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From: Paul Bohman
Date: Wed, Sep 09 2015 10:12AM
Subject: IAAP Certification Update
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I'm the Chair of the Certification Committee at the IAAP (International
Association of Accessibility Professionals). We've recently updated the
page about certification on the IAAP website to explain where we are in the
process (http://www.accessibilityassociation.org/content.asp?contentid28)
I've also included the full text below. I welcome any comments or questions.
IAAP Certification The International Association of Accessibility
Professionals (IAAP) will begin offering professional certification in 2016.
Where We Are Now in the Process? Currently, the Job Task Analysis
validation survey has been distributed to the accessibility community. The
validation survey is used to define the core competencies of those working
at an entry level in the accessibility industry. The validation survey is
the foundation for the exam content outline (or blueprint) that will serve
as the basis for all exam content.

Once the survey results have been finalized, the exam content outline will
be made publically available on the IAAP website.

All accessibility professionals are encouraged to complete the validation
survey which can be accessed at
https://accessibilityassociation.formstack.com/forms/iaap_2015_ja
The Process of Creating a Professional Certification Professional Testing
(IAAP's exam development partner) outlines the critical steps necessary to
develop a valid and reliable examination.

Access the full certification process outline
<http://iaap.membershipsoftware.org/files/Exam%20Development%20and%20Procedures%20Guidelines.pdf>;
.
Goals of the Certification Program The IAAP certification program aspires
to the following goals for accessibility certification:

- To define what accessibility professionals are expected to know.
- To increase the quality and consistency of the work performed by
accessibility professionals.
- To provide accessibility professionals with a credential as evidence
of their commitment to the accessibility field, and of their competence
within the field.
- To provide employers, the accessibility community and the public with
a metric to measure and assess the accessibility competence of current
and/or prospective employees.
- To provide colleges, universities, and vocational programs with clear
educational outcomes and a curriculum outline for teaching accessibility.
- To strengthen the community of practice among accessibility
professionals.

The Structure and Scope of the IAAP Certification Program The IAAP will
offer two levels of certification: an associate level credential, and
subsequent professional level credentials. Associate Level

- *Foundation Level*: The Associate level credential is the entry level
credential. It is the foundation upon which the Professional level
certifications build.
- *Broad and Conceptual*: This level covers a broad range of topics
within accessibility, and the exam will be rigorous, but the exam questions
will be mostly conceptual in nature, rather than technical.

Professional Level

- *Technical Detail*: Certifying at the professional level requires
detailed technical knowledge of the domain. For example, accessibility
professionals are expected to evaluate the accessibility of existing
content or objects according to published technical standards and
guidelines, and provide detailed remediation recommendations. They are
expected to know and use the relevant technologies, not merely be aware of
them.
- *Multiple Professional Level Credentials*: The IAAP was conceived as
an organization for all accessibility professionals across a wide range of
accessibility domains, such as accessibility of the web, software,
multimedia, documents, consumer products, industrial design,
transportation, architecture and the built environment, etc. The IAAP will
develop multiple professional level certification exams for multiple
accessibility domains, depending on market demand.
- *Focus First on Web Accessibility*: The first Professional level IAAP
credential will focus on web accessibility.

Certified Accessibility Associate (CAA) The Certified Accessibility
Associate (CAA) credential is IAAP's foundational certification,
representing the practical application of broad, cross-disciplinary
conceptual knowledge about 1) disabilities, 2) accessibility and universal
design, and 3) accessibility-related standards, laws, and management
strategies.

Relevant domains for the CAA credential include the web and other digital
technologies, architecture and the built environment, consumer and
industrial design, transportation systems, and any domain in which
thoughtful design, policy, and management can improve disability access.

The CAA is the ideal credential for those who manage and support
accessibility, but who may not personally design, implement, or evaluate
the technical details of accessible solutions. For those who do work at the
technical level, IAAP will be working to create domain-specific
professional credentials which build on the associate-level credential. The
first professional level he IAAP is actively developing is the Certified
Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA). The IAAP will add other technical
professional certification credentials in other domains in accordance with
market and professional demand.
Nature of the Certification Examination The IAAP wants accessibility
professionals – and the employers who hire them – to recognize the value of
IAAP credentials as a valid benchmark of a person's accessibility knowledge
and skills. To meet this goal, the IAAP will work closely with
accessibility professionals and assessment professionals to design the
exams and test their reliability and validity. The IAAP will monitor the
outcomes and continually assess the effectiveness of the exams to ensure
the trustworthiness of all IAAP credentials.

The exact nature and format of the test is to be determined. At this point,
the IAAP anticipates that many questions will likely be in a format
amenable to automated scoring, but some questions – especially at the
professional level – may be more open-ended to allow for more nuanced,
performance-based assessments of actual skills.
Who Should Take the Associate Level Examination? The associate-level
credential is intended for accessibility professionals, for those who
manage accessibility outcomes, and for anyone who plays a key role in
ensuring that the digital and physical worlds are accessible to people with
disabilities including:

- Accessibility professionals in any field (e.g. web design, software
engineering, hardware engineering, consumer and industrial product design,
transportation, architecture and the built environment, educational
accommodations, etc.), whose job requires in-depth accessibility expertise.
Accessibility professionals should also consider IAAP professional-level
certification, if available for their area of expertise.*
- Project, program, or portfolio managers and executive leaders
overseeing initiatives or organizations that focus on accessibility, or
which include accessibility as a key component.
- Anyone whose job requires accessibility awareness or competence (e.g.
technology professionals in diverse specializations, architects and urban
planners, international development professionals, disability rights
activists, lawmakers and legal counsel, media producers, recreation and
hospitality providers, teachers and professors, health care providers,
emergency response coordinators, salespeople and support staff at
accessibility consulting companies, etc.).

*Note: The associate-level certification is the terminal (final) IAAP
credential for all careers except those for which a professional-level IAAP
credential exists. Currently the only professional-level certification
under development by the IAAP is for web accessibility. The IAAP will
consider developing other specialized credentials in the future.
When Will IAAP Offer the First Certification Examination? Registration for
the associate level certification will be offered in the first quarter of
2016. The timeline for other professional level certifications is still to
be determined.
How Much Will the CAA Certification Examination Cost? The exam will be $325
for members; $425 for non-members. We will also offer an emerging country
rate at $150.
What Content Will the CAA Certification Examination Include? While the exam
blueprint is still in development, the chart below outlines the anticipated
exam content.

Anticipated Exam Content Topic Sub-Topic Disabilities Theoretical Models of
Disability Types of Disabilities, Challenges, and Assistive
Technologies Disability
Demographics Disability Etiquette Accessibility and Universal Design Individual
Accommodations versus Inclusive Design Benefits of Accessibility Accessibility
Principles (WCAG 2.0) The Principles of Universal Design 2.0 Universal
Design for Learning (UDL) Usability and User Experience (UX) Standards,
Laws, and Management Strategies International Conventions and Treaties
Accessibility
Standards and Regulations National and Regional Laws Systematic
Organizational Governance and Management
Preparing for the CAA Certification Examination Certification Preparation
Training The certification will be competency-based, which means that the
IAAP will not require the completion of any kind of training. Successful
certification will depend on one's score on the certification exam.
Certificants will be able to study on their own, based on the content in
the Body of Knowledge document, or they can take certification preparation
courses if they choose.

The IAAP does not currently offer an "official" IAAP certification
preparation training curriculum. The plan is to leverage the existing
third-party resources and services already in the market. Nearly all
accessibility companies and consultants provide accessibility training as
part of their business model, and information is available online in both
free and paid formats. The IAAP will publish a list of vetted certification
training providers for the benefit of those seeking exam preparation
training.
Maintaining Certification IAAP certification is valid for 3 years. Every
three years, certificants will be required to

- Complete a certain number of continuing education credits (to be
determined) a portion of which must be offered or approved by IAAP
- Submit an application for certification renewal.

Individuals do not need to retake any of the exams to maintain their
certification unless they allow their certification to lapse.

As technologies and professional expectations evolve, these renewal
requirements are subject to change.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) The IAAP will offer continuing education
units (CEUs) for classes, workshops, webcasts, conference attendance, and
other similar IAAP-sponsored activities. The IAAP will implement a process
to allow other organizations or individuals to offer IAAP-approved
continuing education credits for similar career-enhancing educational
opportunities.

Types of Activities that May Qualify for Continuing Education Credits:

- Attending classes, workshops, webinars, and other educational events
about accessibility
- Preparing or presenting educational materials about accessibility
- Publishing articles, books, blogs, or other publications about
accessibility
- Mentoring others in accessibility
- Speaking engagements at IAAP or other approved educational event
- Volunteer service with IAAP

The IAAP is at the early stages of considering CEU options, so further
research and public discussion of the options is necessary before deciding
on an official CEU policy.

The Qualifications of the Certification Team The certification process at
IAAP is in good hands with our headquarters and volunteer leadership team.
Here are abbreviated biographical sketches of some of the key players:
*Paul Bohman, PhD, Chair of the IAAP Certification Committee*
Dr. Paul Bohman has been the Chair of the IAAP Certification Committee
since its inception and has steered the process through the formative
stages, from the initial concepts to the more concrete proposals currently
under consideration. He is also Director of Training at Deque Systems, a
web accessibility software and consulting company based in the Washington
DC area. At Deque he has created the Deque University platform, which is a
custom learning management system for teaching web accessibility, and has
personally created or overseen the creation of a complete web accessibility
curriculum of online self-paced courses. He also travels frequently to
provide instructor-led training on web accessibility to clients.

His doctoral dissertation
<http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article#64&;context=etd>
investigated web accessibility in the higher education curriculum in three
different countries, and his doctoral studies included extensive training
in research design, assessment design and evaluation, statistics, learning
and instructional theory, psychology, sociology, and social justice.
Previously Dr. Bohman taught web accessibility at George Mason University,
participated in the creation of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
2.0, and was a founding member of WebAIM with Cyndi Rowland. At WebAIM, Dr.
Bohman created a full web accessibility curriculum (at that time based on
WCAG 1.0), some of which is still available on the WebAIM site. He also
created the WebAIM listserv, which continues to be one of the most active
groups on the internet for discussing web accessibility.
*Christine Murphy Peck, IAAP CEO*
Christine Murphy Peck is the CEO of the IAAP. She holds 29 years of
experience in nonprofit management, certification management, education
strategy development, corporate education and facilitation and strategic
planning. Peck currently leads the SmithBucklin Washington, D.C. team
responsible for implementing educational strategy, program design and
delivery, eLearning, certification and accreditation, with a focus on
outcomes and client growth.

Previously, Peck founded Peck Performance Group, a consulting practice
serving clients in the areas of education, training and organizational
development, and served as president and chief learning officer. She served
for seven years as the director of education and learning of the U.S.
Tennis Association, where she established a full-service educational center
providing professional development and educational resources to staff and
volunteers in more than 1,000 community-based organizations. She has worked
extensively with nonprofit organizations, including start-ups and
turnarounds, helping these organizations develop to their full potential
while managing multiple projects with combined budgets of more than $20
million.
*Dr. Reed Castle* IAAP's partners with Professional Testing Inc. an
independent testing company that provides assistance with exam development,
administration, and scoring. Professional Testing develops, administers,
and maintains licensure and certification examination programs.
Professional Testing staff guide the exam development activities and have
extensive psychometric and test development experience.

Dr. Reed Castle is the leads the exam development activities from
Professional Testing. Dr. Castle has over 25 years of experience in
psychometrics and exam development and has assisted with development in
with a multitude of examinations over his career. In his current capacity,
he oversees and provides consultation to a variety of clients by directing
psychometric services with respect to credentialing examinations and
providing NCCA and ANSI/ISO 17024 accreditation assistance. He successfully
evaluates client needs to implement best management practices Dr. Castle
has his PhD in Quantitative and Qualitative Methods with an emphasis in
Measurement, Statistics, and Research Design from the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, a Masters in Educational and Counseling Psychology with
an emphasis in Measurement and Statistics from the University of
Missouri-Columbia and a Bachelors in Psychology from University of
Missouri-Columbia.
*The Certification Committee* The Certification Committee is the governing
body of the professional certification program. Their mission is to assure
a comprehensive level of knowledge through certification in the
accessibility profession. The Certification Committee is responsible for
establishing the policies and procedures that guide the professional
certification program.

The Certification Committee is comprised of experts from across the
accessibility industry. The Committee represents multiple areas of
accessibility to ensure that all interests are represented.

The Certification Committee consists of the following individuals:

Paul Bohman, PhD, Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc. (Chair)
Arlington, Virginia, USA

Katie Haritos Shea, Senior Accessibility Subject Matter Expert
(WCAG/Section 508/ADA/AODA)
Oakton, Virginia, USA

Allen Hoffman, Office of Accessible Systems & Technology, Department of
Homeland Security Washington, DC, USA

Jay Cardinali, Worldwide Accessibility Manager, Walt Disney Parks and
Resorts
Orlando, Florida, USA

Ken Nakata, Director, Accessibility Consulting Practice, Cryptzone
Seattle, Washington, USA

Robert Pearson, Accessiblity Officer, Accessible Media Inc. (AMI)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Valorie Sundby, Web Accessibility Specialist, Self, Modis - 5280 Solutions
Littleton, Colorado, USA

Nigel Lewis, CEO, AbilityNet
London, United Kingdom

David MacDonald, President, CanAdapt Solutions Inc.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Cristopher Broyles, Director of Digital Accessibility/Chief Accessibility
Officer, Perkins School for the Blind
Boston, Massachussetts, USA

Christian Vinten-Johansen, IT Manager, Pennsylvania State University
State College, Pennsylvania, USA

Kevin Prince, IT Accessibility Consultant, Access1in5
Christchurch, New Zealand

JoAnne Juett, Integration Specialist, HighPoint Global
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Paul Bohman, PhD
Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
703-225-0380, ext.121
https://DequeUniversity.com

From: Ron
Date: Thu, Sep 10 2015 12:39PM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

Paul if you solicited feedback from the stakeholder communities why is it
that none of the leaders in the Higher Ed AT community that I have
contacted ever saw this survey? I think what you all are doing is great for
the vendor and government community. But trying to extend it beyond those
groups will be very problematic.

ATHEN was never included in the effort at all nor was AHEAD as far as I
have been able to ascertain. So I find it somewhat disingenuous to try
and develop a certification process that in all likelyhood will be totally
irrelevant in the IHE AT service provider space. Sounds like the RESNA ATP
all over again.

