WEBVTT
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(upbeat music)
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Welcome to The Accessible Learning Experience
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where we help you turn learning barriers
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into learning opportunities.
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In this episode, we're joined by Allyson Robinson
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and Lyssa Prince from Oklahoma ABLE Tech,
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and Stephanie Roe
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from Oklahoma's Department of Rehabilitation Services.
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They discuss how their respective agencies
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are working together to improve accessibility
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for all job seekers in Oklahoma.
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This includes the development and implementation
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of a five-star rubric that will guide continuous improvement
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on accessibility for workforce development agencies,
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which they'll describe in this episode.
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Allyson, Lyssa, and Stephanie share valuable insights
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for other states or agencies looking
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to take a similar approach to improve accessibility
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in their workforce development programs.
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Here's our conversation with Allyson, Lyssa, and Stephanie.
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Let's start by having each of you introduce yourselves,
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and tell us a little bit about your background
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in accessibility.
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How about we start with you, Allyson?
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Hi, Luis. Thanks for having me.
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I am actually an Assistant Director for Oklahoma ABLE Tech
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and we're located at Oklahoma State University.
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My background is actually as a speech pathologist.
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That is what brought me to the organization.
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And I've had an emphasis on helping people
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with complex communication needs,
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helping them access and acquire the things
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that they need and be more independent.
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So, over the last 10 years at this organization,
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my shift and focus has really...
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It's changed.
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So, instead of helping people,
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just maybe one-on-one, consulting,
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helping them find assistive technology solutions,
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it's actually really broadened in the term accessibility
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and it's become more programmatic.
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So, a lot of what I'm getting to do now is
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helping organizations and agencies create policy
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and practices around accessibility,
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so that we're talking more systems change
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instead of focusing as much on maybe helping
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that single person do what they're doing.
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So, that is probably the quickest way I can give you
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my background with accessibility.
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And Lyssa, you work with Allyson at ABLE Tech.
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Can you tell us a little bit about the work that you do?
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Yes. Hi, Luis.
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And thanks again for having us as well.
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My path into accessibility is
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a little bit by accident, I would say.
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When I was a student at the University of Oklahoma,
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I was actually in information studies.
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That was my major.
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And we had a little bit of a mention in one of our courses
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about either Section 508 or disabilities in general,
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and that keyword is actually what piqued my interest
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in a student job at the University of Oklahoma,
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where I was hired to do
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rich media accessibility, remediation basically.
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So, I worked with PDF and Word documents and all of that.
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So, my background, like I mentioned,
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is kind of in information studies.
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And I ended up getting my master's
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in library and information science,
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and was working full-time at the University of Oklahoma,
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kind of doing accessibility, kind of on the side.
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And then eventually,
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I worked my way into a full-time accessibility position
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at Oklahoma ABLE Tech about three and a half years ago.
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So, my path is a little bit strange,
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but I also feel like that's not super unique
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in the accessibility field.
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You are so right.
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There's so many different paths that you can follow,
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and end up working in accessibility.
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And with us, we also have Stephanie Roe
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from Oklahoma's Department of Rehabilitation Services.
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Hi. Yes.
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Thank you so much for including me in this podcast.
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I am Stephanie Roe,
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and I am the project coordinator
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for the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services.
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We are a combined agency serving individuals
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with disabilities in Oklahoma
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through vocational rehabilitation programs
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and services for the blind and visually impaired.
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And my role is really I'm a coordinator of all things.
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It seems like in my role.
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But I really work directly
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with the Oklahoma workforce system
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and a multitude of partners that encompass
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that system here in Oklahoma.
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So, I would say my background with accessibility is
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really to advocate on the importance of accessibility
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and 508 compliance.
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Not only for the individuals with disabilities
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that we serve directly through our agency,
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but also those who may be accessing other services
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within the workforce development system.
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And so, that's probably my perspective
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and background on my role.
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Thank you, Stephanie.
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Allyson, can you tell us about ABLE Tech
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and the work you do for Oklahomans
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who need accessibility support?
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What does ABLE Tech do to create different circumstances
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for individuals who need accessible materials
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and technologies?
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That is a great question.
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And ABLE Tech has so many programs and services.
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So, I'll start by telling you a little bit
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about what ABLE Tech is.
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And then I can dive deeper
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into the accessibility support part of it.
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So, ABLE Tech is what's called
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an Assistive Technology Act program.
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There is a program like ours in every state
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and U.S. territory.
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So, we all have the same mission,
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and it's to serve individuals with disabilities
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of all ages in all environments.
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So, we're talking education, employment,
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and in the community.
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We're to do that all over the state.
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So, it's a big mission and a big charge.
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And our goal is to help people access
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and acquire assistive technology devices and services.
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That's basically to help them do something
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they otherwise couldn't do,
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or maybe something that would have been
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just difficult for them to do.
