First impressions matter.
When I first started running workshops, I'd dive straight in. I had a lot to cover and not enough time. Big mistake! How you open the workshop sets the expectations for the entire session. I was hectic, in a hurry to do things. But an effective accessibility workshop isn't that. It's about patience, people, communication and a bit of fun.
So I started opening the workshops with simple ice breakers designed to welcome people in, warm them up, get ideas flowing freely, without critical thinking or any criticism of any kind.
Here are my three favourite ice breakers.
Two truths and a lie
You instruct everyone to write down three things about themselves, and one of them should be a lie. Don't make the lie obvious. Instead try to have all three things as believable as possible. Here's the example I use:
I've lived in five countries and speak three languages. I've owned a bike since I was 10 years old. I played guitar in a band in college.
Have others try to guess which one is the lie. (I own a guitar but can't play it)
My first job
The idea of this one is for everyone to write down what their first job was and one thing they learned that they still apply today. Here's mine:
My first job was cleaning hotel rooms in Alaska. I learned how to make a bed in under four minutes and I still make my bed every morning since.
It's always fun to learn what others did for money when they were younger.
I can't live without
In this one, you instruct everyone to bring an object, or a photo of an object, to the workshop and describe why they can't imagine life without it. What do they like about it so much? Here's my example:
I feel like I can't live without my ergonomic mouse any more. I'm getting at the age where my wrists are hurting and without the elevated profile of my MX Ergo I couldn't get through the work day.
I've seen people bring pens and photos of vacuums. Trust me, everyone will get a kick out of this ice breaker.
You might wonder what do these games have to do with the rest of the workshop. Not everything needs to be all work, all the time. Their main goal is to set the mood.
If you want a good ice breaker that's also designed to be useful in the context of an accessibility workshop, you should check out Workshop Warriors.