Ron Stewart

On Wednesday, September 9, 2015, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> I'm the Chair of the Certification Committee at the IAAP (International
> Association of Accessibility Professionals). We've recently updated the
> page about certification on the IAAP website to explain where we are in the
> process (http://www.accessibilityassociation.org/content.asp?contentid28
> )
> I've also included the full text below. I welcome any comments or
> questions.
> IAAP Certification The International Association of Accessibility
> Professionals (IAAP) will begin offering professional certification in
> 2016.
> Where We Are Now in the Process? Currently, the Job Task Analysis
> validation survey has been distributed to the accessibility community. The
> validation survey is used to define the core competencies of those working
> at an entry level in the accessibility industry. The validation survey is
> the foundation for the exam content outline (or blueprint) that will serve
> as the basis for all exam content.
>
> Once the survey results have been finalized, the exam content outline will
> be made publically available on the IAAP website.
>
> All accessibility professionals are encouraged to complete the validation
> survey which can be accessed at
> https://accessibilityassociation.formstack.com/forms/iaap_2015_ja
> The Process of Creating a Professional Certification Professional Testing
> (IAAP's exam development partner) outlines the critical steps necessary to
> develop a valid and reliable examination.
>
> Access the full certification process outline
> <
> http://iaap.membershipsoftware.org/files/Exam%20Development%20and%20Procedures%20Guidelines.pdf
> >
> .
> Goals of the Certification Program The IAAP certification program aspires
> to the following goals for accessibility certification:
>
> - To define what accessibility professionals are expected to know.
> - To increase the quality and consistency of the work performed by
> accessibility professionals.
> - To provide accessibility professionals with a credential as evidence
> of their commitment to the accessibility field, and of their competence
> within the field.
> - To provide employers, the accessibility community and the public with
> a metric to measure and assess the accessibility competence of current
> and/or prospective employees.
> - To provide colleges, universities, and vocational programs with clear
> educational outcomes and a curriculum outline for teaching
> accessibility.
> - To strengthen the community of practice among accessibility
> professionals.
>
> The Structure and Scope of the IAAP Certification Program The IAAP will
> offer two levels of certification: an associate level credential, and
> subsequent professional level credentials. Associate Level
>
> - *Foundation Level*: The Associate level credential is the entry level
> credential. It is the foundation upon which the Professional level
> certifications build.
> - *Broad and Conceptual*: This level covers a broad range of topics
> within accessibility, and the exam will be rigorous, but the exam
> questions
> will be mostly conceptual in nature, rather than technical.
>
> Professional Level
>
> - *Technical Detail*: Certifying at the professional level requires
> detailed technical knowledge of the domain. For example, accessibility
> professionals are expected to evaluate the accessibility of existing
> content or objects according to published technical standards and
> guidelines, and provide detailed remediation recommendations. They are
> expected to know and use the relevant technologies, not merely be aware
> of
> them.
> - *Multiple Professional Level Credentials*: The IAAP was conceived as
> an organization for all accessibility professionals across a wide range
> of
> accessibility domains, such as accessibility of the web, software,
> multimedia, documents, consumer products, industrial design,
> transportation, architecture and the built environment, etc. The IAAP
> will
> develop multiple professional level certification exams for multiple
> accessibility domains, depending on market demand.
> - *Focus First on Web Accessibility*: The first Professional level IAAP
> credential will focus on web accessibility.
>
> Certified Accessibility Associate (CAA) The Certified Accessibility
> Associate (CAA) credential is IAAP's foundational certification,
> representing the practical application of broad, cross-disciplinary
> conceptual knowledge about 1) disabilities, 2) accessibility and universal
> design, and 3) accessibility-related standards, laws, and management
> strategies.
>
> Relevant domains for the CAA credential include the web and other digital
> technologies, architecture and the built environment, consumer and
> industrial design, transportation systems, and any domain in which
> thoughtful design, policy, and management can improve disability access.
>
> The CAA is the ideal credential for those who manage and support
> accessibility, but who may not personally design, implement, or evaluate
> the technical details of accessible solutions. For those who do work at the
> technical level, IAAP will be working to create domain-specific
> professional credentials which build on the associate-level credential. The
> first professional level he IAAP is actively developing is the Certified
> Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA). The IAAP will add other technical
> professional certification credentials in other domains in accordance with
> market and professional demand.
> Nature of the Certification Examination The IAAP wants accessibility
> professionals – and the employers who hire them – to recognize the value of
> IAAP credentials as a valid benchmark of a person's accessibility knowledge
> and skills. To meet this goal, the IAAP will work closely with
> accessibility professionals and assessment professionals to design the
> exams and test their reliability and validity. The IAAP will monitor the
> outcomes and continually assess the effectiveness of the exams to ensure
> the trustworthiness of all IAAP credentials.
>
> The exact nature and format of the test is to be determined. At this point,
> the IAAP anticipates that many questions will likely be in a format
> amenable to automated scoring, but some questions – especially at the
> professional level – may be more open-ended to allow for more nuanced,
> performance-based assessments of actual skills.
> Who Should Take the Associate Level Examination? The associate-level
> credential is intended for accessibility professionals, for those who
> manage accessibility outcomes, and for anyone who plays a key role in
> ensuring that the digital and physical worlds are accessible to people with
> disabilities including:
>
> - Accessibility professionals in any field (e.g. web design, software
> engineering, hardware engineering, consumer and industrial product
> design,
> transportation, architecture and the built environment, educational
> accommodations, etc.), whose job requires in-depth accessibility
> expertise.
> Accessibility professionals should also consider IAAP professional-level
> certification, if available for their area of expertise.*
> - Project, program, or portfolio managers and executive leaders
> overseeing initiatives or organizations that focus on accessibility, or
> which include accessibility as a key component.
> - Anyone whose job requires accessibility awareness or competence (e.g.
> technology professionals in diverse specializations, architects and
> urban
> planners, international development professionals, disability rights
> activists, lawmakers and legal counsel, media producers, recreation and
> hospitality providers, teachers and professors, health care providers,
> emergency response coordinators, salespeople and support staff at
> accessibility consulting companies, etc.).
>
> *Note: The associate-level certification is the terminal (final) IAAP
> credential for all careers except those for which a professional-level IAAP
> credential exists. Currently the only professional-level certification
> under development by the IAAP is for web accessibility. The IAAP will
> consider developing other specialized credentials in the future.
> When Will IAAP Offer the First Certification Examination? Registration for
> the associate level certification will be offered in the first quarter of
> 2016. The timeline for other professional level certifications is still to
> be determined.
> How Much Will the CAA Certification Examination Cost? The exam will be $325
> for members; $425 for non-members. We will also offer an emerging country
> rate at $150.
> What Content Will the CAA Certification Examination Include? While the exam
> blueprint is still in development, the chart below outlines the anticipated
> exam content.
>
> Anticipated Exam Content Topic Sub-Topic Disabilities Theoretical Models of
> Disability Types of Disabilities, Challenges, and Assistive
> Technologies Disability
> Demographics Disability Etiquette Accessibility and Universal Design
> Individual
> Accommodations versus Inclusive Design Benefits of Accessibility
> Accessibility
> Principles (WCAG 2.0) The Principles of Universal Design 2.0 Universal
> Design for Learning (UDL) Usability and User Experience (UX) Standards,
> Laws, and Management Strategies International Conventions and Treaties
> Accessibility
> Standards and Regulations National and Regional Laws Systematic
> Organizational Governance and Management
> Preparing for the CAA Certification Examination Certification Preparation
> Training The certification will be competency-based, which means that the
> IAAP will not require the completion of any kind of training. Successful
> certification will depend on one's score on the certification exam.
> Certificants will be able to study on their own, based on the content in
> the Body of Knowledge document, or they can take certification preparation
> courses if they choose.
>
> The IAAP does not currently offer an "official" IAAP certification
> preparation training curriculum. The plan is to leverage the existing
> third-party resources and services already in the market. Nearly all
> accessibility companies and consultants provide accessibility training as
> part of their business model, and information is available online in both
> free and paid formats. The IAAP will publish a list of vetted certification
> training providers for the benefit of those seeking exam preparation
> training.
> Maintaining Certification IAAP certification is valid for 3 years. Every
> three years, certificants will be required to
>
> - Complete a certain number of continuing education credits (to be
> determined) a portion of which must be offered or approved by IAAP
> - Submit an application for certification renewal.
>
> Individuals do not need to retake any of the exams to maintain their
> certification unless they allow their certification to lapse.
>
> As technologies and professional expectations evolve, these renewal
> requirements are subject to change.
> Continuing Education Units (CEUs) The IAAP will offer continuing education
> units (CEUs) for classes, workshops, webcasts, conference attendance, and
> other similar IAAP-sponsored activities. The IAAP will implement a process
> to allow other organizations or individuals to offer IAAP-approved
> continuing education credits for similar career-enhancing educational
> opportunities.
>
> Types of Activities that May Qualify for Continuing Education Credits:
>
> - Attending classes, workshops, webinars, and other educational events
> about accessibility
> - Preparing or presenting educational materials about accessibility
> - Publishing articles, books, blogs, or other publications about
> accessibility
> - Mentoring others in accessibility
> - Speaking engagements at IAAP or other approved educational event
> - Volunteer service with IAAP
>
> The IAAP is at the early stages of considering CEU options, so further
> research and public discussion of the options is necessary before deciding
> on an official CEU policy.
>
> The Qualifications of the Certification Team The certification process at
> IAAP is in good hands with our headquarters and volunteer leadership team.
> Here are abbreviated biographical sketches of some of the key players:
> *Paul Bohman, PhD, Chair of the IAAP Certification Committee*
> Dr. Paul Bohman has been the Chair of the IAAP Certification Committee
> since its inception and has steered the process through the formative
> stages, from the initial concepts to the more concrete proposals currently
> under consideration. He is also Director of Training at Deque Systems, a
> web accessibility software and consulting company based in the Washington
> DC area. At Deque he has created the Deque University platform, which is a
> custom learning management system for teaching web accessibility, and has
> personally created or overseen the creation of a complete web accessibility
> curriculum of online self-paced courses. He also travels frequently to
> provide instructor-led training on web accessibility to clients.
>
> His doctoral dissertation
> <
> http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article#64&;context=etd
> >
> investigated web accessibility in the higher education curriculum in three
> different countries, and his doctoral studies included extensive training
> in research design, assessment design and evaluation, statistics, learning
> and instructional theory, psychology, sociology, and social justice.
> Previously Dr. Bohman taught web accessibility at George Mason University,
> participated in the creation of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
> 2.0, and was a founding member of WebAIM with Cyndi Rowland. At WebAIM, Dr.
> Bohman created a full web accessibility curriculum (at that time based on
> WCAG 1.0), some of which is still available on the WebAIM site. He also
> created the WebAIM listserv, which continues to be one of the most active
> groups on the internet for discussing web accessibility.
> *Christine Murphy Peck, IAAP CEO*
> Christine Murphy Peck is the CEO of the IAAP. She holds 29 years of
> experience in nonprofit management, certification management, education
> strategy development, corporate education and facilitation and strategic
> planning. Peck currently leads the SmithBucklin Washington, D.C. team
> responsible for implementing educational strategy, program design and
> delivery, eLearning, certification and accreditation, with a focus on
> outcomes and client growth.
>
> Previously, Peck founded Peck Performance Group, a consulting practice
> serving clients in the areas of education, training and organizational
> development, and served as president and chief learning officer. She served
> for seven years as the director of education and learning of the U.S.
> Tennis Association, where she established a full-service educational center
> providing professional development and educational resources to staff and
> volunteers in more than 1,000 community-based organizations. She has worked
> extensively with nonprofit organizations, including start-ups and
> turnarounds, helping these organizations develop to their full potential
> while managing multiple projects with combined budgets of more than $20
> million.
> *Dr. Reed Castle* IAAP's partners with Professional Testing Inc. an
> independent testing company that provides assistance with exam development,
> administration, and scoring. Professional Testing develops, administers,
> and maintains licensure and certification examination programs.
> Professional Testing staff guide the exam development activities and have
> extensive psychometric and test development experience.
>
> Dr. Reed Castle is the leads the exam development activities from
> Professional Testing. Dr. Castle has over 25 years of experience in
> psychometrics and exam development and has assisted with development in
> with a multitude of examinations over his career. In his current capacity,
> he oversees and provides consultation to a variety of clients by directing
> psychometric services with respect to credentialing examinations and
> providing NCCA and ANSI/ISO 17024 accreditation assistance. He successfully
> evaluates client needs to implement best management practices Dr. Castle
> has his PhD in Quantitative and Qualitative Methods with an emphasis in
> Measurement, Statistics, and Research Design from the University of
> Nebraska-Lincoln, a Masters in Educational and Counseling Psychology with
> an emphasis in Measurement and Statistics from the University of
> Missouri-Columbia and a Bachelors in Psychology from University of
> Missouri-Columbia.
> *The Certification Committee* The Certification Committee is the governing
> body of the professional certification program. Their mission is to assure
> a comprehensive level of knowledge through certification in the
> accessibility profession. The Certification Committee is responsible for
> establishing the policies and procedures that guide the professional
> certification program.
>
> The Certification Committee is comprised of experts from across the
> accessibility industry. The Committee represents multiple areas of
> accessibility to ensure that all interests are represented.
>
> The Certification Committee consists of the following individuals:
>
> Paul Bohman, PhD, Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc. (Chair)
> Arlington, Virginia, USA
>
> Katie Haritos Shea, Senior Accessibility Subject Matter Expert
> (WCAG/Section 508/ADA/AODA)
> Oakton, Virginia, USA
>
> Allen Hoffman, Office of Accessible Systems & Technology, Department of
> Homeland Security Washington, DC, USA
>
> Jay Cardinali, Worldwide Accessibility Manager, Walt Disney Parks and
> Resorts
> Orlando, Florida, USA
>
> Ken Nakata, Director, Accessibility Consulting Practice, Cryptzone
> Seattle, Washington, USA
>
> Robert Pearson, Accessiblity Officer, Accessible Media Inc. (AMI)
> Toronto, Ontario, Canada
>
> Valorie Sundby, Web Accessibility Specialist, Self, Modis - 5280 Solutions
> Littleton, Colorado, USA
>
> Nigel Lewis, CEO, AbilityNet
> London, United Kingdom
>
> David MacDonald, President, CanAdapt Solutions Inc.
> Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
>
> Cristopher Broyles, Director of Digital Accessibility/Chief Accessibility
> Officer, Perkins School for the Blind
> Boston, Massachussetts, USA
>
> Christian Vinten-Johansen, IT Manager, Pennsylvania State University
> State College, Pennsylvania, USA
>
> Kevin Prince, IT Accessibility Consultant, Access1in5
> Christchurch, New Zealand
>
> JoAnne Juett, Integration Specialist, HighPoint Global
> Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
>
> Paul Bohman, PhD
> Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
> 703-225-0380, ext.121
> https://DequeUniversity.com
> > > > >

From: Paul Bohman
Date: Thu, Sep 10 2015 3:33PM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

Ron,

Thanks for providing some feedback.