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So, they're looking for AT devices
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and services to help them.
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That's the broad mission, which does include accessibility.
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But when you dive deeper into what we're doing
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to help Oklahomans and provide them accessibility support,
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the two things that really come to mind are training
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and technical assistance.
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So, training is,
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we're gonna help you increase your skills, your knowledge,
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your practices related to accessibility.
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So, we're very busy with that.
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And then the other thing that we do a lot is
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provide technical assistance.
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And these are pretty uniquely defined
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by the Assistive Technology Act.
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But technical assistance is going to be focusing
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on systems change.
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So, we wanna be working with agencies
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and organizations on the creation of policy
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and practice, the implementation of that.
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And I'll tell you more kind of as we go on.
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But basically, through a really amazing opportunity,
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ABLE Tech was able to help advocate for passage of a law.
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And it actually passed in 2004 that wrote ABLE Tech in
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as the provider of training in technical assistance
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on this topic for all state agencies,
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institutions of higher education,
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and the career tech centers.
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So, we had our AT Act mission to be doing these things.
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And then there was actually passage of a law
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that put it in place.
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And it basically is so big that our work will,
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I'm sure, never be done.
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But that is probably the best way to describe
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our accessibility support for Oklahomans.
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And Allyson, a number of times you've mentioned
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the need for systems change,
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and we know how important it is to bring together a number
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of different players to work together
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in coordination and collaboration
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to ensure that, you know, all different parts
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of the system are communicating and coordinating.
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And so, I know that you've been working
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with Stephanie's agency as you mentioned.
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You work with a number of agencies.
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Stephanie, how did you start working with ABLE Tech?
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And what brought your agency and ABLE Tech together?
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Well, as Allyson mentioned that ABLE Tech is
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the Technology Act program for the state of Oklahoma.
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So, DRS has had a longstanding partnership with ABLE Tech,
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just for enhancing the provision
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of assistive technology services across the state.
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But I would really say that our partnership
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really strengthened and expanded beginning in about 2014
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with the development of the Access for All initiative.
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And Access for All was really created
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as a joint partnership between DRS and ABLE Tech
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to increase knowledge and provide resources
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to enhance the accessibility of the workforce system.
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So, we developed this partnership in anticipation of WIOA.
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And as we all know, or maybe some don't,
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WIOA was passed in 2014.
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And WIOA really strengthened the language
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of including individuals with disabilities
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to build a more inclusive workforce system.
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And so, this partnership, like I said,
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really started to kind of build off of the need for that,
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and expanding our partnership to get this initiative
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off the ground.
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So, this initiative really set the state strategy
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for the accessibility of the workforce system.
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And then ABLE Tech is also providing
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programmatic technology accessibility details
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within this partnership.
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And so, we started in 2014,
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and then here we are still partnering together
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for the restructure of the Access for All certification
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into an expanded five-level star framework.
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And I know Lyssa's gonna talk a little bit more
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about what that means now.
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But we've come a long way since we started this partnership,
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and we're happy to still be partnering together
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on this important initiative here in Oklahoma.
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And Stephanie, before I turn it over to Lyssa,
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can you explain for our listeners what WIOA is?
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Yeah, so, it stands
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for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
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And it was actually passed in 2014 by President Obama.
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And it was a bi-partisan measure
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to establish core programs within states
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that focused on workforce development strategy
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in a nutshell.
Thank you, Stephanie.
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So, I understand this partnership continues to this day,
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and I know that you have a very exciting initiative.
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So, Lyssa, can you give us a description
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of the five-star rubric?
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What is it?
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What's the purpose of it?
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How did it come about?
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As Stephanie mentioned, it is a...
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The Access for All process started back in 2014.
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And there was already kind of an evaluation process,
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but it was basically pass or fail.
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And what it was evaluating was both physical
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and digital accessibility.
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So, what we've kind of done in the last few years is
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revamp this into this five-star rubric
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that still measures physical and digital accessibility,
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but it's kind of based on a continuous improvement model.
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So, instead of, you know, that strict, you know,
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"You're passing. You're failing,"
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we actually let these organizations see it
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kind of on a continuum.
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So, we measure based on four categories.
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Those four categories are customer service,
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training, outreach, and physical accessibility.
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The scores range from one star to five star,
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with one being the lowest and five being the highest.
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And one is basically compliance.
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So, I won't list all of the different names
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of our star ratings.
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But one is compliance, five is proactive.
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So, if you think of it a different way,
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one being compliance is kind of like the bare minimum.
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So, we're just meeting the basic minimum of accessibility.
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And that's what we expect out of every group
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that goes through this.
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And then five is proactive.
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So, that's really...
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Meaning, really that our systems are put in place
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to maintain and ensure that accessibility is
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always considered in whatever interaction happens
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with the person wanting job resources
270
00:12:43.730 --> 00:12:45.610
in a workforce job center.
