I have worked with Access Technology Trainers my entire career. I started training trainers in 2004. Many of those students are still involved in ATI’s continuing education services.
In early August, I had a break between students until the new year and decided to write a book on training trainers.
Over several weeks, I realized I was writing about pedagogy, student engagement, and trainer skill refinement. The writing was enjoyable, but I wondered if there could be more. My small team of trainer advisors encouraged me to think bigger.
I love teaching, but I also love learning. My current skill set is not innately mine. I have grown and learned alongside my students.
A turn of a phrase like “information regurgitation,” and the realization that AppData folder icons are simply shortcuts, came directly from my students. I have been learning from, and with, my students since 1998.
A cursory search of the internet revealed dozens of resources dedicated to what to teach. I could not find anywhere dedicated fully to the hows and whys.
My initial plan to provide searchable databases of conceptual information and keyboard commands was useful, but it wasn’t enough.
I reflected on what had mattered most over my career. I miss having a community. Trainers need a place to share ideas, debate training strategies, and relax with co-workers and friends after a hard day. A discussion forum and a Discord server were added to the plan.
Training was the focal point of our original communities. Adding live Zoom sessions and a community meeting felt like the natural capstone to a project I could bring to life.
The day my last 2025 graduate logged out of the classroom, I downloaded the plugins and started the relational databases. If I could build a solid data structure, I knew I could manage the rest. It’s ironic that I actively avoided Access my entire career, dating back to Office 95.
After many fits and starts, the final checkbox was checked and the moderate troubleshooting was complete in mid-November. The databases worked. We have a place to add technical information. The “what” was managed. I knew I could build the forum.
The Trainer’s Toolkit, with forms to support everyday tasks, the discussion forum, and Discord all fell into place.
Subscriptions are automated and easy to manage. Team and Full Access Pass subscribers can add and remove trainers without administrator assistance.
Careful thought went into every feature. I knew what my students wished for, what my graduates needed, and what would augment trainers’ professional development while making daily work easier.
Because the forum is built in-house, we can implement changes quickly and easily. Best of all, we ensure accessibility.
The Access Technology Trainers Forum will be what we make it. I look forward to sharing the journey with you.
CathyAnne