The IAAP certification credentials are aimed at people who create and
design accessible virtual and real environments. This includes things in
the IT space -- like web sites, software, documents, multimedia, etc. --
and can include things in the physical space like consumer and industrial
products, transportation systems, architecture, etc. Our target audience is
designers, developers, and engineers (and the people who manage them, or
who test the quality of their output).

Our target audience is not the service sector of AT professionals who work
directly with people with disabilities. In fact, many of the people who
would receive IAAP credentials will not work with people with disabilities
at all. They will instead be designing environments -- virtual or physical
-- that people of all kinds will access, including those with disabilities.
The goal of an accessibility professional in this context is to create
environments that are universally accessible to the broadest range of
people possible.

We expect the IAAP credentials to be useful in private industry,
government, higher education, and any context that employs designers,
developers, or engineers.

So the audience for IAAP is not the same audience as for RESNA or any other
group of assistive technology professionals. There is some overlap, but not
as much as it may seem on the surface.

The survey has been distributed primarily to IAAP members up to this point,
because that is the target audience, but we welcome input from
accessibility professionals who may not be IAAP members. The survey is
still open, by the way, so feel free to contribute your responses.




Paul Bohman, PhD
Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
703-225-0380, ext.121
https://DequeUniversity.com


On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 2:39 PM, Ron < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> Paul if you solicited feedback from the stakeholder communities why is it
> that none of the leaders in the Higher Ed AT community that I have
> contacted ever saw this survey? I think what you all are doing is great for
> the vendor and government community. But trying to extend it beyond those
> groups will be very problematic.
>
> ATHEN was never included in the effort at all nor was AHEAD as far as I
> have been able to ascertain. So I find it somewhat disingenuous to try
> and develop a certification process that in all likelyhood will be totally
> irrelevant in the IHE AT service provider space. Sounds like the RESNA ATP
> all over again.
>
> Ron Stewart
>
> On Wednesday, September 9, 2015, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> wrote:
>
> > I'm the Chair of the Certification Committee at the IAAP (International
> > Association of Accessibility Professionals). We've recently updated the
> > page about certification on the IAAP website to explain where we are in
> the
> > process (
> http://www.accessibilityassociation.org/content.asp?contentid28
> > )
> > I've also included the full text below. I welcome any comments or
> > questions.
> > IAAP Certification The International Association of Accessibility
> > Professionals (IAAP) will begin offering professional certification in
> > 2016.
> > Where We Are Now in the Process? Currently, the Job Task Analysis
> > validation survey has been distributed to the accessibility community.
> The
> > validation survey is used to define the core competencies of those
> working
> > at an entry level in the accessibility industry. The validation survey is
> > the foundation for the exam content outline (or blueprint) that will
> serve
> > as the basis for all exam content.
> >
> > Once the survey results have been finalized, the exam content outline
> will
> > be made publically available on the IAAP website.
> >
> > All accessibility professionals are encouraged to complete the validation
> > survey which can be accessed at
> > https://accessibilityassociation.formstack.com/forms/iaap_2015_ja
> > The Process of Creating a Professional Certification Professional Testing
> > (IAAP's exam development partner) outlines the critical steps necessary
> to
> > develop a valid and reliable examination.
> >
> > Access the full certification process outline
> > <
> >
> http://iaap.membershipsoftware.org/files/Exam%20Development%20and%20Procedures%20Guidelines.pdf
> > >
> > .
> > Goals of the Certification Program The IAAP certification program aspires
> > to the following goals for accessibility certification:
> >
> > - To define what accessibility professionals are expected to know.
> > - To increase the quality and consistency of the work performed by
> > accessibility professionals.
> > - To provide accessibility professionals with a credential as evidence
> > of their commitment to the accessibility field, and of their
> competence
> > within the field.
> > - To provide employers, the accessibility community and the public
> with
> > a metric to measure and assess the accessibility competence of current
> > and/or prospective employees.
> > - To provide colleges, universities, and vocational programs with
> clear
> > educational outcomes and a curriculum outline for teaching
> > accessibility.
> > - To strengthen the community of practice among accessibility
> > professionals.
> >
> > The Structure and Scope of the IAAP Certification Program The IAAP will
> > offer two levels of certification: an associate level credential, and
> > subsequent professional level credentials. Associate Level
> >
> > - *Foundation Level*: The Associate level credential is the entry
> level
> > credential. It is the foundation upon which the Professional level
> > certifications build.
> > - *Broad and Conceptual*: This level covers a broad range of topics
> > within accessibility, and the exam will be rigorous, but the exam
> > questions
> > will be mostly conceptual in nature, rather than technical.
> >
> > Professional Level
> >
> > - *Technical Detail*: Certifying at the professional level requires
> > detailed technical knowledge of the domain. For example, accessibility
> > professionals are expected to evaluate the accessibility of existing
> > content or objects according to published technical standards and
> > guidelines, and provide detailed remediation recommendations. They are
> > expected to know and use the relevant technologies, not merely be
> aware
> > of
> > them.
> > - *Multiple Professional Level Credentials*: The IAAP was conceived as
> > an organization for all accessibility professionals across a wide
> range
> > of
> > accessibility domains, such as accessibility of the web, software,
> > multimedia, documents, consumer products, industrial design,
> > transportation, architecture and the built environment, etc. The IAAP
> > will
> > develop multiple professional level certification exams for multiple
> > accessibility domains, depending on market demand.
> > - *Focus First on Web Accessibility*: The first Professional level
> IAAP
> > credential will focus on web accessibility.
> >
> > Certified Accessibility Associate (CAA) The Certified Accessibility
> > Associate (CAA) credential is IAAP's foundational certification,
> > representing the practical application of broad, cross-disciplinary
> > conceptual knowledge about 1) disabilities, 2) accessibility and
> universal
> > design, and 3) accessibility-related standards, laws, and management
> > strategies.
> >
> > Relevant domains for the CAA credential include the web and other digital
> > technologies, architecture and the built environment, consumer and
> > industrial design, transportation systems, and any domain in which
> > thoughtful design, policy, and management can improve disability access.
> >
> > The CAA is the ideal credential for those who manage and support
> > accessibility, but who may not personally design, implement, or evaluate
> > the technical details of accessible solutions. For those who do work at
> the
> > technical level, IAAP will be working to create domain-specific
> > professional credentials which build on the associate-level credential.
> The
> > first professional level he IAAP is actively developing is the Certified
> > Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA). The IAAP will add other
> technical
> > professional certification credentials in other domains in accordance
> with
> > market and professional demand.
> > Nature of the Certification Examination The IAAP wants accessibility
> > professionals – and the employers who hire them – to recognize the value
> of
> > IAAP credentials as a valid benchmark of a person's accessibility
> knowledge
> > and skills. To meet this goal, the IAAP will work closely with
> > accessibility professionals and assessment professionals to design the
> > exams and test their reliability and validity. The IAAP will monitor the
> > outcomes and continually assess the effectiveness of the exams to ensure
> > the trustworthiness of all IAAP credentials.
> >
> > The exact nature and format of the test is to be determined. At this
> point,
> > the IAAP anticipates that many questions will likely be in a format
> > amenable to automated scoring, but some questions – especially at the
> > professional level – may be more open-ended to allow for more nuanced,
> > performance-based assessments of actual skills.
> > Who Should Take the Associate Level Examination? The associate-level
> > credential is intended for accessibility professionals, for those who
> > manage accessibility outcomes, and for anyone who plays a key role in
> > ensuring that the digital and physical worlds are accessible to people
> with
> > disabilities including:
> >
> > - Accessibility professionals in any field (e.g. web design, software
> > engineering, hardware engineering, consumer and industrial product
> > design,
> > transportation, architecture and the built environment, educational
> > accommodations, etc.), whose job requires in-depth accessibility
> > expertise.
> > Accessibility professionals should also consider IAAP
> professional-level
> > certification, if available for their area of expertise.*
> > - Project, program, or portfolio managers and executive leaders
> > overseeing initiatives or organizations that focus on accessibility,
> or
> > which include accessibility as a key component.
> > - Anyone whose job requires accessibility awareness or competence
> (e.g.
> > technology professionals in diverse specializations, architects and
> > urban
> > planners, international development professionals, disability rights
> > activists, lawmakers and legal counsel, media producers, recreation
> and
> > hospitality providers, teachers and professors, health care providers,
> > emergency response coordinators, salespeople and support staff at
> > accessibility consulting companies, etc.).
> >
> > *Note: The associate-level certification is the terminal (final) IAAP
> > credential for all careers except those for which a professional-level
> IAAP
> > credential exists. Currently the only professional-level certification
> > under development by the IAAP is for web accessibility. The IAAP will
> > consider developing other specialized credentials in the future.
> > When Will IAAP Offer the First Certification Examination? Registration
> for
> > the associate level certification will be offered in the first quarter of
> > 2016. The timeline for other professional level certifications is still
> to
> > be determined.
> > How Much Will the CAA Certification Examination Cost? The exam will be
> $325
> > for members; $425 for non-members. We will also offer an emerging country
> > rate at $150.
> > What Content Will the CAA Certification Examination Include? While the
> exam
> > blueprint is still in development, the chart below outlines the
> anticipated
> > exam content.
> >
> > Anticipated Exam Content Topic Sub-Topic Disabilities Theoretical Models
> of
> > Disability Types of Disabilities, Challenges, and Assistive
> > Technologies Disability
> > Demographics Disability Etiquette Accessibility and Universal Design
> > Individual
> > Accommodations versus Inclusive Design Benefits of Accessibility
> > Accessibility
> > Principles (WCAG 2.0) The Principles of Universal Design 2.0 Universal
> > Design for Learning (UDL) Usability and User Experience (UX) Standards,
> > Laws, and Management Strategies International Conventions and Treaties
> > Accessibility
> > Standards and Regulations National and Regional Laws Systematic
> > Organizational Governance and Management
> > Preparing for the CAA Certification Examination Certification Preparation
> > Training The certification will be competency-based, which means that the
> > IAAP will not require the completion of any kind of training. Successful
> > certification will depend on one's score on the certification exam.
> > Certificants will be able to study on their own, based on the content in
> > the Body of Knowledge document, or they can take certification
> preparation
> > courses if they choose.
> >
> > The IAAP does not currently offer an "official" IAAP certification
> > preparation training curriculum. The plan is to leverage the existing
> > third-party resources and services already in the market. Nearly all
> > accessibility companies and consultants provide accessibility training as
> > part of their business model, and information is available online in both
> > free and paid formats. The IAAP will publish a list of vetted
> certification
> > training providers for the benefit of those seeking exam preparation
> > training.
> > Maintaining Certification IAAP certification is valid for 3 years. Every
> > three years, certificants will be required to
> >
> > - Complete a certain number of continuing education credits (to be
> > determined) a portion of which must be offered or approved by IAAP
> > - Submit an application for certification renewal.
> >
> > Individuals do not need to retake any of the exams to maintain their
> > certification unless they allow their certification to lapse.
> >
> > As technologies and professional expectations evolve, these renewal
> > requirements are subject to change.
> > Continuing Education Units (CEUs) The IAAP will offer continuing
> education
> > units (CEUs) for classes, workshops, webcasts, conference attendance, and
> > other similar IAAP-sponsored activities. The IAAP will implement a
> process
> > to allow other organizations or individuals to offer IAAP-approved
> > continuing education credits for similar career-enhancing educational
> > opportunities.
> >
> > Types of Activities that May Qualify for Continuing Education Credits:
> >
> > - Attending classes, workshops, webinars, and other educational events
> > about accessibility
> > - Preparing or presenting educational materials about accessibility
> > - Publishing articles, books, blogs, or other publications about
> > accessibility
> > - Mentoring others in accessibility
> > - Speaking engagements at IAAP or other approved educational event
> > - Volunteer service with IAAP
> >
> > The IAAP is at the early stages of considering CEU options, so further
> > research and public discussion of the options is necessary before
> deciding
> > on an official CEU policy.
> >
> > The Qualifications of the Certification Team The certification process at
> > IAAP is in good hands with our headquarters and volunteer leadership
> team.
> > Here are abbreviated biographical sketches of some of the key players:
> > *Paul Bohman, PhD, Chair of the IAAP Certification Committee*
> > Dr. Paul Bohman has been the Chair of the IAAP Certification Committee
> > since its inception and has steered the process through the formative
> > stages, from the initial concepts to the more concrete proposals
> currently
> > under consideration. He is also Director of Training at Deque Systems, a
> > web accessibility software and consulting company based in the Washington
> > DC area. At Deque he has created the Deque University platform, which is
> a
> > custom learning management system for teaching web accessibility, and has
> > personally created or overseen the creation of a complete web
> accessibility
> > curriculum of online self-paced courses. He also travels frequently to
> > provide instructor-led training on web accessibility to clients.
> >
> > His doctoral dissertation
> > <
> >
> http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article#64&;context=etd
> > >
> > investigated web accessibility in the higher education curriculum in
> three
> > different countries, and his doctoral studies included extensive training
> > in research design, assessment design and evaluation, statistics,
> learning
> > and instructional theory, psychology, sociology, and social justice.
> > Previously Dr. Bohman taught web accessibility at George Mason
> University,
> > participated in the creation of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
> > 2.0, and was a founding member of WebAIM with Cyndi Rowland. At WebAIM,
> Dr.
> > Bohman created a full web accessibility curriculum (at that time based on
> > WCAG 1.0), some of which is still available on the WebAIM site. He also
> > created the WebAIM listserv, which continues to be one of the most active
> > groups on the internet for discussing web accessibility.
> > *Christine Murphy Peck, IAAP CEO*
> > Christine Murphy Peck is the CEO of the IAAP. She holds 29 years of
> > experience in nonprofit management, certification management, education
> > strategy development, corporate education and facilitation and strategic
> > planning. Peck currently leads the SmithBucklin Washington, D.C. team
> > responsible for implementing educational strategy, program design and
> > delivery, eLearning, certification and accreditation, with a focus on
> > outcomes and client growth.
> >
> > Previously, Peck founded Peck Performance Group, a consulting practice
> > serving clients in the areas of education, training and organizational
> > development, and served as president and chief learning officer. She
> served
> > for seven years as the director of education and learning of the U.S.
> > Tennis Association, where she established a full-service educational
> center
> > providing professional development and educational resources to staff and
> > volunteers in more than 1,000 community-based organizations. She has
> worked
> > extensively with nonprofit organizations, including start-ups and
> > turnarounds, helping these organizations develop to their full potential
> > while managing multiple projects with combined budgets of more than $20
> > million.
> > *Dr. Reed Castle* IAAP's partners with Professional Testing Inc. an
> > independent testing company that provides assistance with exam
> development,
> > administration, and scoring. Professional Testing develops, administers,
> > and maintains licensure and certification examination programs.
> > Professional Testing staff guide the exam development activities and have
> > extensive psychometric and test development experience.
> >
> > Dr. Reed Castle is the leads the exam development activities from
> > Professional Testing. Dr. Castle has over 25 years of experience in
> > psychometrics and exam development and has assisted with development in
> > with a multitude of examinations over his career. In his current
> capacity,
> > he oversees and provides consultation to a variety of clients by
> directing
> > psychometric services with respect to credentialing examinations and
> > providing NCCA and ANSI/ISO 17024 accreditation assistance. He
> successfully
> > evaluates client needs to implement best management practices Dr. Castle
> > has his PhD in Quantitative and Qualitative Methods with an emphasis in
> > Measurement, Statistics, and Research Design from the University of
> > Nebraska-Lincoln, a Masters in Educational and Counseling Psychology with
> > an emphasis in Measurement and Statistics from the University of
> > Missouri-Columbia and a Bachelors in Psychology from University of
> > Missouri-Columbia.
> > *The Certification Committee* The Certification Committee is the
> governing
> > body of the professional certification program. Their mission is to
> assure
> > a comprehensive level of knowledge through certification in the
> > accessibility profession. The Certification Committee is responsible for
> > establishing the policies and procedures that guide the professional
> > certification program.
> >
> > The Certification Committee is comprised of experts from across the
> > accessibility industry. The Committee represents multiple areas of
> > accessibility to ensure that all interests are represented.
> >
> > The Certification Committee consists of the following individuals:
> >
> > Paul Bohman, PhD, Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc. (Chair)
> > Arlington, Virginia, USA
> >
> > Katie Haritos Shea, Senior Accessibility Subject Matter Expert
> > (WCAG/Section 508/ADA/AODA)
> > Oakton, Virginia, USA
> >
> > Allen Hoffman, Office of Accessible Systems & Technology, Department of
> > Homeland Security Washington, DC, USA
> >
> > Jay Cardinali, Worldwide Accessibility Manager, Walt Disney Parks and
> > Resorts
> > Orlando, Florida, USA
> >
> > Ken Nakata, Director, Accessibility Consulting Practice, Cryptzone
> > Seattle, Washington, USA
> >
> > Robert Pearson, Accessiblity Officer, Accessible Media Inc. (AMI)
> > Toronto, Ontario, Canada
> >
> > Valorie Sundby, Web Accessibility Specialist, Self, Modis - 5280
> Solutions
> > Littleton, Colorado, USA
> >
> > Nigel Lewis, CEO, AbilityNet
> > London, United Kingdom
> >
> > David MacDonald, President, CanAdapt Solutions Inc.
> > Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
> >
> > Cristopher Broyles, Director of Digital Accessibility/Chief Accessibility
> > Officer, Perkins School for the Blind
> > Boston, Massachussetts, USA
> >
> > Christian Vinten-Johansen, IT Manager, Pennsylvania State University
> > State College, Pennsylvania, USA
> >
> > Kevin Prince, IT Accessibility Consultant, Access1in5
> > Christchurch, New Zealand
> >
> > JoAnne Juett, Integration Specialist, HighPoint Global
> > Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
> >
> > Paul Bohman, PhD
> > Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
> > 703-225-0380, ext.121
> > https://DequeUniversity.com
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > >