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So, whether that be digital or physical or virtual,
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however you want to break that down.
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And the purpose of the tool is really
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to help job centers know how they're doing
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and what they need to improve on.
276
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Like I said, it's based on continuous improvement.
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And as those of us who work in accessibility space know,
278
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accessibility is never done.
279
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So, this model really fits accessibility better than
280
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that pass or fail mentality in that model.
281
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And also, if you kind of think about,
282
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you know, maybe physical accessibility,
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sometimes there are physical issues
284
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that maybe a landlord can't fix at these jobs center.
285
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So, it really, I think, helps these job centers
286
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to feel like they have somewhere to go,
287
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rather than just being told,
288
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"Hey, you're doing everything absolutely wrong.
289
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You're failing."
290
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So, it kind of gives them a little bit more room
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to move around.
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And I think it also really makes sure
293
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to kind of build that culture.
294
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You know, we know where we're going or where we've been,
295
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and we kind of know where we're going.
296
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And then the other side of that coin is
297
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those of us in the task force
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that have helped build this star accessibility framework,
299
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it helps us know what gaps we need to fill.
300
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It helps us know what training we need to provide.
301
00:13:58.700 --> 00:14:00.850
And a big part of what we're providing
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as part of this process is a course catalog.
303
00:14:04.160 --> 00:14:06.980
So, these job centers can actually go
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and take training on physical and digital accessibility,
305
00:14:11.450 --> 00:14:13.893
as well as other elements of this process,
306
00:14:13.893 --> 00:14:16.697
and know kind of better how to kind of move forward.
307
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That's so important.
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The point that you made that with accessibility.
309
00:14:20.050 --> 00:14:22.040
It really is a journey.
310
00:14:22.040 --> 00:14:24.020
And at various points in that journey,
311
00:14:24.020 --> 00:14:26.360
we want to make sure we know where we are
312
00:14:26.360 --> 00:14:29.410
and how far we have to go in terms of the goal
313
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that we're trying to accomplish.
314
00:14:30.870 --> 00:14:32.840
So, this rubric definitely helps with that.
315
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As you mentioned, this rubric is gonna be part
316
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of a continuous improvement process.
317
00:14:36.620 --> 00:14:39.240
So, how do you hope that the rubric will be used
318
00:14:39.240 --> 00:14:40.473
in implementation?
319
00:14:41.356 --> 00:14:45.190
The rubric is going to be used by local workforce boards
320
00:14:45.190 --> 00:14:48.220
to measure that physical accessibility,
321
00:14:48.220 --> 00:14:50.040
as well as monitor it and move forward.
322
00:14:50.040 --> 00:14:53.390
So, and it's actually already been used
323
00:14:53.390 --> 00:14:55.510
by these groups for one year or two.
324
00:14:55.510 --> 00:14:56.610
So, we're kind of in the process
325
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of learning that and figuring that out.
326
00:14:58.180 --> 00:15:00.420
So, we actually have some more information
327
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to tell you about that as we go along here.
328
00:15:02.390 --> 00:15:05.440
But the local workforce boards,
329
00:15:05.440 --> 00:15:08.040
there are six of them in our state,
330
00:15:08.040 --> 00:15:11.060
and they each gather an assessment team
331
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that they send out to each of their job centers
332
00:15:13.660 --> 00:15:17.150
to perform this assessment with this rubric.
333
00:15:17.150 --> 00:15:19.300
So, that's going to happen every two years.
334
00:15:19.300 --> 00:15:21.760
And it was intended to happen last year,
335
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but unfortunately with the pandemic,
336
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that was put off another year.
337
00:15:24.650 --> 00:15:27.870
So, this was actually their first year to do that.
338
00:15:27.870 --> 00:15:29.850
And I kind of wanted to point out too.
339
00:15:29.850 --> 00:15:33.580
We had quite a variety of different partners
340
00:15:33.580 --> 00:15:36.740
that were assembled by these local workforce boards.
341
00:15:36.740 --> 00:15:39.800
So, we actually had 42 different evaluation team members
342
00:15:39.800 --> 00:15:41.670
that were included from a range of partners.
343
00:15:41.670 --> 00:15:43.820
It was awesome to see how they kind of,
344
00:15:43.820 --> 00:15:46.560
you know, used the flexibility we provided with the framework
345
00:15:46.560 --> 00:15:48.550
to gather these partners that would work really well
346
00:15:48.550 --> 00:15:50.630
for their job centers.
347
00:15:50.630 --> 00:15:53.110
And we also will see the number for that
348
00:15:53.110 --> 00:15:55.170
is 26 jobs centers that were evaluated.
349
00:15:55.170 --> 00:15:57.230
So, that's kind of how it's being used.
350
00:15:57.230 --> 00:15:58.780
And they're basically sending that in
351
00:15:58.780 --> 00:16:00.460
to the office of workforce development
352
00:16:00.460 --> 00:16:02.190
once they're done with the assessment.
