The challenge
Abri delivers learning and communications that directly affect how people access housing services, information, and support. Research highlighted that many customers have access needs, making accessibility a critical consideration across both internal training and external communications. Inaccessible learning and communication created potential risk, including barriers to access for customers, reputational impact, and reduced confidence in meeting regulatory and governance expectations. The learning team needed a way to build shared understanding and confidence in accessibility across the organisation, without slowing delivery or relying on specialist roles.
The requirement
Abri required a practical, repeatable approach to accessibility that could support staff across learning, marketing, and wider teams. This included building internal capability, aligning learning and communications with accessibility expectations, and reducing risk associated with inaccessible content. As a not-for-profit housing provider working closely with local authorities and regulators, transparency, consistency, and evidence of good practice were essential.
The solution
Abri addressed this challenge through participation in the DALC programme, combined with the use of the eLa1000 benchmarking assessment as a practical tool to support application within the team.
The programme translated accessibility standards into clear, actionable guidance that could be applied immediately within day-to-day work. This enabled the learning team to move beyond theoretical understanding and begin embedding accessibility into real content, workflows, and decision making.
The eLa1000 assessment complemented this by providing a shared benchmarking framework that brought the team together around a common understanding of accessibility. It enabled them to align on current practice, establish a clear baseline, and define the standard they were working towards.
How it was delivered
Learning from the DALC Programme was applied directly into live work rather than treated as standalone training. The eLa1000 assessment was used to create a shared language and reference point for accessibility discussions, helping to align understanding across the team.
The online DALC discussion forum, which accompanies the programme, provided an additional layer of support. It created space to share experiences, ask questions, and explore how accessibility applies in real scenarios. This helped the team to translate guidance into practice, consider situations they may not have previously encountered, and build confidence in their decision making. Direct feedback through consultancy support further reinforced this, enabling questions to be addressed in context and supporting continued progress.
This combination enabled the team to lead organisation wide training initiatives with confidence and supported the spread of accessible practice beyond the learning team into areas such as marketing and communications.
Impact and outcomes
The DALC Programme and eLa1000 assessment enabled Abri to move from individual knowledge to organisational capability. Teams were better equipped to design and review content with accessibility in mind, reducing uncertainty and rework. Accessibility became a shared responsibility, supporting more consistent, inclusive delivery at scale and strengthening assurance that learning and communications reflect the needs of Abri’s diverse customers.
Crucially, the learning team used the knowledge, frameworks, and materials from the programme to extend accessibility beyond learning and into wider organisational practice. Rather than positioning accessibility as a specialist topic, they were able to translate it into clear, practical guidance that colleagues in communications and other teams could understand and apply in their own work. This enabled accessibility to be embedded into everyday content creation, not just formal learning outputs.
Through face-to-face sessions, internal content, and ongoing communication, the learning team created accessible entry points for colleagues across the organisation. This approach helped to shift perception from accessibility as a compliance requirement to a practical way of improving clarity, quality, and effectiveness in communication.
Feedback reflected a clear change in both awareness and behaviour. Colleagues reported a deeper understanding of accessibility and greater confidence in applying it, alongside a willingness to review and adapt their own work. In several cases, this led to immediate changes in live communications and increased collaboration across teams to improve accessibility in areas such as social media and design. The value of the programme was such that two additional staff members are due to complete it, extending capability further across the organisation and supporting continued progress.
