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A Novel Online Training Program to Make Businesses More Accessible for People with Communication Disabilities 1854

Tuesday, October 28, 2025
4:00 PM - 4:15 PM  
Location:  ROOM: Williford A >>> DIRECTIONS: Third Floor >>> From the Main Elevator Bank, proceed left. Williford A is the first room on your right.
People with communication disabilities (PwCD) need to effectively communicate with staff in businesses they want to patronize in the community. A team of researchers, clinical educators, and instructional designers incorporated input from PwCD and members of the business community to develop online micro-learning educational paths to increase knowledge about communication disabilities and confidence in accommodating customers’ communication needs. The researchers then partnered with community members with communication disabilities  (e.g. aphasia, cerebral palsy, brain injury, and Parkinson’s disease) to identify and recruit businesses to participate in the online training, and select the personally relevant educational modules to be included for employees at their target businesses. Learner outcomes were assessed with pre- and post-training questionnaires reflecting trainee knowledge and confidence in interacting with PwCD and utilizing communication accommodations during typical employee-customer interactions.
This study addresses the need to provide communication partner training  at the community level to make business environments more accessible for PwCD. This investigation will contribute valuable information about the feasibility of delivering this kind of training at the community level, and data on how the opportunity for PwCD to partner with researchers to develop ecologically relevant training influences their perceived self-efficacy.   

Learning Objectives:

  • Define Communication Disability and Communication Partner Training.
  • Describe the development of two novel online micro-learning trainings aimed at making business/retail environments more accessible for patrons with communication disabilities.
  • List training content elements and considerations contributed by persons with communication disabilities, speech-language pathologist researchers, and instructional designers.