IAAP Certification: A Tool for Advancing Your Digital Accessibility Strategies

Sharon Spencer, Managing Director, International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP), a division of G3ict, sspencer@accessibilityassociation.org

Abstract

One billion people, or 15% of the world's population, experience some form of disability. Organizations worldwide are recognizing that their digital infrastructure, both internal and external, must be made accessible to meet the needs of their customers and employees with disabilities. Inaccessible systems put them at risk for missing a significant percentage of the market, including the aging population, and at risk for non-compliance with legislation.During the past 25 years, a great number of advancements have been made toward the goal of more accessible information and communications technology (ICT). This includes advancements in operating systems, developer tools, technical industry standards and the growth of a rich ecosystem of assistive technology products. However, as we reflect on the current state of the industry and today's ICT solutions, websites and content, it is clear that many are still not accessible. Even organizations that have established development best practices are struggling to consistently deliver accessible content and solutions. Corporations, government agencies and educational institutions worldwide continue to work diligently to understand and respond to the needs of their employees and customers with disabilities, but significant obstacles continue to hinder their success. One of those obstacles is the lack of accessibility knowledge integrated across their existing employee base and a pipeline of skilled accessibility professionals to accomplish the work that needs to be done.

Introduction

The International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) was established to help address this need and to create a resource focused on supporting these professionals in order to enable the creation of accessible products, content and services. An important component to this is the establishment of a certification program to provide a framework from which organizations can ensure the growth of skills within their organization.

IAAP certification credentials provide evidence of the professional's commitment to the accessibility field and of their competence within the field based on their knowledge of international standards and best practices. The credentials provide employers, the accessibility community, and the public with an objective measurement for a level of accessibility competence of current and/or prospective employees or consultants.

The certification program can be a tool to organizations to create training and hiring programs that ensure they are building or adding accessibility skills within their organization. It provides a roadmap for educational institutions to develop curriculum to graduate students with accessibility knowledge.

The objective of the certification program is to help support the capacity-building needs for accessibility work, especially Web accessibility, around the world including in developing countries where significant progress is needed. As accessibility becomes an example of forward thinking programmatic change rather than a reactive measure, more corporations, organizations, and college campuses will build ICT accessibility into their strategy, marketing, and programmatic goals.

Available IAAP Certifications

The IAAP currently offers two types of certification: a professional level credential, and a technical level credential. Current exam offerings include:

Goals of the IAAP Certification Program

The IAAP certification program aspires to the following goals for accessibility certification:

More about IAAP and IAAP Certifications

If you are interested in IAAP Certification for yourself or for your organization, more information can be found on our Certification Page.

Information about IAAP and the benefits of joining IAAP can be found at www.accessibilityassociation.org.

Additional questions can be emailed to certification@accessibilityassociation.org or info@accessibilityassociation.org.

About the Author

Sharon profile photo.

Sharon Spencer is Managing Director of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP), a division of the Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs (G3ict). In 2010, working as a management consultant, she managed several research projects that helped to define the foundation upon which IAAP was created. She then worked with the founding members of IAAP to build and launch the association in 2014. She now manages the association as an independent division of G3ict who is a global advocacy initiative that facilitates and supports the implementation of the dispositions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on the accessibility of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) and assistive technologies. Sharon has eighteen years of experience in the accessible technology industry including as Executive Vice President of Sales for Freedom Scientific (now VFO). She also served for four years on the Board of Directors and as President of the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA). Prior to joining the accessibility industry, she held various sales, marketing and executive management positions at IBM and other organizations ranging from the Fortune 500 to start-ups.