The IAAP Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) credential is IAAP's foundational certification, representing broad, cross-disciplinary conceptual knowledge about 1) disabilities, 2) accessibility and universal design, and 3) accessibility-related standards, laws, and management strategies.
Relevant domains for the CPACC credential include the web and other digital technologies, architecture and the built environment, consumer and industrial design, transportation systems, and any domain in which thoughtful design, policy, and management can improve disability access.
The CPACC is the ideal credential for those who manage and support accessibility, but who may not personally design, implement, or evaluate the technical details of accessible solutions. For those who do work at the technical level, IAAP will be working to create domain-specific professional credentials which build on the associate-level credential. The IAAP will add other technical professional certification credentials in other domains in accordance with market and professional demand.
"The CPACC certification has increased my knowledge regarding disabilities, accessibility, universal design, management strategies, and laws. The challenges and solutions will help bridge the digital divide. I am honored to be part of the initiative to close the gap. Each individual is unique, focusing on the diversity of people is vital."
I was introduced to the notion of creating Accessible content when learning CSS3 back in the early twenty-first century. The item that stands out was the practice of, when using images as "buttons" for navigation elements, having the proper link text remain in the structure, visually hidden. "That's so cool!" I thought, and the fact that it made life a little easier for folks who already had a full stack of challenges (to this sighted person, anyway) was icing on the cake.
“As a web developer, I have always strived to create sites that are easy to understand and navigate. The CPACC certification allows me to take that one step further by incorporating accessible design. The Web has become an essential resource in education, employment, health, social interaction, etc. Therefore, it is essential that websites are accessible to everyone. I am grateful that Princeton University provided the opportunity and encouragement to pursue this certification.”
"Equal access to information for all people is a core value in librarianship. As a developer in the Library, I am committed to work towards an inclusive web as equity, diversity, and inclusion are central to the promotion and practice of intellectual freedom."
"As a user experience researcher, I often start questions with the phrase: 'How might we …' as an open question for exploring an approach to a problem. As I probe the problem space, I naturally gravitate to a user centered perspective. Now that I earned my CPACC certification, my enquiry is bolstered with a little more confidence in how to effectively and equitably consider the needs of all people when facilitating design discussions. I especially appreciate this quote from Haben Girma , who was our keynote speaker at our recent Global Accessibility Awareness Day:
"My group creates fully online courses (MOOCs) for learners around the world. Over the past 5 years we have had over 2 million people from more than 190 countries enrolled in our courses. Our learners can be everything from young grade school kids or college students, to adult learners and retirees. They have very different language skills, abilities and social and economic backgrounds. I want to make sure we create an inclusive environment for all of these learners, and that we do everything we can to give them equal or equivalent access access to our content.
“Wait….is that yellow text on a white background inside an image inside a carousel?
John reviews launching sites across campus for accessibility and usability.
Please don’t send him things like that.
Again."
"I believe, to my core, in the concepts of diversity, inclusion, and equity. Often times we inadvertently put up barriers that dissuade or block access to spaces in the digital, mental, and physical realm. It is with this certification that I enlighten, strengthen, and display my dedication to ensure that items that have my fingerprints or input inject the core concepts of accessibility; affording everyone the chance to participate equally and freely."
Being an A11y and a CPACC means ensuring that the idea of open and effective communication is applied fairly to every possible person(s). Accessibility should not mean tailoring an experience to one group, but making every possible experience available to all groups.
"Having seen individuals struggle through inaccessible but otherwise good looking websites, accessibility to me is a minimum requirement to be a competent provider of information. We must always remember to make accessibility a core part of our work."