From: Ron
Date: Thu, Sep 10 2015 7:15PM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

Thanks Paul I appreciate the clarifications.
On Sep 10, 2015 2:33 PM, "Paul Bohman" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> Ron,
>
> Thanks for providing some feedback.
>
> The IAAP certification credentials are aimed at people who create and
> design accessible virtual and real environments. This includes things in
> the IT space -- like web sites, software, documents, multimedia, etc. --
> and can include things in the physical space like consumer and industrial
> products, transportation systems, architecture, etc. Our target audience is
> designers, developers, and engineers (and the people who manage them, or
> who test the quality of their output).
>
> Our target audience is not the service sector of AT professionals who work
> directly with people with disabilities. In fact, many of the people who
> would receive IAAP credentials will not work with people with disabilities
> at all. They will instead be designing environments -- virtual or physical
> -- that people of all kinds will access, including those with disabilities.
> The goal of an accessibility professional in this context is to create
> environments that are universally accessible to the broadest range of
> people possible.
>
> We expect the IAAP credentials to be useful in private industry,
> government, higher education, and any context that employs designers,
> developers, or engineers.
>
> So the audience for IAAP is not the same audience as for RESNA or any other
> group of assistive technology professionals. There is some overlap, but not
> as much as it may seem on the surface.
>
> The survey has been distributed primarily to IAAP members up to this point,
> because that is the target audience, but we welcome input from
> accessibility professionals who may not be IAAP members. The survey is
> still open, by the way, so feel free to contribute your responses.
>
>
>
>
> Paul Bohman, PhD
> Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
> 703-225-0380, ext.121
> https://DequeUniversity.com
>
>
> On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 2:39 PM, Ron < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
> > Paul if you solicited feedback from the stakeholder communities why is it
> > that none of the leaders in the Higher Ed AT community that I have
> > contacted ever saw this survey? I think what you all are doing is great
> for
> > the vendor and government community. But trying to extend it beyond those
> > groups will be very problematic.
> >
> > ATHEN was never included in the effort at all nor was AHEAD as far as I
> > have been able to ascertain. So I find it somewhat disingenuous to try
> > and develop a certification process that in all likelyhood will be
> totally
> > irrelevant in the IHE AT service provider space. Sounds like the RESNA
> ATP
> > all over again.
> >
> > Ron Stewart
> >
> > On Wednesday, September 9, 2015, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> > wrote:
> >
> > > I'm the Chair of the Certification Committee at the IAAP (International
> > > Association of Accessibility Professionals). We've recently updated the
> > > page about certification on the IAAP website to explain where we are in
> > the
> > > process (
> > http://www.accessibilityassociation.org/content.asp?contentid28
> > > )
> > > I've also included the full text below. I welcome any comments or
> > > questions.
> > > IAAP Certification The International Association of Accessibility
> > > Professionals (IAAP) will begin offering professional certification in
> > > 2016.
> > > Where We Are Now in the Process? Currently, the Job Task Analysis
> > > validation survey has been distributed to the accessibility community.
> > The
> > > validation survey is used to define the core competencies of those
> > working
> > > at an entry level in the accessibility industry. The validation survey
> is
> > > the foundation for the exam content outline (or blueprint) that will
> > serve
> > > as the basis for all exam content.
> > >
> > > Once the survey results have been finalized, the exam content outline
> > will
> > > be made publically available on the IAAP website.
> > >
> > > All accessibility professionals are encouraged to complete the
> validation
> > > survey which can be accessed at
> > > https://accessibilityassociation.formstack.com/forms/iaap_2015_ja
> > > The Process of Creating a Professional Certification Professional
> Testing
> > > (IAAP's exam development partner) outlines the critical steps necessary
> > to
> > > develop a valid and reliable examination.
> > >
> > > Access the full certification process outline
> > > <
> > >
> >
> http://iaap.membershipsoftware.org/files/Exam%20Development%20and%20Procedures%20Guidelines.pdf
> > > >
> > > .
> > > Goals of the Certification Program The IAAP certification program
> aspires
> > > to the following goals for accessibility certification:
> > >
> > > - To define what accessibility professionals are expected to know.
> > > - To increase the quality and consistency of the work performed by
> > > accessibility professionals.
> > > - To provide accessibility professionals with a credential as
> evidence
> > > of their commitment to the accessibility field, and of their
> > competence
> > > within the field.
> > > - To provide employers, the accessibility community and the public
> > with
> > > a metric to measure and assess the accessibility competence of
> current
> > > and/or prospective employees.
> > > - To provide colleges, universities, and vocational programs with
> > clear
> > > educational outcomes and a curriculum outline for teaching
> > > accessibility.
> > > - To strengthen the community of practice among accessibility
> > > professionals.
> > >
> > > The Structure and Scope of the IAAP Certification Program The IAAP will
> > > offer two levels of certification: an associate level credential, and
> > > subsequent professional level credentials. Associate Level
> > >
> > > - *Foundation Level*: The Associate level credential is the entry
> > level
> > > credential. It is the foundation upon which the Professional level
> > > certifications build.
> > > - *Broad and Conceptual*: This level covers a broad range of topics
> > > within accessibility, and the exam will be rigorous, but the exam
> > > questions
> > > will be mostly conceptual in nature, rather than technical.
> > >
> > > Professional Level
> > >
> > > - *Technical Detail*: Certifying at the professional level requires
> > > detailed technical knowledge of the domain. For example,
> accessibility
> > > professionals are expected to evaluate the accessibility of existing
> > > content or objects according to published technical standards and
> > > guidelines, and provide detailed remediation recommendations. They
> are
> > > expected to know and use the relevant technologies, not merely be
> > aware
> > > of
> > > them.
> > > - *Multiple Professional Level Credentials*: The IAAP was conceived
> as
> > > an organization for all accessibility professionals across a wide
> > range
> > > of
> > > accessibility domains, such as accessibility of the web, software,
> > > multimedia, documents, consumer products, industrial design,
> > > transportation, architecture and the built environment, etc. The
> IAAP
> > > will
> > > develop multiple professional level certification exams for multiple
> > > accessibility domains, depending on market demand.
> > > - *Focus First on Web Accessibility*: The first Professional level
> > IAAP
> > > credential will focus on web accessibility.
> > >
> > > Certified Accessibility Associate (CAA) The Certified Accessibility
> > > Associate (CAA) credential is IAAP's foundational certification,
> > > representing the practical application of broad, cross-disciplinary
> > > conceptual knowledge about 1) disabilities, 2) accessibility and
> > universal
> > > design, and 3) accessibility-related standards, laws, and management
> > > strategies.
> > >
> > > Relevant domains for the CAA credential include the web and other
> digital
> > > technologies, architecture and the built environment, consumer and
> > > industrial design, transportation systems, and any domain in which
> > > thoughtful design, policy, and management can improve disability
> access.
> > >
> > > The CAA is the ideal credential for those who manage and support
> > > accessibility, but who may not personally design, implement, or
> evaluate
> > > the technical details of accessible solutions. For those who do work at
> > the
> > > technical level, IAAP will be working to create domain-specific
> > > professional credentials which build on the associate-level credential.
> > The
> > > first professional level he IAAP is actively developing is the
> Certified
> > > Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA). The IAAP will add other
> > technical
> > > professional certification credentials in other domains in accordance
> > with
> > > market and professional demand.
> > > Nature of the Certification Examination The IAAP wants accessibility
> > > professionals – and the employers who hire them – to recognize the
> value
> > of
> > > IAAP credentials as a valid benchmark of a person's accessibility
> > knowledge
> > > and skills. To meet this goal, the IAAP will work closely with
> > > accessibility professionals and assessment professionals to design the
> > > exams and test their reliability and validity. The IAAP will monitor
> the
> > > outcomes and continually assess the effectiveness of the exams to
> ensure
> > > the trustworthiness of all IAAP credentials.
> > >
> > > The exact nature and format of the test is to be determined. At this
> > point,
> > > the IAAP anticipates that many questions will likely be in a format
> > > amenable to automated scoring, but some questions – especially at the
> > > professional level – may be more open-ended to allow for more nuanced,
> > > performance-based assessments of actual skills.
> > > Who Should Take the Associate Level Examination? The associate-level
> > > credential is intended for accessibility professionals, for those who
> > > manage accessibility outcomes, and for anyone who plays a key role in
> > > ensuring that the digital and physical worlds are accessible to people
> > with
> > > disabilities including:
> > >
> > > - Accessibility professionals in any field (e.g. web design,
> software
> > > engineering, hardware engineering, consumer and industrial product
> > > design,
> > > transportation, architecture and the built environment, educational
> > > accommodations, etc.), whose job requires in-depth accessibility
> > > expertise.
> > > Accessibility professionals should also consider IAAP
> > professional-level
> > > certification, if available for their area of expertise.*
> > > - Project, program, or portfolio managers and executive leaders
> > > overseeing initiatives or organizations that focus on accessibility,
> > or
> > > which include accessibility as a key component.
> > > - Anyone whose job requires accessibility awareness or competence
> > (e.g.
> > > technology professionals in diverse specializations, architects and
> > > urban
> > > planners, international development professionals, disability rights
> > > activists, lawmakers and legal counsel, media producers, recreation
> > and
> > > hospitality providers, teachers and professors, health care
> providers,
> > > emergency response coordinators, salespeople and support staff at
> > > accessibility consulting companies, etc.).
> > >
> > > *Note: The associate-level certification is the terminal (final) IAAP
> > > credential for all careers except those for which a professional-level
> > IAAP
> > > credential exists. Currently the only professional-level certification
> > > under development by the IAAP is for web accessibility. The IAAP will
> > > consider developing other specialized credentials in the future.
> > > When Will IAAP Offer the First Certification Examination? Registration
> > for
> > > the associate level certification will be offered in the first quarter
> of
> > > 2016. The timeline for other professional level certifications is still
> > to
> > > be determined.
> > > How Much Will the CAA Certification Examination Cost? The exam will be
> > $325
> > > for members; $425 for non-members. We will also offer an emerging
> country
> > > rate at $150.
> > > What Content Will the CAA Certification Examination Include? While the
> > exam
> > > blueprint is still in development, the chart below outlines the
> > anticipated
> > > exam content.
> > >
> > > Anticipated Exam Content Topic Sub-Topic Disabilities Theoretical
> Models
> > of
> > > Disability Types of Disabilities, Challenges, and Assistive
> > > Technologies Disability
> > > Demographics Disability Etiquette Accessibility and Universal Design
> > > Individual
> > > Accommodations versus Inclusive Design Benefits of Accessibility
> > > Accessibility
> > > Principles (WCAG 2.0) The Principles of Universal Design 2.0 Universal
> > > Design for Learning (UDL) Usability and User Experience (UX) Standards,
> > > Laws, and Management Strategies International Conventions and Treaties
> > > Accessibility
> > > Standards and Regulations National and Regional Laws Systematic
> > > Organizational Governance and Management
> > > Preparing for the CAA Certification Examination Certification
> Preparation
> > > Training The certification will be competency-based, which means that
> the
> > > IAAP will not require the completion of any kind of training.
> Successful
> > > certification will depend on one's score on the certification exam.
> > > Certificants will be able to study on their own, based on the content
> in
> > > the Body of Knowledge document, or they can take certification
> > preparation
> > > courses if they choose.
> > >
> > > The IAAP does not currently offer an "official" IAAP certification
> > > preparation training curriculum. The plan is to leverage the existing
> > > third-party resources and services already in the market. Nearly all
> > > accessibility companies and consultants provide accessibility training
> as
> > > part of their business model, and information is available online in
> both
> > > free and paid formats. The IAAP will publish a list of vetted
> > certification
> > > training providers for the benefit of those seeking exam preparation
> > > training.
> > > Maintaining Certification IAAP certification is valid for 3 years.
> Every
> > > three years, certificants will be required to
> > >
> > > - Complete a certain number of continuing education credits (to be
> > > determined) a portion of which must be offered or approved by IAAP
> > > - Submit an application for certification renewal.
> > >
> > > Individuals do not need to retake any of the exams to maintain their
> > > certification unless they allow their certification to lapse.
> > >
> > > As technologies and professional expectations evolve, these renewal
> > > requirements are subject to change.
> > > Continuing Education Units (CEUs) The IAAP will offer continuing
> > education
> > > units (CEUs) for classes, workshops, webcasts, conference attendance,
> and
> > > other similar IAAP-sponsored activities. The IAAP will implement a
> > process
> > > to allow other organizations or individuals to offer IAAP-approved
> > > continuing education credits for similar career-enhancing educational
> > > opportunities.
> > >
> > > Types of Activities that May Qualify for Continuing Education Credits:
> > >
> > > - Attending classes, workshops, webinars, and other educational
> events
> > > about accessibility
> > > - Preparing or presenting educational materials about accessibility
> > > - Publishing articles, books, blogs, or other publications about
> > > accessibility
> > > - Mentoring others in accessibility
> > > - Speaking engagements at IAAP or other approved educational event
> > > - Volunteer service with IAAP
> > >
> > > The IAAP is at the early stages of considering CEU options, so further
> > > research and public discussion of the options is necessary before
> > deciding
> > > on an official CEU policy.
> > >
> > > The Qualifications of the Certification Team The certification process
> at
> > > IAAP is in good hands with our headquarters and volunteer leadership
> > team.
> > > Here are abbreviated biographical sketches of some of the key players:
> > > *Paul Bohman, PhD, Chair of the IAAP Certification Committee*
> > > Dr. Paul Bohman has been the Chair of the IAAP Certification Committee
> > > since its inception and has steered the process through the formative
> > > stages, from the initial concepts to the more concrete proposals
> > currently
> > > under consideration. He is also Director of Training at Deque Systems,
> a
> > > web accessibility software and consulting company based in the
> Washington
> > > DC area. At Deque he has created the Deque University platform, which
> is
> > a
> > > custom learning management system for teaching web accessibility, and
> has
> > > personally created or overseen the creation of a complete web
> > accessibility
> > > curriculum of online self-paced courses. He also travels frequently to
> > > provide instructor-led training on web accessibility to clients.
> > >
> > > His doctoral dissertation
> > > <
> > >
> >
> http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article#64&;context=etd
> > > >
> > > investigated web accessibility in the higher education curriculum in
> > three
> > > different countries, and his doctoral studies included extensive
> training
> > > in research design, assessment design and evaluation, statistics,
> > learning
> > > and instructional theory, psychology, sociology, and social justice.
> > > Previously Dr. Bohman taught web accessibility at George Mason
> > University,
> > > participated in the creation of the Web Content Accessibility
> Guidelines
> > > 2.0, and was a founding member of WebAIM with Cyndi Rowland. At WebAIM,
> > Dr.
> > > Bohman created a full web accessibility curriculum (at that time based
> on
> > > WCAG 1.0), some of which is still available on the WebAIM site. He also
> > > created the WebAIM listserv, which continues to be one of the most
> active
> > > groups on the internet for discussing web accessibility.
> > > *Christine Murphy Peck, IAAP CEO*
> > > Christine Murphy Peck is the CEO of the IAAP. She holds 29 years of
> > > experience in nonprofit management, certification management, education
> > > strategy development, corporate education and facilitation and
> strategic
> > > planning. Peck currently leads the SmithBucklin Washington, D.C. team
> > > responsible for implementing educational strategy, program design and
> > > delivery, eLearning, certification and accreditation, with a focus on
> > > outcomes and client growth.
> > >
> > > Previously, Peck founded Peck Performance Group, a consulting practice
> > > serving clients in the areas of education, training and organizational
> > > development, and served as president and chief learning officer. She
> > served
> > > for seven years as the director of education and learning of the U.S.
> > > Tennis Association, where she established a full-service educational
> > center
> > > providing professional development and educational resources to staff
> and
> > > volunteers in more than 1,000 community-based organizations. She has
> > worked
> > > extensively with nonprofit organizations, including start-ups and
> > > turnarounds, helping these organizations develop to their full
> potential
> > > while managing multiple projects with combined budgets of more than $20
> > > million.
> > > *Dr. Reed Castle* IAAP's partners with Professional Testing Inc. an
> > > independent testing company that provides assistance with exam
> > development,
> > > administration, and scoring. Professional Testing develops,
> administers,
> > > and maintains licensure and certification examination programs.
> > > Professional Testing staff guide the exam development activities and
> have
> > > extensive psychometric and test development experience.
> > >
> > > Dr. Reed Castle is the leads the exam development activities from
> > > Professional Testing. Dr. Castle has over 25 years of experience in
> > > psychometrics and exam development and has assisted with development in
> > > with a multitude of examinations over his career. In his current
> > capacity,
> > > he oversees and provides consultation to a variety of clients by
> > directing
> > > psychometric services with respect to credentialing examinations and
> > > providing NCCA and ANSI/ISO 17024 accreditation assistance. He
> > successfully
> > > evaluates client needs to implement best management practices Dr.
> Castle
> > > has his PhD in Quantitative and Qualitative Methods with an emphasis in
> > > Measurement, Statistics, and Research Design from the University of
> > > Nebraska-Lincoln, a Masters in Educational and Counseling Psychology
> with
> > > an emphasis in Measurement and Statistics from the University of
> > > Missouri-Columbia and a Bachelors in Psychology from University of
> > > Missouri-Columbia.
> > > *The Certification Committee* The Certification Committee is the
> > governing
> > > body of the professional certification program. Their mission is to
> > assure
> > > a comprehensive level of knowledge through certification in the
> > > accessibility profession. The Certification Committee is responsible
> for
> > > establishing the policies and procedures that guide the professional
> > > certification program.
> > >
> > > The Certification Committee is comprised of experts from across the
> > > accessibility industry. The Committee represents multiple areas of
> > > accessibility to ensure that all interests are represented.
> > >
> > > The Certification Committee consists of the following individuals:
> > >
> > > Paul Bohman, PhD, Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc. (Chair)
> > > Arlington, Virginia, USA
> > >
> > > Katie Haritos Shea, Senior Accessibility Subject Matter Expert
> > > (WCAG/Section 508/ADA/AODA)
> > > Oakton, Virginia, USA
> > >
> > > Allen Hoffman, Office of Accessible Systems & Technology, Department of
> > > Homeland Security Washington, DC, USA
> > >
> > > Jay Cardinali, Worldwide Accessibility Manager, Walt Disney Parks and
> > > Resorts
> > > Orlando, Florida, USA
> > >
> > > Ken Nakata, Director, Accessibility Consulting Practice, Cryptzone
> > > Seattle, Washington, USA
> > >
> > > Robert Pearson, Accessiblity Officer, Accessible Media Inc. (AMI)
> > > Toronto, Ontario, Canada
> > >
> > > Valorie Sundby, Web Accessibility Specialist, Self, Modis - 5280
> > Solutions
> > > Littleton, Colorado, USA
> > >
> > > Nigel Lewis, CEO, AbilityNet
> > > London, United Kingdom
> > >
> > > David MacDonald, President, CanAdapt Solutions Inc.
> > > Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
> > >
> > > Cristopher Broyles, Director of Digital Accessibility/Chief
> Accessibility
> > > Officer, Perkins School for the Blind
> > > Boston, Massachussetts, USA
> > >
> > > Christian Vinten-Johansen, IT Manager, Pennsylvania State University
> > > State College, Pennsylvania, USA
> > >
> > > Kevin Prince, IT Accessibility Consultant, Access1in5
> > > Christchurch, New Zealand
> > >
> > > JoAnne Juett, Integration Specialist, HighPoint Global
> > > Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
> > >
> > > Paul Bohman, PhD
> > > Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
> > > 703-225-0380, ext.121
> > > https://DequeUniversity.com
> > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > >

