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Check out our digital transformation resources and guides.

digital transformation resources and guides

Check out our [[TOPIC_NAME]] resources and guides.

At Texthelp, we are proud that our tools like Equatio and Read&Write are helping to level the playing field for schools and workplaces across Australia. We know that everyone learns differently, and there should be the necessary support in place to help everyone realise their potential. 

This has again come into sharp focus in light of the latest wave of Government mandated lockdowns, with shifts towards a more permanent, remote and hybrid-learning approach looking likely to become more commonplace. 

Fortunately, most of today’s kids are digital natives and have a strong preference for digital and online learning, as opposed to the textbook and pen of yesteryear. That’s why it is so important to equip and empower students with the right technology and tools that complement this emerging style of learning. 

Queensland Public Schools welcome move to ease access to digital learning tools. Read on to learn more about the changes.

Bringing Texthelp to the Sunshine State: Queensland Public Schools can now readily access Texthelp

Queensland Public Schools can now readily access Texthelp tools

Queensland Public Schools can now readily access Texthelp edtech tools

Bringing Texthelp to the Sunshine State

Queensland Public Schools welcome move to ease access to digital learning tools. Read on to learn more about the changes. 

1. An increased reliance on the gig economy

We expect to see a continued rise in the number of businesses relying on gig economy platforms for hiring needs. There are specialized platforms for just about every profession out there (hospitality, engineering, medical, construction etc.) providing the ability to fill any hiring need on-demand. COVID-19 made people realize how important it is to be nimble, to adapt, and to try new things in order to survive. Once business owners become willing to try a platform out, odds are they are going to stick with it.

Remote work has long carried a stigma and struggled to co-exist with in-office culture. Social distancing has shone a new light on the ability to be productive away from the office. The reality that life is greater than work is officially displayed in the background where kids and pets visit our video conference calls over these past few months. Companies who thrive will begin to adapt and support that reality is living at work, not working to live.

3. Spending less on rent and more on benefits

Virtual meetings, electronic signatures, online training and development courses, and, telecommuting with flexible hours. I think we will see more companies reducing their brick and mortar footprint and reallocating the facility savings to increased benefits to employees.

Keith C Piscitello, Simply Sophisticated Wealth Planning, LLC

Once offices do open up again, it will be rare to have all teammates come in at once. Teams will be assigned certain days or just be 100% remote. Leaders who were once skeptical about remote teams being productive are starting to recognize that it does work! I see large office spaces becoming a thing of the past and smaller, satellite offices increasing in popularity.

Michelle Diaz, Teammate Experience Manager

Companies operating with a distributed workforce during COVID-19 are being challenged to collaborate in the cloud rather than relying on in-person meetings. We'll likely see many companies evolving their remote work policies, which will result in a hybrid of in-person and remote teams. I think more and more companies will expect employees to be proficient in cloud-based collaboration and project management software.

Alex Lahmeyer, Diversity and Inclusion Lead

One of the biggest changes we will see from companies is in regard to sick time and benefits. I think the pandemic has shown how seriously we need sick time benefits for employees. Not only does sick time allow your employee to get better and not give it to anyone else, but it also creates a stronger loyalty for the company that takes care of their team.

Increased remote work and the elimination of the traditional “9-5” work structure. Now that both employers and employees have experienced a “new” way of doing work, many will not want to return to the old way of doing work. The fear that leaders may have had regarding a disconnected team or lack of productivity has been eased due to a forced situation. Additionally, employers have learned to look more at WHAT their teams are accomplishing and not the time of day at which it’s completed. For many companies, traditional hours and workdays may be a thing of the past.

I think organizations will reevaluate how they support job functions and organizational culture in a distributed setting as part of their business continuity plan. During COVID-19 many companies will have learned that there is a difference between supporting employees working remotely versus supporting a distributed team. Leadership and People Operations (aka HR) will have to work together and adjust the people strategy to facilitate team camaraderie, collaboration, and emotional well-being for an extended period of time under stressful conditions. It is wise to have periodic retrospectives on how efficiently teams work when distributed, and having stress counseling on-tap is not a bad idea either.