353
00:16:02.190 --> 00:16:04.850
And then we're evaluating it as a task force team,
354
00:16:04.850 --> 00:16:07.160
and kind of using it, like I said, to move forward.
355
00:16:07.160 --> 00:16:08.340
There's a lot of work that goes
356
00:16:08.340 --> 00:16:10.590
into putting this kind of effort together.
357
00:16:10.590 --> 00:16:13.480
So, I would love to hear from each of you,
358
00:16:13.480 --> 00:16:16.770
both ABLE Tech and from Stephanie's side,
359
00:16:16.770 --> 00:16:18.410
what's one insight that you've gained
360
00:16:18.410 --> 00:16:20.650
from working together on this effort?
361
00:16:20.650 --> 00:16:24.140
I would say, from my perspective,
362
00:16:24.140 --> 00:16:26.570
Lyssa kind of focused on this a little bit earlier
363
00:16:26.570 --> 00:16:30.140
about that accessibility really is never done.
364
00:16:30.140 --> 00:16:33.650
It's always something that you're working towards every day.
365
00:16:33.650 --> 00:16:36.720
And so, I think one insight from my perspective,
366
00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:40.610
just from kind of where we've been to where we are now is
367
00:16:40.610 --> 00:16:43.440
just that that focus on accessibility,
368
00:16:43.440 --> 00:16:45.230
specifically for job seekers
369
00:16:45.230 --> 00:16:48.380
that are accessing services in our state,
370
00:16:48.380 --> 00:16:52.000
that focus really has to change and evolve
371
00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:55.050
to keep the importance of ensuring
372
00:16:55.050 --> 00:16:58.380
that Access of All is met in Oklahoma.
373
00:16:58.380 --> 00:17:00.580
And so, one of those,
374
00:17:00.580 --> 00:17:04.290
I guess I would say also advice for other states
375
00:17:04.290 --> 00:17:06.800
would really just to be that you really...
376
00:17:06.800 --> 00:17:10.460
It's imperative to have a state level buy-in
377
00:17:10.460 --> 00:17:12.380
with this type of initiative.
378
00:17:12.380 --> 00:17:14.530
You know, we started this partnership
379
00:17:14.530 --> 00:17:16.310
through ABLE Tech and DRS,
380
00:17:16.310 --> 00:17:19.560
but eventually we did have the state level buy-in
381
00:17:19.560 --> 00:17:23.150
and they are a full partner of ours
382
00:17:23.150 --> 00:17:25.570
in implementing this throughout Oklahoma.
383
00:17:25.570 --> 00:17:29.240
I think that's imperative whenever you want to have success
384
00:17:29.240 --> 00:17:31.340
with implementing something like this.
385
00:17:31.340 --> 00:17:34.050
And then also making sure that you really include
386
00:17:34.050 --> 00:17:35.660
all of your stakeholders,
387
00:17:35.660 --> 00:17:39.880
and people that may potentially be involved in the process
388
00:17:39.880 --> 00:17:44.290
to get the feedback and information directly
389
00:17:44.290 --> 00:17:46.050
for developing something like this,
390
00:17:46.050 --> 00:17:49.650
and making sure that it's working as intended.
391
00:17:49.650 --> 00:17:53.380
That was something that we really made sure we got a lot
392
00:17:53.380 --> 00:17:56.330
of input in the process on the way,
393
00:17:56.330 --> 00:17:58.530
and we still are gathering it now
394
00:17:58.530 --> 00:18:02.300
about how that process has worked after our phase one.
395
00:18:02.300 --> 00:18:06.110
So, that would be a few pieces of advice just
396
00:18:06.110 --> 00:18:09.770
from my perspective in implementing an initiative like this.
397
00:18:09.770 --> 00:18:10.700
And Lyssa and Allyson,
398
00:18:10.700 --> 00:18:12.580
how about from ABLE Tech's perspective?
399
00:18:12.580 --> 00:18:14.560
What are some insights that you would share?
400
00:18:14.560 --> 00:18:16.520
Well, Stephanie kind of mentioned, you know,
401
00:18:16.520 --> 00:18:17.780
getting the buy-in and everything.
402
00:18:17.780 --> 00:18:19.560
And I did go ahead and mentioned in my,
403
00:18:19.560 --> 00:18:22.600
you know, overview of the rubric itself,
404
00:18:22.600 --> 00:18:24.290
the evaluation team members that we had.
405
00:18:24.290 --> 00:18:26.030
But I wanted to kind of just mention
406
00:18:26.030 --> 00:18:27.100
like where those were from.