From: Karl Groves
Date: Fri, Sep 11 2015 3:03AM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

"The survey has been distributed primarily to IAAP members up to this point,
because that is the target audience,"

As an organization whose stated purpose is to grow the profession,
that seems to contradict its mission.

Since even before its creation, IAAP has had the appearance of being a
pay-to-play organization.

I'll go ahead and state this publicly: I have no intention to ever
participate in anything IAAP does until it becomes significantly more
transparent, until *all* members have a greater say in how it
operates, and until they become more active in growing the profession.

On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 11:33 PM, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Ron,
>
> Thanks for providing some feedback.
>
> The IAAP certification credentials are aimed at people who create and
> design accessible virtual and real environments. This includes things in
> the IT space -- like web sites, software, documents, multimedia, etc. --
> and can include things in the physical space like consumer and industrial
> products, transportation systems, architecture, etc. Our target audience is
> designers, developers, and engineers (and the people who manage them, or
> who test the quality of their output).
>
> Our target audience is not the service sector of AT professionals who work
> directly with people with disabilities. In fact, many of the people who
> would receive IAAP credentials will not work with people with disabilities
> at all. They will instead be designing environments -- virtual or physical
> -- that people of all kinds will access, including those with disabilities.
> The goal of an accessibility professional in this context is to create
> environments that are universally accessible to the broadest range of
> people possible.
>
> We expect the IAAP credentials to be useful in private industry,
> government, higher education, and any context that employs designers,
> developers, or engineers.
>
> So the audience for IAAP is not the same audience as for RESNA or any other
> group of assistive technology professionals. There is some overlap, but not
> as much as it may seem on the surface.
>
> The survey has been distributed primarily to IAAP members up to this point,
> because that is the target audience, but we welcome input from
> accessibility professionals who may not be IAAP members. The survey is
> still open, by the way, so feel free to contribute your responses.
>
>
>
>
> Paul Bohman, PhD
> Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
> 703-225-0380, ext.121
> https://DequeUniversity.com
>
>
> On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 2:39 PM, Ron < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
>> Paul if you solicited feedback from the stakeholder communities why is it
>> that none of the leaders in the Higher Ed AT community that I have
>> contacted ever saw this survey? I think what you all are doing is great for
>> the vendor and government community. But trying to extend it beyond those
>> groups will be very problematic.
>>
>> ATHEN was never included in the effort at all nor was AHEAD as far as I
>> have been able to ascertain. So I find it somewhat disingenuous to try
>> and develop a certification process that in all likelyhood will be totally
>> irrelevant in the IHE AT service provider space. Sounds like the RESNA ATP
>> all over again.
>>
>> Ron Stewart
>>
>> On Wednesday, September 9, 2015, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
>> wrote:
>>
>> > I'm the Chair of the Certification Committee at the IAAP (International
>> > Association of Accessibility Professionals). We've recently updated the
>> > page about certification on the IAAP website to explain where we are in
>> the
>> > process (
>> http://www.accessibilityassociation.org/content.asp?contentid28
>> > )
>> > I've also included the full text below. I welcome any comments or
>> > questions.
>> > IAAP Certification The International Association of Accessibility
>> > Professionals (IAAP) will begin offering professional certification in
>> > 2016.
>> > Where We Are Now in the Process? Currently, the Job Task Analysis
>> > validation survey has been distributed to the accessibility community.
>> The
>> > validation survey is used to define the core competencies of those
>> working
>> > at an entry level in the accessibility industry. The validation survey is
>> > the foundation for the exam content outline (or blueprint) that will
>> serve
>> > as the basis for all exam content.
>> >
>> > Once the survey results have been finalized, the exam content outline
>> will
>> > be made publically available on the IAAP website.
>> >
>> > All accessibility professionals are encouraged to complete the validation
>> > survey which can be accessed at
>> > https://accessibilityassociation.formstack.com/forms/iaap_2015_ja
>> > The Process of Creating a Professional Certification Professional Testing
>> > (IAAP's exam development partner) outlines the critical steps necessary
>> to
>> > develop a valid and reliable examination.
>> >
>> > Access the full certification process outline
>> > <
>> >
>> http://iaap.membershipsoftware.org/files/Exam%20Development%20and%20Procedures%20Guidelines.pdf
>> > >
>> > .
>> > Goals of the Certification Program The IAAP certification program aspires
>> > to the following goals for accessibility certification:
>> >
>> > - To define what accessibility professionals are expected to know.
>> > - To increase the quality and consistency of the work performed by
>> > accessibility professionals.
>> > - To provide accessibility professionals with a credential as evidence
>> > of their commitment to the accessibility field, and of their
>> competence
>> > within the field.
>> > - To provide employers, the accessibility community and the public
>> with
>> > a metric to measure and assess the accessibility competence of current
>> > and/or prospective employees.
>> > - To provide colleges, universities, and vocational programs with
>> clear
>> > educational outcomes and a curriculum outline for teaching
>> > accessibility.
>> > - To strengthen the community of practice among accessibility
>> > professionals.
>> >
>> > The Structure and Scope of the IAAP Certification Program The IAAP will
>> > offer two levels of certification: an associate level credential, and
>> > subsequent professional level credentials. Associate Level
>> >
>> > - *Foundation Level*: The Associate level credential is the entry
>> level
>> > credential. It is the foundation upon which the Professional level
>> > certifications build.
>> > - *Broad and Conceptual*: This level covers a broad range of topics
>> > within accessibility, and the exam will be rigorous, but the exam
>> > questions
>> > will be mostly conceptual in nature, rather than technical.
>> >
>> > Professional Level
>> >
>> > - *Technical Detail*: Certifying at the professional level requires
>> > detailed technical knowledge of the domain. For example, accessibility
>> > professionals are expected to evaluate the accessibility of existing
>> > content or objects according to published technical standards and
>> > guidelines, and provide detailed remediation recommendations. They are
>> > expected to know and use the relevant technologies, not merely be
>> aware
>> > of
>> > them.
>> > - *Multiple Professional Level Credentials*: The IAAP was conceived as
>> > an organization for all accessibility professionals across a wide
>> range
>> > of
>> > accessibility domains, such as accessibility of the web, software,
>> > multimedia, documents, consumer products, industrial design,
>> > transportation, architecture and the built environment, etc. The IAAP
>> > will
>> > develop multiple professional level certification exams for multiple
>> > accessibility domains, depending on market demand.
>> > - *Focus First on Web Accessibility*: The first Professional level
>> IAAP
>> > credential will focus on web accessibility.
>> >
>> > Certified Accessibility Associate (CAA) The Certified Accessibility
>> > Associate (CAA) credential is IAAP's foundational certification,
>> > representing the practical application of broad, cross-disciplinary
>> > conceptual knowledge about 1) disabilities, 2) accessibility and
>> universal
>> > design, and 3) accessibility-related standards, laws, and management
>> > strategies.
>> >
>> > Relevant domains for the CAA credential include the web and other digital
>> > technologies, architecture and the built environment, consumer and
>> > industrial design, transportation systems, and any domain in which
>> > thoughtful design, policy, and management can improve disability access.
>> >
>> > The CAA is the ideal credential for those who manage and support
>> > accessibility, but who may not personally design, implement, or evaluate
>> > the technical details of accessible solutions. For those who do work at
>> the
>> > technical level, IAAP will be working to create domain-specific
>> > professional credentials which build on the associate-level credential.
>> The
>> > first professional level he IAAP is actively developing is the Certified
>> > Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA). The IAAP will add other
>> technical
>> > professional certification credentials in other domains in accordance
>> with
>> > market and professional demand.
>> > Nature of the Certification Examination The IAAP wants accessibility
>> > professionals – and the employers who hire them – to recognize the value
>> of
>> > IAAP credentials as a valid benchmark of a person's accessibility
>> knowledge
>> > and skills. To meet this goal, the IAAP will work closely with
>> > accessibility professionals and assessment professionals to design the
>> > exams and test their reliability and validity. The IAAP will monitor the
>> > outcomes and continually assess the effectiveness of the exams to ensure
>> > the trustworthiness of all IAAP credentials.
>> >
>> > The exact nature and format of the test is to be determined. At this
>> point,
>> > the IAAP anticipates that many questions will likely be in a format
>> > amenable to automated scoring, but some questions – especially at the
>> > professional level – may be more open-ended to allow for more nuanced,
>> > performance-based assessments of actual skills.
>> > Who Should Take the Associate Level Examination? The associate-level
>> > credential is intended for accessibility professionals, for those who
>> > manage accessibility outcomes, and for anyone who plays a key role in
>> > ensuring that the digital and physical worlds are accessible to people
>> with
>> > disabilities including:
>> >
>> > - Accessibility professionals in any field (e.g. web design, software
>> > engineering, hardware engineering, consumer and industrial product
>> > design,
>> > transportation, architecture and the built environment, educational
>> > accommodations, etc.), whose job requires in-depth accessibility
>> > expertise.
>> > Accessibility professionals should also consider IAAP
>> professional-level
>> > certification, if available for their area of expertise.*
>> > - Project, program, or portfolio managers and executive leaders
>> > overseeing initiatives or organizations that focus on accessibility,
>> or
>> > which include accessibility as a key component.
>> > - Anyone whose job requires accessibility awareness or competence
>> (e.g.
>> > technology professionals in diverse specializations, architects and
>> > urban
>> > planners, international development professionals, disability rights
>> > activists, lawmakers and legal counsel, media producers, recreation
>> and
>> > hospitality providers, teachers and professors, health care providers,
>> > emergency response coordinators, salespeople and support staff at
>> > accessibility consulting companies, etc.).
>> >
>> > *Note: The associate-level certification is the terminal (final) IAAP
>> > credential for all careers except those for which a professional-level
>> IAAP
>> > credential exists. Currently the only professional-level certification
>> > under development by the IAAP is for web accessibility. The IAAP will
>> > consider developing other specialized credentials in the future.
>> > When Will IAAP Offer the First Certification Examination? Registration
>> for
>> > the associate level certification will be offered in the first quarter of
>> > 2016. The timeline for other professional level certifications is still
>> to
>> > be determined.
>> > How Much Will the CAA Certification Examination Cost? The exam will be
>> $325
>> > for members; $425 for non-members. We will also offer an emerging country
>> > rate at $150.
>> > What Content Will the CAA Certification Examination Include? While the
>> exam
>> > blueprint is still in development, the chart below outlines the
>> anticipated
>> > exam content.
>> >
>> > Anticipated Exam Content Topic Sub-Topic Disabilities Theoretical Models
>> of
>> > Disability Types of Disabilities, Challenges, and Assistive
>> > Technologies Disability
>> > Demographics Disability Etiquette Accessibility and Universal Design
>> > Individual
>> > Accommodations versus Inclusive Design Benefits of Accessibility
>> > Accessibility
>> > Principles (WCAG 2.0) The Principles of Universal Design 2.0 Universal
>> > Design for Learning (UDL) Usability and User Experience (UX) Standards,
>> > Laws, and Management Strategies International Conventions and Treaties
>> > Accessibility
>> > Standards and Regulations National and Regional Laws Systematic
>> > Organizational Governance and Management
>> > Preparing for the CAA Certification Examination Certification Preparation
>> > Training The certification will be competency-based, which means that the
>> > IAAP will not require the completion of any kind of training. Successful
>> > certification will depend on one's score on the certification exam.
>> > Certificants will be able to study on their own, based on the content in
>> > the Body of Knowledge document, or they can take certification
>> preparation
>> > courses if they choose.
>> >
>> > The IAAP does not currently offer an "official" IAAP certification
>> > preparation training curriculum. The plan is to leverage the existing
>> > third-party resources and services already in the market. Nearly all
>> > accessibility companies and consultants provide accessibility training as
>> > part of their business model, and information is available online in both
>> > free and paid formats. The IAAP will publish a list of vetted
>> certification
>> > training providers for the benefit of those seeking exam preparation
>> > training.
>> > Maintaining Certification IAAP certification is valid for 3 years. Every
>> > three years, certificants will be required to
>> >
>> > - Complete a certain number of continuing education credits (to be
>> > determined) a portion of which must be offered or approved by IAAP
>> > - Submit an application for certification renewal.
>> >
>> > Individuals do not need to retake any of the exams to maintain their
>> > certification unless they allow their certification to lapse.
>> >
>> > As technologies and professional expectations evolve, these renewal
>> > requirements are subject to change.
>> > Continuing Education Units (CEUs) The IAAP will offer continuing
>> education
>> > units (CEUs) for classes, workshops, webcasts, conference attendance, and
>> > other similar IAAP-sponsored activities. The IAAP will implement a
>> process
>> > to allow other organizations or individuals to offer IAAP-approved
>> > continuing education credits for similar career-enhancing educational
>> > opportunities.
>> >
>> > Types of Activities that May Qualify for Continuing Education Credits:
>> >
>> > - Attending classes, workshops, webinars, and other educational events
>> > about accessibility
>> > - Preparing or presenting educational materials about accessibility
>> > - Publishing articles, books, blogs, or other publications about
>> > accessibility
>> > - Mentoring others in accessibility
>> > - Speaking engagements at IAAP or other approved educational event
>> > - Volunteer service with IAAP
>> >
>> > The IAAP is at the early stages of considering CEU options, so further
>> > research and public discussion of the options is necessary before
>> deciding
>> > on an official CEU policy.
>> >
>> > The Qualifications of the Certification Team The certification process at
>> > IAAP is in good hands with our headquarters and volunteer leadership
>> team.
>> > Here are abbreviated biographical sketches of some of the key players:
>> > *Paul Bohman, PhD, Chair of the IAAP Certification Committee*
>> > Dr. Paul Bohman has been the Chair of the IAAP Certification Committee
>> > since its inception and has steered the process through the formative
>> > stages, from the initial concepts to the more concrete proposals
>> currently
>> > under consideration. He is also Director of Training at Deque Systems, a
>> > web accessibility software and consulting company based in the Washington
>> > DC area. At Deque he has created the Deque University platform, which is
>> a
>> > custom learning management system for teaching web accessibility, and has
>> > personally created or overseen the creation of a complete web
>> accessibility
>> > curriculum of online self-paced courses. He also travels frequently to
>> > provide instructor-led training on web accessibility to clients.
>> >
>> > His doctoral dissertation
>> > <
>> >
>> http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article#64&;context=etd
>> > >
>> > investigated web accessibility in the higher education curriculum in
>> three
>> > different countries, and his doctoral studies included extensive training
>> > in research design, assessment design and evaluation, statistics,
>> learning
>> > and instructional theory, psychology, sociology, and social justice.
>> > Previously Dr. Bohman taught web accessibility at George Mason
>> University,
>> > participated in the creation of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
>> > 2.0, and was a founding member of WebAIM with Cyndi Rowland. At WebAIM,
>> Dr.
>> > Bohman created a full web accessibility curriculum (at that time based on
>> > WCAG 1.0), some of which is still available on the WebAIM site. He also
>> > created the WebAIM listserv, which continues to be one of the most active
>> > groups on the internet for discussing web accessibility.
>> > *Christine Murphy Peck, IAAP CEO*
>> > Christine Murphy Peck is the CEO of the IAAP. She holds 29 years of
>> > experience in nonprofit management, certification management, education
>> > strategy development, corporate education and facilitation and strategic
>> > planning. Peck currently leads the SmithBucklin Washington, D.C. team
>> > responsible for implementing educational strategy, program design and
>> > delivery, eLearning, certification and accreditation, with a focus on
>> > outcomes and client growth.
>> >
>> > Previously, Peck founded Peck Performance Group, a consulting practice
>> > serving clients in the areas of education, training and organizational
>> > development, and served as president and chief learning officer. She
>> served
>> > for seven years as the director of education and learning of the U.S.
>> > Tennis Association, where she established a full-service educational
>> center
>> > providing professional development and educational resources to staff and
>> > volunteers in more than 1,000 community-based organizations. She has
>> worked
>> > extensively with nonprofit organizations, including start-ups and
>> > turnarounds, helping these organizations develop to their full potential
>> > while managing multiple projects with combined budgets of more than $20
>> > million.
>> > *Dr. Reed Castle* IAAP's partners with Professional Testing Inc. an
>> > independent testing company that provides assistance with exam
>> development,
>> > administration, and scoring. Professional Testing develops, administers,
>> > and maintains licensure and certification examination programs.
>> > Professional Testing staff guide the exam development activities and have
>> > extensive psychometric and test development experience.
>> >
>> > Dr. Reed Castle is the leads the exam development activities from
>> > Professional Testing. Dr. Castle has over 25 years of experience in
>> > psychometrics and exam development and has assisted with development in
>> > with a multitude of examinations over his career. In his current
>> capacity,
>> > he oversees and provides consultation to a variety of clients by
>> directing
>> > psychometric services with respect to credentialing examinations and
>> > providing NCCA and ANSI/ISO 17024 accreditation assistance. He
>> successfully
>> > evaluates client needs to implement best management practices Dr. Castle
>> > has his PhD in Quantitative and Qualitative Methods with an emphasis in
>> > Measurement, Statistics, and Research Design from the University of
>> > Nebraska-Lincoln, a Masters in Educational and Counseling Psychology with
>> > an emphasis in Measurement and Statistics from the University of
>> > Missouri-Columbia and a Bachelors in Psychology from University of
>> > Missouri-Columbia.
>> > *The Certification Committee* The Certification Committee is the
>> governing
>> > body of the professional certification program. Their mission is to
>> assure
>> > a comprehensive level of knowledge through certification in the
>> > accessibility profession. The Certification Committee is responsible for
>> > establishing the policies and procedures that guide the professional
>> > certification program.
>> >
>> > The Certification Committee is comprised of experts from across the
>> > accessibility industry. The Committee represents multiple areas of
>> > accessibility to ensure that all interests are represented.
>> >
>> > The Certification Committee consists of the following individuals:
>> >
>> > Paul Bohman, PhD, Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc. (Chair)
>> > Arlington, Virginia, USA
>> >
>> > Katie Haritos Shea, Senior Accessibility Subject Matter Expert
>> > (WCAG/Section 508/ADA/AODA)
>> > Oakton, Virginia, USA
>> >
>> > Allen Hoffman, Office of Accessible Systems & Technology, Department of
>> > Homeland Security Washington, DC, USA
>> >
>> > Jay Cardinali, Worldwide Accessibility Manager, Walt Disney Parks and
>> > Resorts
>> > Orlando, Florida, USA
>> >
>> > Ken Nakata, Director, Accessibility Consulting Practice, Cryptzone
>> > Seattle, Washington, USA
>> >
>> > Robert Pearson, Accessiblity Officer, Accessible Media Inc. (AMI)
>> > Toronto, Ontario, Canada
>> >
>> > Valorie Sundby, Web Accessibility Specialist, Self, Modis - 5280
>> Solutions
>> > Littleton, Colorado, USA
>> >
>> > Nigel Lewis, CEO, AbilityNet
>> > London, United Kingdom
>> >
>> > David MacDonald, President, CanAdapt Solutions Inc.
>> > Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
>> >
>> > Cristopher Broyles, Director of Digital Accessibility/Chief Accessibility
>> > Officer, Perkins School for the Blind
>> > Boston, Massachussetts, USA
>> >
>> > Christian Vinten-Johansen, IT Manager, Pennsylvania State University
>> > State College, Pennsylvania, USA
>> >
>> > Kevin Prince, IT Accessibility Consultant, Access1in5
>> > Christchurch, New Zealand
>> >
>> > JoAnne Juett, Integration Specialist, HighPoint Global
>> > Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
>> >
>> > Paul Bohman, PhD
>> > Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
>> > 703-225-0380, ext.121
>> > https://DequeUniversity.com
>> > >> > >> > >> > >> >
>> >> >> >> >>
> > > > --

Karl Groves
www.karlgroves.com
@karlgroves
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karlgroves
Phone: +1 410.541.6829

Modern Web Toolsets and Accessibility
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uq6Db47-Ks

www.tenon.io

From: Paul Bohman
Date: Fri, Sep 11 2015 5:42AM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

I appreciate the feedback, Karl, and I know where you're coming from on
that point. Starting a professional organization is not an easy process,
and most of the work is done by volunteers who don't always have the
bandwidth to both contribute to our committees and do all of the PR and
marketing work, so it's usually more of an issue of time than anything
else. I do this work after hours, on top of an already extremely busy work
schedule.

That said, I fully agree that we need to make more of an effort to be more
transparent, and I agree that we need to reach wider audiences. I posted
this update on a few lists with those purposes in mind, and I will continue
to reach out to different advocacy groups, consumer groups, and others.
It's a necessary part of our mission.