I imagine that working remotely will be more acceptable and accessible for most employees following COVID-19. Many companies that previously had no need for remote work options can now recognize productivity as independent from an office environment. And hopefully, employers will now take into consideration a good work ethic and self-motivation when hiring.

Catherine Howard, Digital Marketing Specialist

I think that more companies will embrace and see the benefits of remote work and eLearning. Though many companies were forced to make a quick transition to remote work and learning, and may still be working through how to best replicate in-person activities into a digital format, I think the effort will demonstrate how productive people can be working from their own homes. With the proper technology and communication, a remote working environment can lead to highly successful business outcomes and a high level of employee satisfaction. Additionally, more organizations will likely embrace digital learning platforms for their company onboarding processes, training, and learning and development. When done right, digital learning can save money, increase learning efficiency and retention, and buffer an organization against unknown future disruptions.

Overall, in my opinion; I think this shift has created a deeper trust among our team. Given that the current environment has made so many shifts to this "new" style of work. Leaders are suddenly in a situation where they need to figure out how to inspire and empower a workforce that has a level of autonomy like never before. This also means figuring out how to approach delegation and communication differently as the frequency of contact has shifted. Taking these into account, I think one lasting effect of this epidemic will be a new, more flexible approach to work. One that is more focused on the outcome rather than the managing processes.

I’m not going to predict the “end of the office.” But, I’ll share that our company decided to close our office space for 2020 - and may go fully remote forever. Why? For a company of 15 employees, operating in a remote environment has been very efficient from a production and cost perspective. Plus, it’s safer. Just packing up our office and selling off the last of our furniture felt like the end of one chapter. Going remote and closing the office kickstarts an entire different chapter for small businesses like ours.

If you would like to discover how we at Texthelp could help you and your remote working teams, explore more about what we do, and how we can support you at this time. 

Twelve thought leaders weigh in on how they think the workforce will change once we’re 'back to normal'.

12 ways the workforce will change

In the past few months, the workforce has flipped on its head. One thing is for sure - the future of the workplace and workforce will be changing. 

So, what changes and developments will stick around? Twelve thought leaders weigh in on how they think the workforce will change once we’re back to normal.

Although we are a BYOD school, for us it’s not about the devices. It’s about the potential of technology to transform the teaching experience. To make sure that students can access learning anytime, anywhere. And for us, that technology and the work we do every day with these tools, has put us in a really strong position to deliver our curriculum. These are the 3 principles that helped us to select and implement the right technology tools across our school:

Authentic agency is important to us, whether you’re a member of staff or a student. We help everyone in our school community understand that and how it can help them. We hear alot about learner agency, but the impact for us is with our staff. When introducing new technology, we’ve learned to meet staff where they’re at, in the same way we would with students. Some staff will jump in and give things a go and others are a bit more reluctant, and that’s ok. There’s no pressure and there’s no expectation because we’re all lifelong learners and we’re all in it together. 

A key thing we learned during remote learning was just how clear our student voice is. There were a number of students who asked for all of their work to be provided up front. They wanted to have agency and planning over their own day, because every home looks different. And the groundwork we had already put in with tools like Read&Write allowed us to be able to meet that demand.

Ensuring success for all means we’ve all got to be on board and we’ve all got to be willing to give things a go. At HPSS, we’re all brave enough to give things a go on a daily basis using the tools that we have. Whether that's EquatIO or whether that's Read&Write, it doesn't matter. What matters is everybody has ownership of what they're managing and what they're trying to do for that particular activity, and I think that’s important.

We learn, we relearn, and then we refine and refine again. We model that every day, in every class. And then suddenly it just becomes what we do. You can hear kids saying “I’ve just made a mistake on that, I need to fix that.” And then you’ve got teachers saying the same things, “I don’t know how to use that. Can you show me?” For us, by modelling the mistakes, by modelling trying new things alongside our learners and colleagues, we’ve all learned to see the positives.