407
00:18:27.100 --> 00:18:29.090
Oklahoma Employment Security Commission,
408
00:18:29.090 --> 00:18:30.380
we have local board staff,
409
00:18:30.380 --> 00:18:32.710
local board members, an elected official,
410
00:18:32.710 --> 00:18:33.860
service providers, staff,
411
00:18:33.860 --> 00:18:36.700
and the Department of Rehabilitation Services also provided.
412
00:18:36.700 --> 00:18:38.940
So, you can see that's really illustrating
413
00:18:38.940 --> 00:18:40.850
that collaboration that took place,
414
00:18:40.850 --> 00:18:42.190
in that buy-in that took place.
415
00:18:42.190 --> 00:18:45.690
And I think that's what made it successful this first round.
416
00:18:45.690 --> 00:18:47.550
And of course we have, you know, room for improvement.
417
00:18:47.550 --> 00:18:49.080
That was the whole point of it.
418
00:18:49.080 --> 00:18:51.860
And so, I think my second point would say, you know,
419
00:18:51.860 --> 00:18:54.280
don't expect perfection right off the bat.
420
00:18:54.280 --> 00:18:56.160
This is something that we're gonna continue
421
00:18:56.160 --> 00:18:58.780
to learn from and evolve with,
422
00:18:58.780 --> 00:19:02.550
and, you know, continue making it more and more useful
423
00:19:02.550 --> 00:19:05.580
for the groups that we are working with.
424
00:19:05.580 --> 00:19:08.163
I can add a small one.
425
00:19:09.900 --> 00:19:12.150
This takes time.
426
00:19:12.150 --> 00:19:17.150
So, a lot of the work that goes into accessibility,
427
00:19:17.710 --> 00:19:21.170
it's probably the initiative we do
428
00:19:21.170 --> 00:19:24.300
that takes the longest amount of time
429
00:19:24.300 --> 00:19:26.050
to show the greatest gain,
430
00:19:26.050 --> 00:19:28.020
and you just have to stick with it.
431
00:19:28.020 --> 00:19:33.020
So, when I was talking earlier about basically passing a law
432
00:19:34.060 --> 00:19:36.647
that had ABLE Tech providing training
433
00:19:36.647 --> 00:19:38.410
and technical assistance,
434
00:19:38.410 --> 00:19:42.480
we were talking years to even have that passed
435
00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:44.800
to then 10 years later,
436
00:19:44.800 --> 00:19:48.400
be at the point to be collaborating with Access for All.
437
00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:51.210
So, it doesn't often happen quickly.
438
00:19:51.210 --> 00:19:55.610
But if you know the vision and the mission
439
00:19:55.610 --> 00:19:57.510
and you're getting the buy-in,
440
00:19:57.510 --> 00:20:00.980
and everybody's, you know, going for that same goal,
441
00:20:00.980 --> 00:20:02.740
I think you can get there.
442
00:20:02.740 --> 00:20:05.110
You just have to. It's the long game.
443
00:20:05.110 --> 00:20:06.730
Yeah, it takes a lot of patience,
444
00:20:06.730 --> 00:20:09.650
and it takes time sometimes to develop the relationships
445
00:20:09.650 --> 00:20:13.330
that you need, right, to get this kind of work in place,
446
00:20:13.330 --> 00:20:17.310
and get it really optimized and working at a high level.
447
00:20:17.310 --> 00:20:19.980
Is there anything else you would like people to know
448
00:20:19.980 --> 00:20:23.123
about this work or related to this work that you're doing?
449
00:20:23.987 --> 00:20:27.870
The one thing I will add to this one is
450
00:20:27.870 --> 00:20:30.230
that we are always open to sharing.
451
00:20:30.230 --> 00:20:32.860
So, whenever people are interested to know more
452
00:20:32.860 --> 00:20:37.520
about the rubric or to learn about how we got where we are,
453
00:20:37.520 --> 00:20:39.550
we're happy to share that information with others,
454
00:20:39.550 --> 00:20:43.200
so that they can use it as a model to then,
455
00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:45.300
you know, do what's best maybe for their state.
456
00:20:45.300 --> 00:20:47.410
So, we're always happy to share.
457
00:20:47.410 --> 00:20:49.360
And I'm happy to hear that.
458
00:20:49.360 --> 00:20:52.220
You are part of a national cohort. Right?
459
00:20:52.220 --> 00:20:53.630
Tell us a little bit about that.
460
00:20:53.630 --> 00:20:56.650
Oklahoma is excited and proud
461
00:20:56.650 --> 00:20:59.500
to be a part of the AEM cohort.
462
00:20:59.500 --> 00:21:04.500
We got the opportunity a year ago to really dive deeper
463
00:21:04.650 --> 00:21:08.940
into accessibility and accessible educational materials
464
00:21:08.940 --> 00:21:12.150
and see what we could do in Oklahoma,
465
00:21:12.150 --> 00:21:14.720
really across the lifespan.
