Vision
To empower Lokaal bestuur De Panne to create inclusive digital services by fostering empathy, sharing practical knowledge, and building a network of accessibility advocates through hands-on learning and collaboration.
Scope
- Presentations: Expert-led sessions on accessibility fundamentals, inclusive design, and accessible writing (Nora Goerne).
- Training: Practical advice for digital accessibility practices.
- Empathy Lab: Interactive workshop with 10 personas and assistive technologies, moderated by accessibility experts from Eleven Ways, DiAX, and XiNiX.
- Participants: Communication specialists and team leads from Lokaal bestuur De Panne, as well as other interested people working at De Panne city council.
Goals
Short-term
- Introduce participants to accessibility principles and inclusive design practices.
- Provide hands-on experience with assistive technologies and diverse user personas.
Long-term
- Inspire Lokaal bestuur De Panne to prioritize accessibility in their digital services.
- Build a network of accessibility advocates within the local government and partner organizations.
The Work
Some photos of the Empathy Lab.
The Team
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Project Manager
Oversee and guide the project from start to finish.
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Trainers
Educate participants on digital accessibility standards and practical implementation.
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Volunteers
Facilitate workshops, support participants, and contribute to the Empathy Lab.
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Client stakeholders
Represent organisational needs and event goals.
My Contributions
- Coordination: Managed collaboration between Eleven Ways, DiAX, Licht en Liefde, AnySurfer, and Lokaal bestuur De Panne, ensuring alignment on goals and logistics.
- Event design: Structured the day to balance theory (presentations) and practice (Empathy Lab), maximizing engagement and learning.
- Stakeholder engagement: Facilitated communication between trainers, volunteers, and participants to create a seamless experience.
Outcomes & Improvements
- Delivered a successful Inspiration Day with high participant engagement and positive feedback.
- Increased awareness of accessibility challenges and solutions among De Panne’s communication specialists and team leads.
- Strengthened partnerships between organizations (Eleven Ways, DiAX, AnySurfer) and local government, fostering future collaboration.
- Participants gained practical skills for implementing accessibility in their work.
The Process
Phases & methodology
- Planning: Organized the event using an Agile approach, with a structure that included an introduction, Empathy Lab, and expert-led sessions—following Eleven Ways’ standard format for such events.
- Coordination: On-site meetings to review the location, and internal meetings to divide tasks. For the Empathy Lab, collaborated closely with its lead to create a reusable template for future sessions.
- Execution: Managed the logistics of the day, ensuring smooth transitions between sessions and alignment with other organizations hosting parallel activities.
- Wrap-up: Collected participant feedback via a satisfaction survey, which scored highly, and documented lessons learned for future events.
Stakeholder & team collaboration
- Coordinated between Eleven Ways, DiAX, Licht en Liefde, and Lokaal bestuur De Panne through direct communication and shared documentation.
- Key challenge: Aligning goals and logistics across multiple organizations, especially since other companies were running their own sessions on the same day. Ensured minimal content overlap and seamless collaboration.
- Worked closely with the Empathy Lab lead to standardize the format, making it easier to replicate in future projects.
Problem-solving & adaptations
- Logistical hurdles: The remote location posed a challenge, as most team members lacked transportation. Organized solutions to ensure everyone and all equipment arrived on time.
- Content alignment: Coordinated with other organizations to avoid redundancy in sessions.
- Feedback management: Addressed changes in real time through direct communication and thorough documentation.
Tools & workflows
- Project management: Notion for task tracking and Trello (from a partner organization) to monitor progress.
- Communication: Email, shared drives, and in-person meetings.
- Documentation: Detailed records of planning, feedback, and outcomes.
Lessons learned
- Location planning: In the future, would arrange for the team to arrive a day early to avoid logistical stress.
- Volunteer network: Would expand the volunteer database to ensure more reliable support for such events.
- Partnerships: Strengthened existing collaborations with partners.
- Feedback: High satisfaction scores from participants and partners, with particular praise for the organisation and execution.