On Friday, September 11, 2015, Karl Groves < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> "The survey has been distributed primarily to IAAP members up to this
> point,
> because that is the target audience,"
>
> As an organization whose stated purpose is to grow the profession,
> that seems to contradict its mission.
>
> Since even before its creation, IAAP has had the appearance of being a
> pay-to-play organization.
>
> I'll go ahead and state this publicly: I have no intention to ever
> participate in anything IAAP does until it becomes significantly more
> transparent, until *all* members have a greater say in how it
> operates, and until they become more active in growing the profession.
>
> On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 11:33 PM, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
> > Ron,
> >
> > Thanks for providing some feedback.
> >
> > The IAAP certification credentials are aimed at people who create and
> > design accessible virtual and real environments. This includes things in
> > the IT space -- like web sites, software, documents, multimedia, etc. --
> > and can include things in the physical space like consumer and industrial
> > products, transportation systems, architecture, etc. Our target audience
> is
> > designers, developers, and engineers (and the people who manage them, or
> > who test the quality of their output).
> >
> > Our target audience is not the service sector of AT professionals who
> work
> > directly with people with disabilities. In fact, many of the people who
> > would receive IAAP credentials will not work with people with
> disabilities
> > at all. They will instead be designing environments -- virtual or
> physical
> > -- that people of all kinds will access, including those with
> disabilities.
> > The goal of an accessibility professional in this context is to create
> > environments that are universally accessible to the broadest range of
> > people possible.
> >
> > We expect the IAAP credentials to be useful in private industry,
> > government, higher education, and any context that employs designers,
> > developers, or engineers.
> >
> > So the audience for IAAP is not the same audience as for RESNA or any
> other
> > group of assistive technology professionals. There is some overlap, but
> not
> > as much as it may seem on the surface.
> >
> > The survey has been distributed primarily to IAAP members up to this
> point,
> > because that is the target audience, but we welcome input from
> > accessibility professionals who may not be IAAP members. The survey is
> > still open, by the way, so feel free to contribute your responses.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Paul Bohman, PhD
> > Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
> > 703-225-0380, ext.121
> > https://DequeUniversity.com
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 2:39 PM, Ron < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >
> >> Paul if you solicited feedback from the stakeholder communities why is
> it
> >> that none of the leaders in the Higher Ed AT community that I have
> >> contacted ever saw this survey? I think what you all are doing is great
> for
> >> the vendor and government community. But trying to extend it beyond
> those
> >> groups will be very problematic.
> >>
> >> ATHEN was never included in the effort at all nor was AHEAD as far as I
> >> have been able to ascertain. So I find it somewhat disingenuous to try
> >> and develop a certification process that in all likelyhood will be
> totally
> >> irrelevant in the IHE AT service provider space. Sounds like the RESNA
> ATP
> >> all over again.
> >>
> >> Ron Stewart
> >>
> >> On Wednesday, September 9, 2015, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <javascript:;>>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >> > I'm the Chair of the Certification Committee at the IAAP
> (International
> >> > Association of Accessibility Professionals). We've recently updated
> the
> >> > page about certification on the IAAP website to explain where we are
> in
> >> the
> >> > process (
> >> http://www.accessibilityassociation.org/content.asp?contentid28
> >> > )
> >> > I've also included the full text below. I welcome any comments or
> >> > questions.
> >> > IAAP Certification The International Association of Accessibility
> >> > Professionals (IAAP) will begin offering professional certification in
> >> > 2016.
> >> > Where We Are Now in the Process? Currently, the Job Task Analysis
> >> > validation survey has been distributed to the accessibility community.
> >> The
> >> > validation survey is used to define the core competencies of those
> >> working
> >> > at an entry level in the accessibility industry. The validation
> survey is
> >> > the foundation for the exam content outline (or blueprint) that will
> >> serve
> >> > as the basis for all exam content.
> >> >
> >> > Once the survey results have been finalized, the exam content outline
> >> will
> >> > be made publically available on the IAAP website.
> >> >
> >> > All accessibility professionals are encouraged to complete the
> validation
> >> > survey which can be accessed at
> >> > https://accessibilityassociation.formstack.com/forms/iaap_2015_ja
> >> > The Process of Creating a Professional Certification Professional
> Testing
> >> > (IAAP's exam development partner) outlines the critical steps
> necessary
> >> to
> >> > develop a valid and reliable examination.
> >> >
> >> > Access the full certification process outline
> >> > <
> >> >
> >>
> http://iaap.membershipsoftware.org/files/Exam%20Development%20and%20Procedures%20Guidelines.pdf
> >> > >
> >> > .
> >> > Goals of the Certification Program The IAAP certification program
> aspires
> >> > to the following goals for accessibility certification:
> >> >
> >> > - To define what accessibility professionals are expected to know.
> >> > - To increase the quality and consistency of the work performed by
> >> > accessibility professionals.
> >> > - To provide accessibility professionals with a credential as
> evidence
> >> > of their commitment to the accessibility field, and of their
> >> competence
> >> > within the field.
> >> > - To provide employers, the accessibility community and the public
> >> with
> >> > a metric to measure and assess the accessibility competence of
> current
> >> > and/or prospective employees.
> >> > - To provide colleges, universities, and vocational programs with
> >> clear
> >> > educational outcomes and a curriculum outline for teaching
> >> > accessibility.
> >> > - To strengthen the community of practice among accessibility
> >> > professionals.
> >> >
> >> > The Structure and Scope of the IAAP Certification Program The IAAP
> will
> >> > offer two levels of certification: an associate level credential, and
> >> > subsequent professional level credentials. Associate Level
> >> >
> >> > - *Foundation Level*: The Associate level credential is the entry
> >> level
> >> > credential. It is the foundation upon which the Professional level
> >> > certifications build.
> >> > - *Broad and Conceptual*: This level covers a broad range of topics
> >> > within accessibility, and the exam will be rigorous, but the exam
> >> > questions
> >> > will be mostly conceptual in nature, rather than technical.
> >> >
> >> > Professional Level
> >> >
> >> > - *Technical Detail*: Certifying at the professional level requires
> >> > detailed technical knowledge of the domain. For example,
> accessibility
> >> > professionals are expected to evaluate the accessibility of
> existing
> >> > content or objects according to published technical standards and
> >> > guidelines, and provide detailed remediation recommendations. They
> are
> >> > expected to know and use the relevant technologies, not merely be
> >> aware
> >> > of
> >> > them.
> >> > - *Multiple Professional Level Credentials*: The IAAP was
> conceived as
> >> > an organization for all accessibility professionals across a wide
> >> range
> >> > of
> >> > accessibility domains, such as accessibility of the web, software,
> >> > multimedia, documents, consumer products, industrial design,
> >> > transportation, architecture and the built environment, etc. The
> IAAP
> >> > will
> >> > develop multiple professional level certification exams for
> multiple
> >> > accessibility domains, depending on market demand.
> >> > - *Focus First on Web Accessibility*: The first Professional level
> >> IAAP
> >> > credential will focus on web accessibility.
> >> >
> >> > Certified Accessibility Associate (CAA) The Certified Accessibility
> >> > Associate (CAA) credential is IAAP's foundational certification,
> >> > representing the practical application of broad, cross-disciplinary
> >> > conceptual knowledge about 1) disabilities, 2) accessibility and
> >> universal
> >> > design, and 3) accessibility-related standards, laws, and management
> >> > strategies.
> >> >
> >> > Relevant domains for the CAA credential include the web and other
> digital
> >> > technologies, architecture and the built environment, consumer and
> >> > industrial design, transportation systems, and any domain in which
> >> > thoughtful design, policy, and management can improve disability
> access.
> >> >
> >> > The CAA is the ideal credential for those who manage and support
> >> > accessibility, but who may not personally design, implement, or
> evaluate
> >> > the technical details of accessible solutions. For those who do work
> at
> >> the
> >> > technical level, IAAP will be working to create domain-specific
> >> > professional credentials which build on the associate-level
> credential.
> >> The
> >> > first professional level he IAAP is actively developing is the
> Certified
> >> > Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA). The IAAP will add other
> >> technical
> >> > professional certification credentials in other domains in accordance
> >> with
> >> > market and professional demand.
> >> > Nature of the Certification Examination The IAAP wants accessibility
> >> > professionals – and the employers who hire them – to recognize the
> value
> >> of
> >> > IAAP credentials as a valid benchmark of a person's accessibility
> >> knowledge
> >> > and skills. To meet this goal, the IAAP will work closely with
> >> > accessibility professionals and assessment professionals to design the
> >> > exams and test their reliability and validity. The IAAP will monitor
> the
> >> > outcomes and continually assess the effectiveness of the exams to
> ensure
> >> > the trustworthiness of all IAAP credentials.
> >> >
> >> > The exact nature and format of the test is to be determined. At this
> >> point,
> >> > the IAAP anticipates that many questions will likely be in a format
> >> > amenable to automated scoring, but some questions – especially at the
> >> > professional level – may be more open-ended to allow for more nuanced,
> >> > performance-based assessments of actual skills.
> >> > Who Should Take the Associate Level Examination? The associate-level
> >> > credential is intended for accessibility professionals, for those who
> >> > manage accessibility outcomes, and for anyone who plays a key role in
> >> > ensuring that the digital and physical worlds are accessible to people
> >> with
> >> > disabilities including:
> >> >
> >> > - Accessibility professionals in any field (e.g. web design,
> software
> >> > engineering, hardware engineering, consumer and industrial product
> >> > design,
> >> > transportation, architecture and the built environment, educational
> >> > accommodations, etc.), whose job requires in-depth accessibility
> >> > expertise.
> >> > Accessibility professionals should also consider IAAP
> >> professional-level
> >> > certification, if available for their area of expertise.*
> >> > - Project, program, or portfolio managers and executive leaders
> >> > overseeing initiatives or organizations that focus on
> accessibility,
> >> or
> >> > which include accessibility as a key component.
> >> > - Anyone whose job requires accessibility awareness or competence
> >> (e.g.
> >> > technology professionals in diverse specializations, architects and
> >> > urban
> >> > planners, international development professionals, disability
> rights
> >> > activists, lawmakers and legal counsel, media producers, recreation
> >> and
> >> > hospitality providers, teachers and professors, health care
> providers,
> >> > emergency response coordinators, salespeople and support staff at
> >> > accessibility consulting companies, etc.).
> >> >
> >> > *Note: The associate-level certification is the terminal (final) IAAP
