Insights / Design
Accessibility is a design choice, not a request
Most accessibility in training happens only when somebody asks for it, which means it happens after the person has already had to disclose something.
By McKinley Malbrough III, J.D., MS-HRM. Published September 14, 2026.
Short answer
Build it in before anyone asks. Captions on by default, materials sent the day before, and five seconds of silence after a question instead of two. Ask everyone the same question in the invitation, what would make this session work for you, so nobody has to disclose a diagnosis to be included. A session built only for people who hear well, read fast and speak confidently is measuring confidence, not learning.
What should be on by default?
Captions. Every major platform has them, they take one click, and they help far more people than the ones who would have asked. Non-native speakers, people in loud rooms, people who process better by reading.
Also: materials sent the day before, so anyone using a screen reader is not fighting your deck in real time.
What about pacing?
Silence after a question is an accessibility feature. Five seconds of quiet lets people who process slowly, or in a second language, get into the conversation at all.
Most facilitators wait about two seconds and then answer their own question, which quietly filters the room down to the fastest talkers.
How do I handle accommodation requests?
Ask everyone the same question in the invitation: what would make this session work for you. That gets you the real information without requiring anybody to disclose a diagnosis.
Then deliver what was asked for without commentary. The worst version of this is a facilitator announcing an accommodation to the room.
Does this actually change outcomes?
It changes who is in the conversation, which is the outcome. A session built only for people who hear well, read fast and speak confidently is measuring confidence, not learning.
That is the same structural point the rest of my work makes. The room is usually built for somebody, and it is worth knowing who.
McKinley Malbrough provides education and is not an attorney. Contacting him creates no attorney-client relationship. If you have a legal question or need legal advice, contact an employment attorney.
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