Colleagues or Competition?
There are a finite number of skills that can be incorporated into a training course for those learning access technology. The only thing that varies is the manner in which an instructor teaches the material - that personal spin that makes the learning experience unique. Since it is impossible to completely replicate the training techniques of another, it may seem surprising that there is no organized effort on the part of the trainers themselves to seek advice, counsel or assistance from one another. This situation raises the question - are access technology trainers colleagues or competition?All other teaching professions consider themselves colleagues who provide support and feedback to one another, share resources, and provide a sense of community from which an instructor can draw ideas and skills to incorporate into the classroom experience. At colleges and universities around the world, instructors work together for the betterment of their students. Tutors in a variety of subjects work together to create lesson plans that spur their charges to academic success. Yet, to date, there is no organized group working to bring access technology trainers together as a community. There are a number of reasons for this phenomena and only the trainers themselves can determine the path their collective future will take.
State Departments of rehab encourage competition among access technology trainers as they compile their lists of authorized trainers or vendors. The trainers are placed in a position of competing with one another for students. Winning the good will of a rehab counselor can mean a steady stream of lucrative contracts. This provides a relatively steady income that can be threatened if someone as skilled or personable should seek employment from the same rehab counselor. This situation causes trainers to insulate themselves from one another, keeping contacts private and sharing little in the way of assistance or advice from those who also wish to provide training within the community.
These sweetheart deals allow the organizations and trainers who benefit from the good will of rehab to slip into a sense of contentment and self-assurance. For many, It is no longer important to stay up-to-date with the latest technology or increase their understanding of the software and hardware for which training is offered. Their contract is secure and the competition has been thwarted. They insulate themselves from other trainers in their own community and beyond - removing themselves from a group that could provide invaluable resources. Those who do not have the ear of a rehab counselor are left to their own devices and, while they may be highly qualified and skilled in their vocation, they find themselves without students. Many leave the profession in search of other opportunities. Rather than giving up and moving on to other, less fulfilling, opportunities, trainers can choose another option. Joining together to determine the future of our profession.
The only way to compete with those who have the ear of rehab and organizations serving the blind is to provide a better service, better training and better communication at an affordable price. Where an individual may find failure a community can crash through the barriers and revolutionize the way in which access technology trainers are viewed by students, rehab counselors and employers.
Working together, instructors can hone their training skills and learn more about the applications and hardware with which they work. Advice on marketing one s skills, reaching beyond your own backyard for clients, finding innovative ways to provide training - on-line, telephone, email, etc. The talent within the access technology training community is largely untapped. It is time for individuals to put aside their own interests and work toward the betterment of the community as a whole. It is much easier to succeed when helping to lift others toward their goal. You will find that encouragement and support is returned ten-fold.
Offering assistance to
your peers and accepting their support and assistance in return will
allow you to fine-tune your talents and better your skills. With renewed
energy, you will seek out students and provide them with quality
training at an affordable price. You will be part of a community to whom
you can turn when questions arise that are difficult to answer, you will
have access to advice on training techniques, problem-solving and
resources that will allow you to improve your skills as a trainer. Those
that insulate themselves will find their sweetheart deals melting away
as quality trainers start to make their influence felt on the community
as a whole. Participation is the key to success.
Join a mailing list, seek advice from your peers and offer them advice
in return. Demand excellence from yourself and your peers and provide
the best training available. When you meet an obstacle, talk it over
with your peers and work toward a solution as a community. It is very
possible that the same problem has been encountered and overcome by
another who will offer invaluable advice - helping you avoid pitfalls.
Rather than looking at fellow trainers as competition, start to look at them as colleagues with a wealth of information upon which you can draw. Give advice freely and ask for help when needed. You will be amazed at how far you can go when you have a community supporting your efforts and cheering you on.