> >> > credential for all careers except those for which a professional-level
> >> IAAP
> >> > credential exists. Currently the only professional-level certification
> >> > under development by the IAAP is for web accessibility. The IAAP will
> >> > consider developing other specialized credentials in the future.
> >> > When Will IAAP Offer the First Certification Examination? Registration
> >> for
> >> > the associate level certification will be offered in the first
> quarter of
> >> > 2016. The timeline for other professional level certifications is
> still
> >> to
> >> > be determined.
> >> > How Much Will the CAA Certification Examination Cost? The exam will be
> >> $325
> >> > for members; $425 for non-members. We will also offer an emerging
> country
> >> > rate at $150.
> >> > What Content Will the CAA Certification Examination Include? While the
> >> exam
> >> > blueprint is still in development, the chart below outlines the
> >> anticipated
> >> > exam content.
> >> >
> >> > Anticipated Exam Content Topic Sub-Topic Disabilities Theoretical
> Models
> >> of
> >> > Disability Types of Disabilities, Challenges, and Assistive
> >> > Technologies Disability
> >> > Demographics Disability Etiquette Accessibility and Universal Design
> >> > Individual
> >> > Accommodations versus Inclusive Design Benefits of Accessibility
> >> > Accessibility
> >> > Principles (WCAG 2.0) The Principles of Universal Design 2.0 Universal
> >> > Design for Learning (UDL) Usability and User Experience (UX)
> Standards,
> >> > Laws, and Management Strategies International Conventions and Treaties
> >> > Accessibility
> >> > Standards and Regulations National and Regional Laws Systematic
> >> > Organizational Governance and Management
> >> > Preparing for the CAA Certification Examination Certification
> Preparation
> >> > Training The certification will be competency-based, which means that
> the
> >> > IAAP will not require the completion of any kind of training.
> Successful
> >> > certification will depend on one's score on the certification exam.
> >> > Certificants will be able to study on their own, based on the content
> in
> >> > the Body of Knowledge document, or they can take certification
> >> preparation
> >> > courses if they choose.
> >> >
> >> > The IAAP does not currently offer an "official" IAAP certification
> >> > preparation training curriculum. The plan is to leverage the existing
> >> > third-party resources and services already in the market. Nearly all
> >> > accessibility companies and consultants provide accessibility
> training as
> >> > part of their business model, and information is available online in
> both
> >> > free and paid formats. The IAAP will publish a list of vetted
> >> certification
> >> > training providers for the benefit of those seeking exam preparation
> >> > training.
> >> > Maintaining Certification IAAP certification is valid for 3 years.
> Every
> >> > three years, certificants will be required to
> >> >
> >> > - Complete a certain number of continuing education credits (to be
> >> > determined) a portion of which must be offered or approved by IAAP
> >> > - Submit an application for certification renewal.
> >> >
> >> > Individuals do not need to retake any of the exams to maintain their
> >> > certification unless they allow their certification to lapse.
> >> >
> >> > As technologies and professional expectations evolve, these renewal
> >> > requirements are subject to change.
> >> > Continuing Education Units (CEUs) The IAAP will offer continuing
> >> education
> >> > units (CEUs) for classes, workshops, webcasts, conference attendance,
> and
> >> > other similar IAAP-sponsored activities. The IAAP will implement a
> >> process
> >> > to allow other organizations or individuals to offer IAAP-approved
> >> > continuing education credits for similar career-enhancing educational
> >> > opportunities.
> >> >
> >> > Types of Activities that May Qualify for Continuing Education Credits:
> >> >
> >> > - Attending classes, workshops, webinars, and other educational
> events
> >> > about accessibility
> >> > - Preparing or presenting educational materials about accessibility
> >> > - Publishing articles, books, blogs, or other publications about
> >> > accessibility
> >> > - Mentoring others in accessibility
> >> > - Speaking engagements at IAAP or other approved educational event
> >> > - Volunteer service with IAAP
> >> >
> >> > The IAAP is at the early stages of considering CEU options, so further
> >> > research and public discussion of the options is necessary before
> >> deciding
> >> > on an official CEU policy.
> >> >
> >> > The Qualifications of the Certification Team The certification
> process at
> >> > IAAP is in good hands with our headquarters and volunteer leadership
> >> team.
> >> > Here are abbreviated biographical sketches of some of the key players:
> >> > *Paul Bohman, PhD, Chair of the IAAP Certification Committee*
> >> > Dr. Paul Bohman has been the Chair of the IAAP Certification Committee
> >> > since its inception and has steered the process through the formative
> >> > stages, from the initial concepts to the more concrete proposals
> >> currently
> >> > under consideration. He is also Director of Training at Deque
> Systems, a
> >> > web accessibility software and consulting company based in the
> Washington
> >> > DC area. At Deque he has created the Deque University platform, which
> is
> >> a
> >> > custom learning management system for teaching web accessibility, and
> has
> >> > personally created or overseen the creation of a complete web
> >> accessibility
> >> > curriculum of online self-paced courses. He also travels frequently to
> >> > provide instructor-led training on web accessibility to clients.
> >> >
> >> > His doctoral dissertation
> >> > <
> >> >
> >>
> http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article#64&;context=etd
> >> > >
> >> > investigated web accessibility in the higher education curriculum in
> >> three
> >> > different countries, and his doctoral studies included extensive
> training
> >> > in research design, assessment design and evaluation, statistics,
> >> learning
> >> > and instructional theory, psychology, sociology, and social justice.
> >> > Previously Dr. Bohman taught web accessibility at George Mason
> >> University,
> >> > participated in the creation of the Web Content Accessibility
> Guidelines
> >> > 2.0, and was a founding member of WebAIM with Cyndi Rowland. At
> WebAIM,
> >> Dr.
> >> > Bohman created a full web accessibility curriculum (at that time
> based on
> >> > WCAG 1.0), some of which is still available on the WebAIM site. He
> also
> >> > created the WebAIM listserv, which continues to be one of the most
> active
> >> > groups on the internet for discussing web accessibility.
> >> > *Christine Murphy Peck, IAAP CEO*
> >> > Christine Murphy Peck is the CEO of the IAAP. She holds 29 years of
> >> > experience in nonprofit management, certification management,
> education
> >> > strategy development, corporate education and facilitation and
> strategic
> >> > planning. Peck currently leads the SmithBucklin Washington, D.C. team
> >> > responsible for implementing educational strategy, program design and
> >> > delivery, eLearning, certification and accreditation, with a focus on
> >> > outcomes and client growth.
> >> >
> >> > Previously, Peck founded Peck Performance Group, a consulting practice
> >> > serving clients in the areas of education, training and organizational
> >> > development, and served as president and chief learning officer. She
> >> served
> >> > for seven years as the director of education and learning of the U.S.
> >> > Tennis Association, where she established a full-service educational
> >> center
> >> > providing professional development and educational resources to staff
> and
> >> > volunteers in more than 1,000 community-based organizations. She has
> >> worked
> >> > extensively with nonprofit organizations, including start-ups and
> >> > turnarounds, helping these organizations develop to their full
> potential
> >> > while managing multiple projects with combined budgets of more than
> $20
> >> > million.
> >> > *Dr. Reed Castle* IAAP's partners with Professional Testing Inc. an
> >> > independent testing company that provides assistance with exam
> >> development,
> >> > administration, and scoring. Professional Testing develops,
> administers,
> >> > and maintains licensure and certification examination programs.
> >> > Professional Testing staff guide the exam development activities and
> have
> >> > extensive psychometric and test development experience.
> >> >
> >> > Dr. Reed Castle is the leads the exam development activities from
> >> > Professional Testing. Dr. Castle has over 25 years of experience in
> >> > psychometrics and exam development and has assisted with development
> in
> >> > with a multitude of examinations over his career. In his current
> >> capacity,
> >> > he oversees and provides consultation to a variety of clients by
> >> directing
> >> > psychometric services with respect to credentialing examinations and
> >> > providing NCCA and ANSI/ISO 17024 accreditation assistance. He
> >> successfully
> >> > evaluates client needs to implement best management practices Dr.
> Castle
> >> > has his PhD in Quantitative and Qualitative Methods with an emphasis
> in
> >> > Measurement, Statistics, and Research Design from the University of
> >> > Nebraska-Lincoln, a Masters in Educational and Counseling Psychology
> with
> >> > an emphasis in Measurement and Statistics from the University of
> >> > Missouri-Columbia and a Bachelors in Psychology from University of
> >> > Missouri-Columbia.
> >> > *The Certification Committee* The Certification Committee is the
> >> governing
> >> > body of the professional certification program. Their mission is to
> >> assure
> >> > a comprehensive level of knowledge through certification in the
> >> > accessibility profession. The Certification Committee is responsible
> for
> >> > establishing the policies and procedures that guide the professional
> >> > certification program.
> >> >
> >> > The Certification Committee is comprised of experts from across the
> >> > accessibility industry. The Committee represents multiple areas of
> >> > accessibility to ensure that all interests are represented.
> >> >
> >> > The Certification Committee consists of the following individuals:
> >> >
> >> > Paul Bohman, PhD, Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc. (Chair)
> >> > Arlington, Virginia, USA
> >> >
> >> > Katie Haritos Shea, Senior Accessibility Subject Matter Expert
> >> > (WCAG/Section 508/ADA/AODA)
> >> > Oakton, Virginia, USA
> >> >
> >> > Allen Hoffman, Office of Accessible Systems & Technology, Department
> of
> >> > Homeland Security Washington, DC, USA
> >> >
> >> > Jay Cardinali, Worldwide Accessibility Manager, Walt Disney Parks and
> >> > Resorts
> >> > Orlando, Florida, USA
> >> >
> >> > Ken Nakata, Director, Accessibility Consulting Practice, Cryptzone
> >> > Seattle, Washington, USA
> >> >
> >> > Robert Pearson, Accessiblity Officer, Accessible Media Inc. (AMI)
> >> > Toronto, Ontario, Canada
> >> >
> >> > Valorie Sundby, Web Accessibility Specialist, Self, Modis - 5280
> >> Solutions
> >> > Littleton, Colorado, USA
> >> >
> >> > Nigel Lewis, CEO, AbilityNet
> >> > London, United Kingdom
> >> >
> >> > David MacDonald, President, CanAdapt Solutions Inc.
> >> > Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
> >> >
> >> > Cristopher Broyles, Director of Digital Accessibility/Chief
> Accessibility
> >> > Officer, Perkins School for the Blind
> >> > Boston, Massachussetts, USA
> >> >
> >> > Christian Vinten-Johansen, IT Manager, Pennsylvania State University
> >> > State College, Pennsylvania, USA
> >> >
> >> > Kevin Prince, IT Accessibility Consultant, Access1in5
> >> > Christchurch, New Zealand
> >> >
> >> > JoAnne Juett, Integration Specialist, HighPoint Global
> >> > Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
> >> >
> >> > Paul Bohman, PhD
> >> > Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
> >> > 703-225-0380, ext.121
> >> > https://DequeUniversity.com
> >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > <javascript:;>
> >> >
> >> > >> > >> > >> > >>
> > > > > > > > >
>
>
> --
>
> Karl Groves
> www.karlgroves.com
> @karlgroves
> http://www.linkedin.com/in/karlgroves
> Phone: +1 410.541.6829
>
> Modern Web Toolsets and Accessibility
> Modern Web Toolsets & The Next Generation of Accessibility Testing Tools
> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uq6Db47-Ks>
>
> www.tenon.io
> > > > >


