning rules is fine, but real learning starts with hands-on work. I give the team small tasks—like testing with a screen reader or fixing heading structure. They see the impact right away. That���s when it sticks.

Practical exercises help team members apply accessibility standards in real-world scenarios. Use hands-on tasks like auditing a webpage for WCAG compliance, fixing accessibility issues, or designing with screen reader users in mind. Tailor exercises to each role—design, development, or content—to reinforce learning through action. This approach builds confidence and ensures team members can implement accessibility best practices effectively.

I don’t teach accessibility alone. I let the team learn from each other. We share tools, wins, and problems in short check-ins. Real stories spark better ideas. That’s how we grow together—and make accessibility part of the culture.

Collaborative learning fosters team engagement with accessibility standards through group activities, peer reviews, and knowledge sharing. Encourage cross-functional collaboration where designers, developers, and content creators learn from each other’s perspectives. Host regular discussions or workshops to solve accessibility challenges together, building a supportive learning culture that reinforces shared responsibility for inclusive design.

I don’t expect my team to remember everything. So I share a simple list of trusted resources—WCAG guides, quick videos, helpful blogs. When they get stuck, they know where to look. It keeps learning easy and ongoing.

Providing accessibility resources empowers team members to learn independently and stay updated. Share curated tools, guides, and documentation like WCAG, ARIA, and accessibility checklists. Include access to online courses, webinars, and browser extensions for testing. Organize these resources in a central hub for easy reference, helping the team confidently apply accessibility standards in their daily work.

We grow with feedback. I run quick audits, ask real users to test, and let the team share ideas anytime. It’s not about blame—it’s about getting better. That’s how we keep accessibility real, not just a checklist.