TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Anastasia Tasoula
What Did the Training Activity Aim to Achieve?
❥ The "Inclusive and Accessible Design" training aimed to empower professionals from systemic and bussiness institutions to integrate inclusivity and accessibility into their professional practices.
The project sought to:
1. Raise Awareness: Increase participants’ understanding of accessibility challenges and the importance of inclusive design in their work environments.
2. Equip Participants with Practical Tools: Provide actionable strategies and tools to create accessible services, policies, and environments that accommodate individuals of all abilities.
3. Foster a Culture of Inclusion: Encourage participants to become advocates for accessibility within their organizations, promoting systemic changes to ensure equity and social justice.
Which Needs Did the Training Address?
1. Lack of Awareness and Understanding:
❥ Addressed gaps in knowledge about the barriers faced by disabled individuals in accessing public services, workplaces, and education.
❥ Highlighted the social and professional benefits of adopting inclusive practices.
2. Practical Application of Inclusive Principles:
❥ Responded to the need for sector-specific tools and strategies to implement universal design and accessibility standards.
3. Social Responsibility:
❥ Recognized the role of public and private institutions in creating equitable opportunities for all individuals, ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards.
4. Workplace Inclusivity:
❥ Tackled the need for inclusive workplace cultures that value diversity and promote collaboration across different abilities.
How Did the Training Activity Fit the Goals of the Organizations?
COOL CRIPS AMKE:
1. Aligned with the organization’s mission to advocate for accessibility and inclusivity by fostering systemic change through education and awareness.
2. Supported its goal of empowering institutions to adopt practices that benefit both disabled individuals and the broader community.
Participating Organizations:
1. Helped ministries, bussiness and educational institutions fulfill their mandates of serving diverse populations equitably.
2. Enhanced their capacity to design inclusive policies, services, and environments that reflect their commitment to diversity and social impact.
By addressing these critical needs and aligning with organizational goals, the training contributed to building a more accessible and inclusive society.
The "Inclusive and Accessible Design" training targeted more than 100 professionals and decision-makers aged from 20 to 60 years old, coming from systemic and business-oriented sectors, including finance, government, education, and public services. The participants included individuals responsible for shaping policies, implementing inclusive practices, and ensuring accessibility within their organizations. The group represented diverse roles, such as project managers, HR specialists, accessibility officers, and strategists, all with a vested interest in creating equitable environments and services.
The training focused on fostering collaboration among professionals from Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Denmark and Slovenia who could influence systemic changes, emphasizing the importance of accessibility as a cornerstone of innovation, equity, and corporate social responsibility.
The "Inclusive and Accessible Design" training utilized advanced non-formal learning methods, blending interactive, experiential activities with structured frameworks to ensure professional relevance and practical application. Key methods included:
1. Experiential Simulations
Purpose: To help participants understand the barriers faced by individuals with disabilities.
Examples:
❥ Simulating mobility challenges by navigating inaccessible spaces with wheelchairs.
❥ Experiencing digital inaccessibility by completing tasks on platforms without assistive features.
❥ Role-playing as decision-makers balancing inclusivity goals with systemic constraints, fostering critical thinking and empathy.
2. Case Study Analysis
Purpose: To provide participants with real-world scenarios for problem-solving and application.
Examples:
❥ Analyzing examples of successful inclusive policies in global organizations, such as accessible banking services or inclusive education systems.
❥ Reviewing failures in accessibility, discussing causes, and co-creating strategies to address gaps.
3. Design Thinking for Accessibility
Purpose: To encourage creative problem-solving and innovation in designing inclusive systems.
Examples:
❥ Conducting workshops where participants collaboratively designed accessible solutions for hypothetical organizational challenges, such as creating inclusive hiring processes or redesigning customer service workflows.
❥ Using tools like empathy mapping to better understand the needs of disabled individuals and other marginalized groups.
4. Policy Co-Creation Workshops
Purpose: To translate theoretical knowledge into actionable plans for participants' sectors.
Examples:
❥ Participants collaborated in small groups to draft inclusive workplace policies or accessibility plans tailored to their organizations.
❥ Workshops were structured to include feedback loops, with trainers and peers providing constructive input to refine the solutions.
5. Interactive Reflection and Feedback
Purpose: To consolidate learning and enable personal and organizational action planning.
Examples:
❥ Daily structured reflections using tools like SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) to assess organizational accessibility.
❥ Group feedback sessions where participants shared insights, challenges, and strategies for applying their learning.
6. Graphic Facilitation and Recording Summaries
Purpose: To ensure inclusivity and enhance understanding of complex topics.
Examples:
❥ Visualizing discussions and outcomes through infographics, accessible presentations, and augmented reality-enhanced summaries.
❥ Creating visual roadmaps for implementing accessibility initiatives within organizations.