466
00:21:14.720 --> 00:21:19.380
And so, actually, what the cohort has enabled us to do is
467
00:21:19.380 --> 00:21:20.950
to connect with other states.
468
00:21:20.950 --> 00:21:23.260
So, the six other states who are participating.
469
00:21:23.260 --> 00:21:25.910
And share ideas back and forth
470
00:21:25.910 --> 00:21:28.390
about what's going on in Missouri,
471
00:21:28.390 --> 00:21:29.750
or what's going on in Oregon,
472
00:21:29.750 --> 00:21:32.120
here's how we're doing that in Oklahoma.
473
00:21:32.120 --> 00:21:35.107
And when it's come to these topics of accessibility
474
00:21:35.107 --> 00:21:37.360
and the workforce arena,
475
00:21:37.360 --> 00:21:41.010
people have been so receptive within the cohort
476
00:21:41.010 --> 00:21:43.270
to receive that information.
477
00:21:43.270 --> 00:21:45.230
It's like a best kept secret.
478
00:21:45.230 --> 00:21:50.170
And so, I've been so excited that Lyssa has been involved
479
00:21:50.170 --> 00:21:52.870
in participating and sharing about it
480
00:21:52.870 --> 00:21:56.040
because we do want others to gain
481
00:21:56.040 --> 00:21:57.780
from the things that we've learned.
482
00:21:57.780 --> 00:21:59.880
And the work was started so many years ago,
483
00:21:59.880 --> 00:22:02.910
it's a great point that we're at
484
00:22:02.910 --> 00:22:04.820
being in the AEM cohort for four years,
485
00:22:04.820 --> 00:22:08.610
and then sharing where we're at right now as we continue.
486
00:22:08.610 --> 00:22:12.260
Yeah. I mean, I've just recently kind of joined in
487
00:22:12.260 --> 00:22:14.830
to the AEM cohort myself.
488
00:22:14.830 --> 00:22:17.340
So, I'm kind of newer to that arena.
489
00:22:17.340 --> 00:22:18.800
But, you know, getting into the workforce
490
00:22:18.800 --> 00:22:19.680
development meetings,
491
00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:22.460
and I'm also in the higher ed group as well.
492
00:22:22.460 --> 00:22:24.260
But getting into the workforce development meetings,
493
00:22:24.260 --> 00:22:26.470
I'm very excited that we were able
494
00:22:26.470 --> 00:22:29.480
to share this kind of work with you all, you know,
495
00:22:29.480 --> 00:22:31.510
because it has been such a long time.
496
00:22:31.510 --> 00:22:33.280
And like I said, I only came into ABLE Tech
497
00:22:33.280 --> 00:22:34.590
about three and a half years ago,
498
00:22:34.590 --> 00:22:37.490
and this was already a process that was well underway,
499
00:22:37.490 --> 00:22:39.690
and I could tell how much work had already gone into it,
500
00:22:39.690 --> 00:22:41.310
and I could tell that it had a lot
501
00:22:41.310 --> 00:22:42.660
of potential to move forward.
502
00:22:42.660 --> 00:22:44.380
And I'm really excited to be a part of it
503
00:22:44.380 --> 00:22:46.200
in the way that I am now.
504
00:22:46.200 --> 00:22:48.700
But yeah, it's like Allyson said,
505
00:22:48.700 --> 00:22:51.030
something we really are, you know, interested in sharing.
506
00:22:51.030 --> 00:22:52.900
And I know that the more we're able
507
00:22:52.900 --> 00:22:54.420
to work with other states too,
508
00:22:54.420 --> 00:22:56.280
the more we'll be able to, you know,
509
00:22:56.280 --> 00:22:58.850
adjust and change what we're doing as well.
510
00:22:58.850 --> 00:23:01.650
So, you know, it's teamwork makes the dream work, right?
511
00:23:02.780 --> 00:23:05.040
So, that's a great part of being part of the cohort,
512
00:23:05.040 --> 00:23:07.060
and I've already enjoyed that just in my few months
513
00:23:07.060 --> 00:23:09.183
that I've been involved so far.
514
00:23:10.090 --> 00:23:12.780
And we definitely enjoy having you be part of the cohort,
515
00:23:12.780 --> 00:23:15.440
and we appreciate how generous you all are in Oklahoma
516
00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:18.420
with sharing your resources and your knowledge.
517
00:23:18.420 --> 00:23:21.350
So, looking ahead, what's next in this process?
518
00:23:21.350 --> 00:23:24.550
Can you share with us what your vision is for the future?
519
00:23:24.550 --> 00:23:27.700
Yeah, so we currently are in discussion
520
00:23:27.700 --> 00:23:32.170
because we just finished up our phase one evaluations.
521
00:23:32.170 --> 00:23:35.710
That really gave us that benchmark score
522
00:23:35.710 --> 00:23:37.870
and some things to start looking at
523
00:23:37.870 --> 00:23:42.070
from a task force perspective of how that process went,
524
00:23:42.070 --> 00:23:44.280
and what we need to kind of adjust
525
00:23:44.280 --> 00:23:46.810
or adapt to moving forward.
