Does Digital Accessibility Training Actually Help? (And why it’s worth your time — whatever your role)

When Digital Accessibility training is mentioned, the response we most often hear is some version of:
  “I know it matters… I just don’t have the time.”

That’s true whether you’re an academic juggling teaching and research, a librarian supporting students and staff, or a professional services colleague managing course information, learning resources, or student-facing systems.

Recently, I took some time to look more closely at what actually happens after people attend our Digital Accessibility workshops — not through attendance figures or post-session surveys, but by talking to colleagues about how the training landed in practice.

The short answer?
Yes, it helps — and often in ways that make work easier, not harder.

Looking beyond attendance and feedback

Rather than running another survey, I followed up with two colleagues who had attended Digital Accessibility workshops:

• one academic

• one professional services colleague working closely with learning resources and student-facing materials

This wasn’t about producing statistics or making big claims. The aim was simple:

• did the training change how they approached their work?

• did it influence everyday decisions?

• did it feel worth the time?

What came out of those conversations was quietly reassuring.

Impact doesn’t look like a total redesign

One of the strongest messages was that the training didn’t lead to dramatic overhauls of modules, guides, or resources. Instead, it changed how people think when they’re creating, reviewing, or updating digital content.

As one colleague put it:

“It didn’t transform everything I do, but it did make me more rigorous about how I think things through.”

That kind of shift matters across all roles. Most accessibility issues don’t come from bad intentions — they come from small decisions made under time pressure. The training helps surface those decisions earlier, when they’re easier to address.

Online spaces are where problems quietly build up

Both conversations highlighted something many of us recognise: accessibility issues are harder to spot online than in person.

In face-to-face settings, students will often say if something isn’t working. In digital spaces — Moodle modules, library guides, induction materials, shared resources — that feedback often doesn’t come at all.

As one colleague explained:

“If it’s online, you don’t always know there’s a problem until much later — or at all.”

This is why the workshops focus so strongly on digital materials: structure, signposting, formats, navigation, and clarity. These are areas that affect academics, librarians, course reps, and professional services staff alike.

When the training connects to your role, it really lands

Where colleagues could immediately see how the training related to their own responsibilities, the impact was much clearer.

For academic staff, that might be about Moodle structure, file formats, or feedback.
For professional services staff, it might be about library resources, course information, induction materials, or staff training content.

One participant described how specific guidance helped them act straight away:

“I knew what was too much description and what was just right — that made it much easier to apply straight away.”

That’s exactly what the workshops aim to do: offer practical judgement you can use immediately, whatever your role.

The invisible nature of “good” accessibility

Another honest reflection was about feedback — or the lack of it.

When accessibility works well, students rarely comment on it. Feedback tends to surface only when something goes wrong.

As one colleague put it:

“You only really hear about it when something doesn’t work.”

That can make accessibility feel unrewarding, but it also means much of its value lies in problems that never arise: fewer confused emails, fewer missing resources, fewer students quietly struggling to access what they need.

“I don’t have time” — and why the workshops still help

Time came up repeatedly in these conversations. Not resistance. Not lack of care. Just time.

As one colleague summed it up:

“It’s not willingness — it’s time.”

This is precisely why the Digital Accessibility workshops exist.

They aren’t about adding more to your workload. They’re about helping you:

• spot high-impact issues quickly

• avoid reworking materials later

• reduce uncertainty and trial-and-error

• make better decisions the first time round

Across both academic and professional services roles, colleagues described the training as helping them feel more confident and efficient, not weighed down by extra requirements.

Why we’re encouraging staff to attend

If you create, manage, review, or support digital learning materials — and most of us do — accessibility is already part of your work, whether or not you’ve had training.

Attending a Digital Accessibility workshop:

• helps reduce hidden barriers for students

• makes digital materials clearer for everyone

• supports more consistent, sustainable practice

• and often saves time in the long run

The sessions are practical, role-aware, and grounded in the reality of how teaching, support, and student-facing work actually happen.

If you’ve been putting it off because of time, that’s exactly why it’s worth attending.

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Interested?

Our Digital Accessibility workshops run regularly and are open to both academic and professional services staff, including librarians, course reps, and student support teams. You don’t need to be an expert — just willing to reflect on how your digital materials are used in practice.

👉 Details and booking information can be found [here]