Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies
The CPACC is a foundational professional credential that represents the ability to apply broad, cross-disciplinary conceptual knowledge about disabilities, accessibility and universal design, and accessibility-related standards, laws, and management strategies.
It is a baseline credential for both non-technical and technical accessibility roles. At Princeton, we have created a welcoming and innovative program to certify staff in any role. To date, over 90 staff have received certifications. We believe that everyone can benefit from and apply accessibility knowledge in their work, and we especially encourage anyone who:
- Evaluates and purchases technology
- Creates content
- Designs, develops, manages, and supports IT
- Organizes and hosts meetings
- Works with students
- Wants to create more inclusive experiences
OIT's training program is cohort-based and is generally offered in the summer and late fall. It includes an online course, three in-person training classes, study sessions, and the exam. Participants should expect to spend about 50 hours in the preparation program. The thoroughness of the program gives us a nearly perfect pass rate. Those who do well in the course have their exam fees met by OIT.
Course topics include:
- Disabilities, challenges and assistive technologies
- Etiquette
- Accommodations
- Universal design
- Standards and laws
- Integrating digital accessibility in the organization
Ask to join a CPACC study cohort
Web Accessibility Specialist
A WAS certification demonstrates a deep, technical understanding of the design, code and testing methods needed to create accessible websites and applications. This track is recommended for developers who regularly create front-end themes or interactive content.
The introductory and DIY testing for developers classes or their equivalent will provide a good starting point for developers seeking this certification. As the material is highly technical, certificate-holders at Princeton have reported spending up to 60 hours on coursework and study materials before sitting for the exam.
Like the CPACC training course, WAS classes are open only to members of the University community.
Topics include:
- The specific requirements of key standards, including WCAG 2.1, WAI-ARIA and ATAG
- Usable and accessible design and code patterns for common components
- Techniques needed to enable access for all common assistive technologies
- Testing with assistive technologies, including screen readers
- Remediation techniques