526
00:23:46.810 --> 00:23:50.300
And right now, we are currently looking
527
00:23:50.300 --> 00:23:53.890
at how we're going to develop the phase two,
528
00:23:53.890 --> 00:23:57.270
specifically with policy development related
529
00:23:57.270 --> 00:23:59.590
to this process,
530
00:23:59.590 --> 00:24:02.640
and sustaining that evaluation process
531
00:24:02.640 --> 00:24:06.330
that we really set up through that rubric process.
532
00:24:06.330 --> 00:24:08.150
So, that's what we're working on now.
533
00:24:08.150 --> 00:24:12.720
And then we're also working to implement the course catalog
534
00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:17.110
and training materials that go along with this initiative.
535
00:24:17.110 --> 00:24:19.820
And we've got some working groups
536
00:24:19.820 --> 00:24:23.230
that are actually developing a plan
537
00:24:23.230 --> 00:24:25.510
to implement a learning management system,
538
00:24:25.510 --> 00:24:28.420
as well as the training that will go into that
539
00:24:28.420 --> 00:24:29.390
with this initiative.
540
00:24:29.390 --> 00:24:32.540
So, those are our immediate next steps.
541
00:24:32.540 --> 00:24:34.680
And hopefully,
542
00:24:34.680 --> 00:24:39.260
those we're expecting to be out in early 2022,
543
00:24:39.260 --> 00:24:42.023
and the work will continue from there.
544
00:24:43.890 --> 00:24:45.360
I think Stephanie really hit the nail
545
00:24:45.360 --> 00:24:46.700
on the head with that.
546
00:24:46.700 --> 00:24:49.350
I was actually thinking, as you're asking that question,
547
00:24:49.350 --> 00:24:51.230
about the training that we're developing.
548
00:24:51.230 --> 00:24:54.160
That's really been a big focus here at ABLE Tech recently.
549
00:24:54.160 --> 00:24:55.330
Yeah. We're focusing on building
550
00:24:55.330 --> 00:24:59.030
these self-paced training courses to help folks learn
551
00:24:59.030 --> 00:25:00.360
about, you know, everything ranging
552
00:25:00.360 --> 00:25:02.620
from how to build an accessible Word document,
553
00:25:02.620 --> 00:25:05.590
how to test your website for web accessibility.
554
00:25:05.590 --> 00:25:09.210
So, you know, the gamut of accessibility training and that
555
00:25:09.210 --> 00:25:12.450
is of course going to be really important in this process.
556
00:25:12.450 --> 00:25:14.770
So, from the ABLE Tech side, I think that's, you know,
557
00:25:14.770 --> 00:25:17.090
I know that's not so much a timeline or anything
558
00:25:17.090 --> 00:25:18.480
as far as your question went,
559
00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:20.570
but that's definitely where we're gonna head.
560
00:25:20.570 --> 00:25:23.810
And I think that's kind of what we're seeing the need for
561
00:25:23.810 --> 00:25:25.250
as we're getting these self-assessments,
562
00:25:25.250 --> 00:25:26.190
and then reviewing them,
563
00:25:26.190 --> 00:25:28.090
and seeing what they need, you know.
564
00:25:28.090 --> 00:25:29.610
It's something that's very valuable.
565
00:25:29.610 --> 00:25:31.990
And we already have some training out there right now,
566
00:25:31.990 --> 00:25:34.350
but it's a little bit outdated
567
00:25:34.350 --> 00:25:36.680
and needs to be kind of moved into a new system.
568
00:25:36.680 --> 00:25:38.460
So, pumped, absolutely pumped
569
00:25:38.460 --> 00:25:40.500
to get this training out and running
570
00:25:40.500 --> 00:25:43.400
so that these folks can actually use it for their needs
571
00:25:43.400 --> 00:25:46.357
and not have to, you know, come to us all the time and say,
572
00:25:46.357 --> 00:25:48.330
"Hey, will you do a training for us?"
573
00:25:48.330 --> 00:25:49.163
It'll just be there when they're ready.
574
00:25:49.163 --> 00:25:51.310
So, that'll be awesome.
575
00:25:51.310 --> 00:25:53.060
I think you're right. That's gonna be awesome.
576
00:25:53.060 --> 00:25:55.460
And it's so great to have both components, right?
577
00:25:55.460 --> 00:25:59.910
So, you have this rubric that really helps agencies
578
00:25:59.910 --> 00:26:01.480
evaluate where they are,
579
00:26:01.480 --> 00:26:04.170
and then you have the training and support in place
580
00:26:04.170 --> 00:26:08.620
so that they can plan for getting where they want to be.
