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 and accessibility. At Princeton, we have created a welcoming and innovative program to certify staff in any role, whether technical or non-technical. To date, over 120 staff have earned certifications. We believe that everyone can benefit from and apply accessibility knowledge in their work, and we especially encourage those who:
- Are responsible for supporting people with disabilities
- Want to create more inclusive experiences
- Create content
- Create or manage IT
- Organize and host meetings
- Work with students
OIT's training program is cohort-based and is generally offered in the summer and winter. It includes an online course, three Zoom-based training classes, study sessions, and the exam. Participants should expect to spend 50 hours in the preparation program. The thoroughness of the preparation gives us a high pass rate. Those who do well in the practice exam have their certification 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
CPACC classes are open only to members of the University community.
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.
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
WAS classes are open only to members of the University community.