By combining these non-formal yet professional methods, the training provided participants with an engaging, hands-on learning experience while delivering concrete tools and strategies for systemic change. These methods were specifically designed to resonate with professionals and decision-makers, ensuring relevance and long-term impact.
The "Inclusive and Accessible Design" training achieved measurable outcomes by equipping participants with practical skills and fostering a mindset shift toward inclusion and accessibility. Key achievements included:
1. Increased Awareness and Empathy:
❥ Participants reported a significant increase in their understanding of the barriers faced by individuals with disabilities, particularly in systemic and professional contexts.
❥ Empathy-building activities encouraged participants to view accessibility as a core value, not just a compliance requirement.
2. Skill Development and Practical Tools:
❥ Participants gained actionable tools to implement inclusive practices in their organizations, such as conducting accessibility audits and applying universal design principles.
❥ Workshops provided sector-specific strategies for creating accessible workplaces, services, and policies.
3. Organizational Impact:
❥ Many participants committed to implementing inclusive changes within their organizations, such as revising HR policies, improving customer service accessibility, and ensuring equitable educational practices.
❥ Participants created draft action plans for accessible practices, many of which were later adopted by their institutions.
4. Enhanced Collaboration:
❥ Cross-sector discussions and co-creation sessions fostered a collaborative network of professionals who are now better equipped to share knowledge and resources on accessibility.
5. Long-Term Change:
❥ The training inspired participants to become advocates for accessibility, initiating discussions and projects within their institutions to promote systemic change.
How Can You Tell the Training Was a Success?
1. Participant Feedback:
❥ Post-training evaluations indicated high levels of satisfaction, with participants highlighting the relevance and applicability of the methods and tools provided.
❥ Many participants shared testimonials about their personal growth and renewed commitment to inclusion.
2. Visible Outcomes:
❥ Participants began applying their learning almost immediately, with several reporting successful implementation of accessibility measures in their workplaces.
❥ Feedback from their organizations indicated that the training led to noticeable improvements in inclusivity practices.
3. Social Media Engagement:
❥ Posts, photos, and videos from the training received positive engagement, showcasing the energy and outcomes of the sessions.
4. Follow-Up Actions: Partner organizations reported sustained collaborations and further initiatives inspired by the training, such as accessibility-focused workshops and policy reviews.
As a full-time trainer for the "Inclusive and Accessible Design" project, I played a crucial role in designing, facilitating, and evaluating the training activities. My responsibilities were aligned with the project's goals to equip professionals from systemic and business-oriented sectors with the knowledge and tools to implement inclusive practices. Key aspects of my role included:
1. Training Design and Implementation:
❥ Developed the training curriculum, ensuring it combined theoretical frameworks with practical, non-formal methods tailored to professionals in banking, government, and education sectors.
❥ Facilitated sessions that introduced participants to universal design principles, accessibility standards, and systemic approaches to inclusion.
2. Application of Non-Formal Methods
❥ Conducted experiential learning activities, such as accessibility simulations and role-playing exercises, to foster empathy and understanding.
❥ Guided design thinking workshops, enabling participants to co-create actionable solutions to sector-specific accessibility challenges.
3. Graphic Facilitation and Augmented Reality
❥ Used graphic recording to create visually engaging and accessible summaries of discussions and key concepts, ensuring participants of diverse learning styles could engage effectively.
❥ Developed customized visual materials, such as infographics and augmented reality-enhanced tools, to support participants in implementing inclusive practices.
4. Reflection and Action Planning
❥ Led structured reflection sessions, such as Feelings-Findings-Feedback (FFF) and SWOT analysis, helping participants consolidate their learning and identify actionable steps.
❥ Supported participants in drafting action plans for their organizations, focusing on embedding accessibility into policies, services, and work environments.
5. Participant Support and Collaboration
❥ Provided individualized guidance to participants, addressing specific challenges and encouraging collaborative problem-solving.
❥ Facilitated cross-sector discussions to foster a network of professionals committed to promoting inclusivity and accessibility.
6. Evaluation and Feedback
❥ Oversaw the evaluation of participant progress and the overall success of the training through interactive tools and feedback sessions.
❥ Worked closely with partner organizations to document outcomes and ensure the sustainability of the project’s impact.
By integrating non-formal education methods with professional-level tools, I ensured the training was both engaging and practically applicable. My full-time role throughout the project focused on fostering systemic change, empowering participants to lead inclusivity initiatives, and creating a lasting impact within their organizations.
Having Anastasia on board was crucial for the success of the activity. She brought a mix of creativity, energy, and expertise that turned serious topics like accessibility into something engaging and fun. Her graphic facilitation was next-level—making complex ideas simple and memorable—and she made sure every activity was truly inclusive, adapting on the spot when needed.
What really stood out was how she connected with people, knowing when to challenge them and when to listen. The feedback was exceptional —participants called it inspiring and impactful.