At Hobsonville we apply the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to all aspects of learning. Part of my role as Learning Support Leader is supporting students with diverse needs but that also falls under the umbrella of inclusivity. And using the principles of UDL means that everybody in a class should be working at the level that works for them, at that time. Using the tools that they have available to make tasks easier and to work more independently.

The great thing about UDL is that the principles apply no matter the subject or the level you’re trying to work to. Because it removes barriers and recognises that every learner is different, leading the way for personalisation. Teachers use UDL to ensure students not only have multiple ways to access learning but different ways to show their understanding too. 

Vanna

Discover the 3 key principles that guide teaching and learning at Hobsonville Point Secondary School in Auckland, to help them select the right EdTech tools for their teachers and students.

Lessons from Hobsonville Point Secondary School

During a panel discussion I took part in recently with Texthelp, we explored how school leaders can use technology to improve learning experiences. Throughout the discussion I was reminded that we are in a unique position here at Hobsonville Point Secondary School (HPSS) in Auckland. We are a ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) school and we tailor our programmes to support every student. We know the impact that EdTech tools have on learning and I want to share the key principles that guide us. To help you integrate technology into teaching and learning at your school.

The new site looks very different to the old one. We’ve got lots of new features and functionality. Please have a look around and let us know what you think. We’d love to get your feedback to help inform our future development. There is much more to come! 

As a technology leader, it’s important for us to make information regarding our software, the sectors we serve and our thought leadership easily accessible for our current and prospective customers. 

Above all, we wanted to make a new website that is easy to understand, easier to navigate, and is more user-friendly. 

We are excited to announce the launch of our newly designed website. It's been built in prismic with a big focus on UX, accessibility with a clean and clear UI. Take a look and tell us what you think

A new look for the Texthelp website

After nine months of hard work and dedication, we are excited to announce the launch of our newly designed website.

Staff recruitment and retention is a well-recognised issue in the social housing sector. Historically, providers have been unable to match pay levels expected in many parts of the private sector. As such, housing associations and trusts rely heavily on the passion and commitment of staff to deliver a job that’s often complex and demanding.

So what practical steps can organisations take to boost their lasting appeal to current and potential employees? A great place to start is making sure that work is a happy, inclusive place where everyone feels valued.

As technology permeates every aspect of our lives, housing providers have a duty of care to recognise the needs of an increasingly diverse workforce. Individuals with some form of disability – including dyslexia and visual impairments – represent up to 19% of working age adults in the UK. And for anyone who’s struggling with everyday tasks like writing emails and reports or researching information online, it’s easy to feel intimidated, excluded or turned off by technology. 

UK housing providers are already taking steps to make their websites more accessible to tenants with literacy issues or disabilities that make interacting with digital content tricky. So shouldn’t organisations be giving employees the same supports to ensure that everyone’s engaged and efficient, whatever their workstyle?

Technology can create a more welcoming, inclusive workplace for employees of housing associations and trusts, supporting staff members using computers or tablets for everyday reading and writing tasks. Handy for everyone who’s working digitally, tasks can be made easier, with less stress, as intuitive tools can reduce errors, boost accuracy and save precious time.

Are you a public housing provider? Talk to us and discover how we can help improve the digital journey for tenants and staff alike.

Digital transformation is one of the biggest challenges facing housing organisations today. In this blog, discover how we can help.

Home for good: how can housing providers boost long-term staff retention?

Digital transformation is one of the biggest challenges facing housing organisations today. As well as ensuring that tenants aren’t left behind in the digital age, providers must make the workplace a welcoming environment for housing staff.

Digital access needs are needs which arise as a result of an individual’s disability when interacting online. It’s true that 1 in 4 users with access needs find it difficult to use more than half of retail websites due to the barriers they experience. When they hit a barrier - what then?

70% will leave a website, taking their spending power to an accessible alternative. The cost of this equates to an estimated £17.1 billion - and that’s the click away pound.

