(Critical Addition to Your Training Module)
🧠 Key Message
Moving services online helped many people—but it also excluded others, especially:
People with learning disabilities
People with mental health conditions
People with low confidence or digital skills
People needing hands-on or in-person guidance
👉 Support became available—but not always accessible
⚠️ Real Challenges People Faced
1. 🧩 Understanding Technology
Difficulty using platforms like Zoom
Trouble navigating apps or links
Confusion with logins, passwords, settings
2. 🗣️ Communication Barriers
Hard to read facial expressions on screen
Delays or technical issues
Less natural conversation
3. 😟 Anxiety & Pressure
Fear of “getting it wrong”
Stress when asked to use new systems
Feeling watched or judged
4. 🧍 Lack of Physical Support
No one physically there to guide or reassure
Harder to ask for help in the moment
5. 🧠 Cognitive Load
Too much information at once
Instructions not always clear or accessible
💬 Your Example (Very Important)
You said:
You had to share your screen on Zoom with your tutor when you needed support.
That shows:
You needed extra support to complete learning tasks
You had to adapt in real time
Support was there—but it required additional effort and confidence
👉 For many people, that level of support:
Was not available
Or they felt unable to ask for it
🚫 Where Systems Fell Short
Assumed everyone could go online easily
Limited alternatives to digital-only support
Not enough:
Easy Read guides
Step-by-step support
One-to-one help
👉 This created a digital divide
🛠️ What Future Training Must Include
✔ 1. Digital Inclusion
Never assume digital access = digital ability
Assess individual needs
✔ 2. Multiple Access Options
Always provide:
Online
Phone
Face-to-face (when safe)
👉 Choice is key
✔ 3. Step-by-Step Support
Simple instructions
Visual guides
Repetition and patience
✔ 4. Live Support
Someone available during sessions
Not just “figure it out yourself”
✔ 5. Flexible Learning & Services
Extra time
Breaks
Different formats
✔ 6. Trauma-Aware Approach
Understand that:
Technology can feel overwhelming
Mistakes can trigger anxiety
👉 Support should feel safe, not stressful
🧭 Practical Tool for Training
“ACCESS FIRST” Model
A – Assess needs
C – Clear instructions
C – Choice of formats
E – Emotional support
S – Step-by-step guidance
S – Support available live
📘 EASY READ VERSION
💻 Online learning and support
Some people found online systems hard
😟 This can be because:
It is confusing
It feels stressful
There is no one there to help
It is hard to understand
🧠 Some people need:
Extra help
Simple instructions
Someone to guide them
🛑 What should happen
People should:
Get support when using technology
Be given simple steps
Have other options (phone or in person)
🌟 Important message
Not everyone can use online systems easily
Support must be fair for everyone
🌱 Key Training Message
👉 Digital support must be inclusive, not assumed
Just because something is available online
does NOT mean it is accessible to everyone.
💬 Final Thought
What you shared adds something really important:
It shows effort
It shows adaptation
But it also shows where systems relied too heavily on people coping alone
👉 That’s exactly what future training needs to fix.
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