581
00:26:08.620 --> 00:26:11.660
So, I think this is a really exciting process.
582
00:26:11.660 --> 00:26:13.920
So, you've mentioned continuous improvement,
583
00:26:13.920 --> 00:26:15.930
you mentioned systemic change,
584
00:26:15.930 --> 00:26:17.390
and that doesn't happen overnight.
585
00:26:17.390 --> 00:26:19.620
It takes time. It takes patience.
586
00:26:19.620 --> 00:26:22.190
So, would you be willing, in a future episode,
587
00:26:22.190 --> 00:26:24.340
to come back and share your progress,
588
00:26:24.340 --> 00:26:26.270
and then share a little bit more of your process
589
00:26:26.270 --> 00:26:28.070
as you roll this out?
Absolutely.
590
00:26:29.810 --> 00:26:30.643
We'd be happy to.
591
00:26:30.643 --> 00:26:31.980
I think it will be really interesting
592
00:26:31.980 --> 00:26:34.810
to see how things progress as the years go on,
593
00:26:34.810 --> 00:26:36.530
and we're more than happy to come back on
594
00:26:36.530 --> 00:26:37.920
and share what we've learned.
595
00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:39.900
Excellent. I'm happy to hear that.
596
00:26:39.900 --> 00:26:42.500
We would love to have you back on another episode.
597
00:26:42.500 --> 00:26:44.960
So, as we wrap things up,
598
00:26:44.960 --> 00:26:49.310
how can people follow your work for both of your agencies
599
00:26:49.310 --> 00:26:51.570
so that they can keep track of what's happening
600
00:26:51.570 --> 00:26:53.263
in your state and learn from it?
601
00:26:54.230 --> 00:26:56.930
People who are interested in learning more
602
00:26:56.930 --> 00:26:59.370
about Oklahoma ABLE Tech
603
00:26:59.370 --> 00:27:02.850
and the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services
604
00:27:02.850 --> 00:27:05.460
can go right to our websites.
605
00:27:05.460 --> 00:27:10.460
ABLE Tech's is okabletech.org.
606
00:27:11.320 --> 00:27:14.697
And DRS' is okdrs.gov.
607
00:27:17.400 --> 00:27:19.360
So, as those course catalogs
608
00:27:19.360 --> 00:27:21.530
and other resources are available,
609
00:27:21.530 --> 00:27:24.350
those will be found on our website.
610
00:27:24.350 --> 00:27:28.500
And I would also like to add a quick plug
611
00:27:28.500 --> 00:27:31.650
for the website for oklahomaworks.gov.
612
00:27:31.650 --> 00:27:35.390
They also keep a lot of resources on their website related
613
00:27:35.390 --> 00:27:37.263
to the Access for All initiative.
614
00:27:38.180 --> 00:27:41.300
And we'll have several things as our work continues
615
00:27:41.300 --> 00:27:44.780
to develop posted on their website as well.
616
00:27:44.780 --> 00:27:46.270
Thank you so much for joining us,
617
00:27:46.270 --> 00:27:48.250
Allyson, Lyssa, and Stephanie.
618
00:27:48.250 --> 00:27:50.410
And we look forward to following the great work
619
00:27:50.410 --> 00:27:52.790
that you'll continue to do in Oklahoma to make sure
620
00:27:52.790 --> 00:27:54.890
that workforce opportunities are available
621
00:27:54.890 --> 00:27:56.620
to all Oklahomans.
622
00:27:56.620 --> 00:27:58.450
Thanks for tuning in to this episode
623
00:27:58.450 --> 00:28:00.930
of The Accessible Learning Experience brought to you
624
00:28:00.930 --> 00:28:03.680
by the National Center on Accessible Educational Materials
625
00:28:03.680 --> 00:28:04.810
at CAST.
626
00:28:04.810 --> 00:28:08.540
You can find us on the web at aem.cast.org.
627
00:28:08.540 --> 00:28:10.200
There, you'll find show notes with links
628
00:28:10.200 --> 00:28:13.450
to all of the resources mentioned on each episode.
629
00:28:13.450 --> 00:28:15.010
Thanks again for listening.
630
00:28:15.010 --> 00:28:18.743
And remember, accessibility is everyone's responsibility.
631
00:28:19.900 --> 00:28:22.567
(upbeat music)
632
00:28:53.550 --> 00:28:55.710
The contents of this podcast were developed
633
00:28:55.710 --> 00:28:57.060
under a cooperative agreement
634
00:28:57.060 --> 00:28:59.230
with the U.S. Department of Education.
635
00:28:59.230 --> 00:29:01.760
However, those contents do not necessarily represent
636
00:29:01.760 --> 00:29:03.850
the policy of the U.S. Department of Education.
637
00:29:03.850 --> 00:29:05.360
And you should not assume endorsement
638
00:29:05.360 --> 00:29:06.660
by the federal government.