Train2Validate Erasmus+ partnership has launchedthe first skills cards to standardise training programmes for easy-to-read validators and facilitators. These skills cards will become the ground for the next curricula and the creation of open educational resources, geared to create new innovative professions in the field of accessibility.
The skills cards for easy-to-read validators and facilitators provide the full knowledge and abilities that validators and facilitators on easy-to-read have to develop in their job. Both professional roles play a relevant role in the production process of easy-to-read. Validators check the comprehensibility of easy-to-read texts and facilitators support the work of validators. Without their work, current easy-to-read standards (as the one that exists in Spain and the ones are under development in Germany and at an international stage through International Organization for Standardization –ISO-) don’t consider that a document can be published under the “easy-to-read” concept.
Full development from preview presentation in Madrid
A preview of the skills cards was presented on the Multiplier Event organised by Plena Inclusión Madrid in Madrid in October, attended by more than fifty professionals in educational competences and training or easy-to-read methodologies from 5 different countries. Now, Train2Validate has published the definitive skills cards for easy-to-read validators and facilitators in Excel in English, to follow the official ECQA template; in Word in English, to facilitate an accessible version for screen readers; in easy-to-read in English; and in Excel in Italian, Romanian, Slovene and Spanish.
Standardization and transferability under a European model
Skills cards have been developed under the European Certification and Qualification Association (ECQA) standards, which is also a member of the partnership. This standard will help the transferability of these skills cards in any European country. The final result has been two skills cards, one for validators and one for facilitators. Both have 4 units, which are the main training structure. Each unit is divided in elements, that can be consider similar to “lessons” and from each element, the trainee obtains some learning outcomes. Each of them are the final competences. The main units are related to accessibility, easy-to-read methodology, the facilitation and the validation, and management skills. In the case of validators, the skills card includes an optional unit for specialisation.
Practical point of view and multiple references
Apart from the different format and languages of the skills cards, Train2Validate has published the report with the detailed information about the creation process developed.
Train2Validate partners have worked with a practical point of view. The main guideline is the idea of “competences”, as a way to check the skills, abilities and knowledge that a trainee must comply. In order to achieve the cards, the partnership has carried out several activities to gather the learning outcomes to be acquired and the units in which these learning outcomes should be organised. The survey that Train2Validate conducted last March was the main source, but the partners also took into account several specialised bibliographical works, the observation of validation sessions, interviews to validators and facilitators and the comparison with other professions with common skills.