I’m excited about a bunch of recently released books in learning and development and accessibility and inclusion. Here’s my list in no particular order. Disclaimer: I haven’t read any of these yet. I need to find a job first.
Digital Accessibility Ethics: Disability Inclusion in All Things Tech by Lainey Feingold.
From the book description: Digital Accessibility Ethics: Disability Inclusion in All Things Tech is a groundbreaking collection of 32 chapters written by 39 disabled and nondisabled authors from 10 countries and one commonwealth. Digital Accessibility Ethics: Disability Inclusion in All Things Tech introduces the Digital Accessibility Ethics Framework. It’s an action-oriented three-part tool designed to disrupt disability exclusion in tech with values, actions and questions.
The Instructional Design Handbook by Tim Slade.
From the book description: The Instructional Design Handbook: A Practitioner’s Guide to Designing Performance-Based Learning cuts through the noise of frameworks and theory to deliver a practical, no-BS guide to how instructional design actually works.
From identifying whether training is the right solution to designing learning that drives real performance, this book helps new and aspiring instructional designers build the skills, confidence, and judgment to create training that actually changes behavior on the job.
Disabling Intelligences: Legacies of Eugenics and How We are Wrong about AI by Rua Williams.
From the book description: This book discusses the influences of eugenics on the AI industry and the impacts of AI opportunism on disabled people. Why are the negative consequences of so-called AI so consistently directed at disabled and racialized people? Disabling Intelligences answers this question by detailing the ongoing effects of the eugenicist mindset on our corporate ventures and our interpersonal relationships. It offers an accessible guide to the various meanings, methods, and impacts of AI, and provides a clear framework for classifying, categorizing, evaluating, and critiquing AI projects.
The Frontline Enablement Playbook: Equip Your Deskless Workforce to Power Organizational Performance by JD Dillon.
From the book description: The Frontline Enablement Playbook is a comprehensive guide for L&D, HR, and operations teams focused on improving performance across the deskless workforce. Drawing on 25 years of hands-on experience and insights from more than 50 global contributors—including Matthew Daniel, Chad Udell, and Gina Jeneroux—JD Dillon outlines practical ways to improve onboarding, training, communication, compliance, recognition, career development, and everyday readiness.
Building the Skills-Based Organization: A Blueprint for Transformation by Koreen Pagano.
From the book description: In this book, explore the different components of a skills-based organization—hiring and recruitment, organizational culture, performance management, and career development—as well as strategies for continuous improvement at the people, process, and system levels. Learn to understand the current potential for skills, what is needed to overcome resistance to the change, and how to secure buy-in from your organization’s decision makers. Examine how to plan for the collection, analysis, and governance of your skills data.
I can’t wait to dive into these books and soak up their knowledge and experiences. What books are you reading or excited about reading?