Accessibility of websites is growing in need and demand as organisations recognise that accessibility opens up new markets, ensures compliance with disability discrimination regulations and policies, and provides a better user experience. There is always a role for consultants and outside assistance in making websites accessible, but gaining some practical knowledge gives you a distinctive advantage in managing accessibility issues and ensuring you get value for money from your suppliers.
There are a number of training courses offered in the market, in a variety of formats. Realistically, one-day courses cannot give you in-depth, broad practical knowledge about web accessibility. The one-day format is best for either general introductory courses, or very specific training about a particular issue, such as accessible content writing.
The recommended approach is to look at longer courses provided by experts with demonstrated practical experience and proper assessment, rather than just a certificate to show attendance at a course.
With such training you should be able to:
- Get started on those easy-to-identify, easy-to-fix website accessibility issues that you can do yourself, and bring a level of understanding of the scope and resources needed for dealing with other issues.
- Understand what the international accessibility standards (such as WCAG 2.0) mean in practical terms to ensure proper compliance. Or better still, to provide the best experience for all users of your websites.
- Save money in your procurement process through better knowledge and being able to evaluate the accessibility credentials and claims of your suppliers. Accessibility promises and guarantees are worth little if you cannot verify them and ask the right questions as part of your evaluation process.
- Learn specialist skills that you can pass on to your team and ensure that accessibility is part of the development process, not a fix to be made afterwards.
Media Access Australia offers the Professional Certificate in Web Accessibility in partnership with the University of South Australia which has been helping upskill Accessibility Champions for the last four years. The course is convened and led by Dr Scott Hollier, a world-recognised digital accessibility expert who has extensive practical knowledge. It is also co-presented by the University of South Australia.
The course is provided over six weeks in an interactive online format and attracts students from across the world. Connecting with other people who face the same issues is a major benefit of the course and this continues when you have completed it. The exclusive Professional Certificate in Web Accessibility alumni group is an ongoing free forum to develop your knowledge further, discuss issues and share insights with your peers.
For other issues, the Digital Accessibility Services team at Media Access Australia can assist with audits, advice and training around accessibility and business processes to ensure the needs of all your customers are being met.