E-mail List Archives

Search E-mail List Archives for

Number of posts in this thread: 4 (In chronological order)

From: Jennison Mark Asuncion
Date: Mon, Jun 16 2014 11:07PM
Subject: Thoughts on Prof. Accreditation in Digital Accessibility
No previous message | Next message →

Folks,

Sharing the above named blog post by David Sloan
http://58sound.com/2014/06/10/thoughts-on-professional-accreditation-in-digital-accessibility

Jennison
--
Jennison Mark Asuncion
LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/jennison
Follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/jennison
Organizer, Bay Area Accessibility and Inclusive Design www.meetup.com/a11ybay
Organizer, Accessibility Camp Bay Area www.accessibilitycampbay.org
Co-Founder, Global Accessibility Awareness Day
www.globalaccessibilityawarenessday.org

From: Karlen Communications
Date: Tue, Jun 17 2014 4:28AM
Subject: Re: Thoughts on Prof. Accreditation in Digital Accessibility
← Previous message | Next message →

In 2009 I wrote a discussion paper on the need to have curriculum revised in
Ontario so that we were graduating students with the skills necessary to
create AODA compliant and beyond content. It is still on the Karlen
Communications website as it is still a valid discussion. Hopefully at one
point in the near future, we'll move into a strategy and action phase.

How can we have international treaties and national legislation that
mandates accessibility when we do not create graduates that are ready and
skilled to do so? Putting the "burden" of retraining graduates on how to
create accessible content/apps and any digital content on an employer or the
individual themselves seems an endless cycle of technical stagnation. "We"
spend more time catching up to the skills we should seamlessly have than
advancing technology or accessibility/inclusion.

I have long advocated that inclusive education means that any accommodation
for a student with a disability should be rare and not the norm. Any digital
tools used or content produced for learning in primary, secondary, tertiary
education or for professional development of any kind, must be accessible.
This means anything used or produced by teachers and students...including
students without disabilities.

Criteria for creating digital content doesn't have to be framed in "we are
going to make this accessible." It is simply framed as "this is how we
create this."

One of my concerns with the IAAP is the cost of membership which means that
many of us who are individuals with small businesses can't afford
membership. This is my case. I've worked for many years in the area of
accessible document design and was among the first people to advocate and
work in the area of PDF accessibility (I literally wrote the book on this)
and find myself unable to afford to join an organization that I've lobbied
for. The cost of membership will also prevent many in developing countries
or those living in countries with lower economic status from joining what
could be a great international accreditation organization.

In Ontario we have the College of Teachers which has a minimal membership
fee/about $200 per year but you have to have a B.Ed and membership validates
your Ontario Teacher's Certificate. We have the same professional
organization for RN's. It is based on a post graduate degree in nursing and
membership in the College of Nurses is for your RN status/employment.

Both of these "colleges" have professional development mandates and
criteria. I think it is every 5 years you have to go through more advanced
training to ensure that the latest tools and skills are learned/added to
your skills base.

So, while I think that the IAAP is a good idea, it cannot be the "answer" to
the need for inclusive education where inclusive education means that
anything used in the learning process is accessible by default. Eventually
and sooner rather than later, it can be the equivalent to an "International
college of Accessibility Professionals" which would leverage global
employment and accreditation.

We need to start graduating students with the skills they need to be
employed in a global economy/workplace where there is legislation and the UN
Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. It should not be up to
employers or the IAAP to retrain graduates in any field about accessibility
and inclusion.

My 2 cents CAD!

Cheers, Karen

From: Tim Harshbarger
Date: Tue, Jun 17 2014 12:01PM
Subject: Re: Thoughts on Prof. Accreditation in DigitalAccessibility
← Previous message | Next message →

Just to clarify some potential confusion, anyone can acquire an individual membership in IAAP.

While there are organizational and individual memberships, you don't have to belong to an organization with a membership to gain an individual membership.

I would strongly encourage anyone to join the IAAP and become actively involved with those people in IAAP that are working on these topics if you feel strongly about some aspect of the topic.

The threshold for entry and involvement into the organization is pretty low and, since the organization is new, this is definitely the time to become involved if you want to influence some aspect of its future.
Thanks,
Tim

From: Karlen Communications
Date: Tue, Jun 17 2014 2:56PM
Subject: Re: Thoughts on Prof. Accreditation inDigitalAccessibility
← Previous message | No next message

I didn't mean to create confusion. I think the IAAP is a good idea and has
potential.

My main point is that we should be advocating and creating inclusive
education so that an IAAP or certification centre is for professional
development and continued studies as well as having membership in an
accreditation organization and should not be where we go to get the
"education we need" to create more accessible devices, content and
technology or to be employable in a global economy that expects graduates to
know how to do this without retraining.

In the meantime, just as with colleges and universities, there should be a
"life learning test/measurement" so that those of us who have learned by
doing are able to be accredited without taking additional courses.

Cheers, Karen