A web developer turned e-learning designer shares how they bounced between teaching and libraries before finding their path creating accessible online training. They've written a handbook for learning designers and are working on guides for HR and leadership to embed accessibility across workplaces.
My story in talent development and the journey to inclusive pixelation, um, is a long one over many years, but I'll summarize in a few leaps and bounds. I started my career as a kid with a computer. I made websites. I was a web developer. I went to school. I thought I would be a teacher. I ended up going into corporate training instead. But before that, I did a short stint as a librarian, uh, and deciding that that wasn't for me, started to pursue a master's degree in, um, educational technology. Quickly found that wasn't for me either. We'll talk about my habits with that master's degrees later. I tend to, to start and stop them, but I ended up working in a job where I was a training designer because I had these skills as a web developer that I knew how to make those little e-learning modules. So I had to very quickly learn adult learning and development. I built on a lot of knowledge again from being in the library space. I'd worked with people and their access to information. I, of course, knew web design, but very quickly landed in the field of corporate training when they needed an e-learning developer and continued my journey from there. I have been speaking at conferences for a few years now. I published a small handbook specifically for learning designers looking to make their online learning accessible. We've got more handbooks planned for human resources and leadership professionals, how to apply accessibility in the workplace. So our goal is really educating others on making work accessible.