So, what can you do to tap into this market?


First, let’s consider their lived experiences

Before we fill you in on the benefits businesses are reaping from web accessibility software, let’s explore the challenges faced by this untapped market.

As a diverse market, access needs can arise from a variety of disabilities including vision and hearing impairments; literacy difficulties; cognitive challenges; and, neurodiverse conditions such as dyslexia, autism, dyspraxia and adhd.

But one thing this audience has in common is that often the digital world is one where they feel excluded, dependent, and a place they don’t belong.

The ability to perceive content due to crowded pages, distracting moving images and graphics, and poor color contrast and text layout

The ability to navigate across a website because of poor keyboard access, and meaningless link information

As we’re uncovering the barriers, you might be thinking ‘our online visitors will tell us if they’re experiencing barriers on our site’ - and you’d be wrong. 

People value independence. Only 8% of users with digital access needs will contact a business about barriers they experience. And, even if they wanted to reach out, over half of users struggle to fill out contact forms due to inaccessible fields and reCAPTCHA tests.

A solution that’s helping this audience to navigate the internet independently is the use of assistive technology. In fact, research has found that all users with digital access needs, 63% of those with disabilities, use assistive technology on the web.

Assistive technology is any software, application or device that supports people with disabilities, and improves their ability to do things independently in everyday life.

When browsing the internet, the most common forms of assistive technology include screen readers, text magnification, and speech recognition software. But such supports aren’t always available, and that’s where web accessibility software can help.


Recognizing the benefits of web accessibility software

Only 1 in 10 people in need have access to assistive technology due to the high costs. Largely, those with access needs are using assistive technology in the form of built-in accessibility features on smartphones and apps. That’s why more and more businesses are recognizing the benefits of providing web accessibility software on their own websites.

Web accessibility software includes inclusive toolbars, such as the ReachDeck Toolbar, which helps online visitors to interact with digital content in a way that suits them best. 

With the ReachDeck Toolbar, users can remove on-page distractions using the simplify feature, or have written text read aloud through text-to-speech functionality. From text magnification to screen masking, its features benefit a wide range of individuals with various needs.

Used by organizations across the globe, the ReachDeck Toolbar is supporting online audiences across both public and private sectors. It's freely available on sites including local city councils, NHS services and large corporations, helping essential information reach every visitor.


 
Empowering your legal, moral and business obligations

Being proactive, by providing a digital inclusion tool like the ReachDeck Toolbar, can help you to increase your business revenue, but also empowers you in your legal and moral obligations to web accessibility.

Ensuring that everyone feels welcomed by your digital presence is the right thing to do - but it’s also crucial to remember your legal responsibilities to do so.

Existing legislation puts the onus on you to ensure your website is accessible in line web accessibility guidelines, otherwise you could be breaking the law. The ReachDeck Toolbar can support your efforts, by opening up your digital content so that it’s available and accessible to everyone. Not only that, the ReachDeck Toolbar is only one feature within the ReachDeck software.

ReachDeck is our accessibility and inclusion software. In addition to the ReachDeck Toolbar, it also includes the ReachDeck Auditor and the ReachDeck Editor. Auditor is a WCAG compliance checker that automatically scans your website for compliance errors. And Editor is a content authoring tool that helps everyone in your organization to improve the readability of their online content. Combined, these features help you to improve the accessibility, readability and reach of your digital content.

Want to know more about ReachDeck? Visit our dedicated product page. From there, you'll also be able to arrange a free trial.

70% will leave a website, taking their spending power to an accessible alternative. The cost of this equates to an estimated £17.1 billion - and that’s the click away pound. So, what can you do to tap into this market?

Web accessibility software is helping businesses to tap into the £17.1bn click away pound

We’re expected to do more digitally now than ever before and with that, there’s a risk of leaving a large proportion of the population behind. That’s because barriers on the web still exist. For many businesses, their digital presence is unwelcoming to the 7 million internet users in the UK with digital access needs - an audience worth £24.8 billion, to be exact.