--

Paul Bohman, PhD
Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
703-225-0380, ext.121
https://DequeUniversity.com

From: Dave Bahr
Date: Fri, Sep 11 2015 2:30PM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

Hi there,

I guess I'm a little confused. I had joined the IAAP in hopes of
understanding more about certification and it's ongoing progress. However, I
was under the impression that it was being designed for people such as
myself who are totally blind and interested in testing websites/software for
accessibility. According to your description below, this is not to be the
case? This begs the question, if I wantto be certified as some sort of
accessibility specialist who has a disability, where would I look?that's why
I posted what I did on the community foruma few weeks back.I feel like I
have the passion and some of the knowledge necessary for understanding
accessibility, but I will be the first to admit that I need help in
acquiring more skills and suitable credentials. so… Where do I go and what
do I do?
Thanks, Dave

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf
Of Paul Bohman
Sent: 09/11/2015 05:42 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] IAAP Certification Update

I appreciate the feedback, Karl, and I know where you're coming from on
that point. Starting a professional organization is not an easy process, and
most of the work is done by volunteers who don't always have the bandwidth
to both contribute to our committees and do all of the PR and marketing
work, so it's usually more of an issue of time than anything else. I do this
work after hours, on top of an already extremely busy work schedule.

That said, I fully agree that we need to make more of an effort to be more
transparent, and I agree that we need to reach wider audiences. I posted
this update on a few lists with those purposes in mind, and I will continue
to reach out to different advocacy groups, consumer groups, and others.
It's a necessary part of our mission.



On Friday, September 11, 2015, Karl Groves < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> "The survey has been distributed primarily to IAAP members up to this
> point, because that is the target audience,"
>
> As an organization whose stated purpose is to grow the profession,
> that seems to contradict its mission.
>
> Since even before its creation, IAAP has had the appearance of being a
> pay-to-play organization.
>
> I'll go ahead and state this publicly: I have no intention to ever
> participate in anything IAAP does until it becomes significantly more
> transparent, until *all* members have a greater say in how it
> operates, and until they become more active in growing the profession.
>
> On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 11:33 PM, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
> > Ron,
> >
> > Thanks for providing some feedback.
> >
> > The IAAP certification credentials are aimed at people who create
> > and design accessible virtual and real environments. This includes
> > things in the IT space -- like web sites, software, documents,
> > multimedia, etc. -- and can include things in the physical space
> > like consumer and industrial products, transportation systems,
> > architecture, etc. Our target audience
> is
> > designers, developers, and engineers (and the people who manage
> > them, or who test the quality of their output).
> >
> > Our target audience is not the service sector of AT professionals
> > who
> work
> > directly with people with disabilities. In fact, many of the people
> > who would receive IAAP credentials will not work with people with
> disabilities
> > at all. They will instead be designing environments -- virtual or
> physical
> > -- that people of all kinds will access, including those with
> disabilities.
> > The goal of an accessibility professional in this context is to
> > create environments that are universally accessible to the broadest
> > range of people possible.
> >
> > We expect the IAAP credentials to be useful in private industry,
> > government, higher education, and any context that employs
> > designers, developers, or engineers.
> >
> > So the audience for IAAP is not the same audience as for RESNA or
> > any
> other
> > group of assistive technology professionals. There is some overlap,
> > but
> not
> > as much as it may seem on the surface.
> >
> > The survey has been distributed primarily to IAAP members up to this
> point,
> > because that is the target audience, but we welcome input from
> > accessibility professionals who may not be IAAP members. The survey
> > is still open, by the way, so feel free to contribute your responses.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Paul Bohman, PhD
> > Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc 703-225-0380, ext.121
> > https://DequeUniversity.com
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 2:39 PM, Ron < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >
> >> Paul if you solicited feedback from the stakeholder communities why
> >> is
> it
> >> that none of the leaders in the Higher Ed AT community that I have
> >> contacted ever saw this survey? I think what you all are doing is
> >> great
> for
> >> the vendor and government community. But trying to extend it beyond
> those
> >> groups will be very problematic.
> >>
> >> ATHEN was never included in the effort at all nor was AHEAD as far
> >> as I have been able to ascertain. So I find it somewhat
> >> disingenuous to try and develop a certification process that in all
> >> likelyhood will be
> totally
> >> irrelevant in the IHE AT service provider space. Sounds like the
> >> RESNA
> ATP
> >> all over again.
> >>
> >> Ron Stewart
> >>
> >> On Wednesday, September 9, 2015, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <javascript:;>>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >> > I'm the Chair of the Certification Committee at the IAAP
> (International
> >> > Association of Accessibility Professionals). We've recently
> >> > updated
> the
> >> > page about certification on the IAAP website to explain where we
> >> > are
> in
> >> the
> >> > process (
> >> http://www.accessibilityassociation.org/content.asp?contentid28
> >> > )
> >> > I've also included the full text below. I welcome any comments or
> >> > questions.
> >> > IAAP Certification The International Association of Accessibility
> >> > Professionals (IAAP) will begin offering professional
> >> > certification in 2016.
> >> > Where We Are Now in the Process? Currently, the Job Task Analysis
> >> > validation survey has been distributed to the accessibility
community.
> >> The
> >> > validation survey is used to define the core competencies of
> >> > those
> >> working
> >> > at an entry level in the accessibility industry. The validation
> survey is
> >> > the foundation for the exam content outline (or blueprint) that
> >> > will
> >> serve
> >> > as the basis for all exam content.
> >> >
> >> > Once the survey results have been finalized, the exam content
> >> > outline
> >> will
> >> > be made publically available on the IAAP website.
> >> >
> >> > All accessibility professionals are encouraged to complete the
> validation
> >> > survey which can be accessed at
> >> > https://accessibilityassociation.formstack.com/forms/iaap_2015_ja
> >> > The Process of Creating a Professional Certification Professional
> Testing
> >> > (IAAP's exam development partner) outlines the critical steps
> necessary
> >> to
> >> > develop a valid and reliable examination.
> >> >
> >> > Access the full certification process outline <
> >> >
> >>
> http://iaap.membershipsoftware.org/files/Exam%20Development%20and%20Pr
> ocedures%20Guidelines.pdf
> >> > >
> >> > .
> >> > Goals of the Certification Program The IAAP certification program
> aspires
> >> > to the following goals for accessibility certification:
> >> >
> >> > - To define what accessibility professionals are expected to
know.
> >> > - To increase the quality and consistency of the work performed
by
> >> > accessibility professionals.
> >> > - To provide accessibility professionals with a credential as
> evidence
> >> > of their commitment to the accessibility field, and of their
> >> competence
> >> > within the field.
> >> > - To provide employers, the accessibility community and the
> >> > public
> >> with
> >> > a metric to measure and assess the accessibility competence of
> current
> >> > and/or prospective employees.
> >> > - To provide colleges, universities, and vocational programs
> >> > with
> >> clear
> >> > educational outcomes and a curriculum outline for teaching
> >> > accessibility.
> >> > - To strengthen the community of practice among accessibility
> >> > professionals.
> >> >
> >> > The Structure and Scope of the IAAP Certification Program The
> >> > IAAP
> will
> >> > offer two levels of certification: an associate level credential,
> >> > and subsequent professional level credentials. Associate Level
> >> >
> >> > - *Foundation Level*: The Associate level credential is the
> >> > entry
> >> level
> >> > credential. It is the foundation upon which the Professional
level
> >> > certifications build.
> >> > - *Broad and Conceptual*: This level covers a broad range of
topics
> >> > within accessibility, and the exam will be rigorous, but the
> >> > exam questions
> >> > will be mostly conceptual in nature, rather than technical.
> >> >
> >> > Professional Level
> >> >
> >> > - *Technical Detail*: Certifying at the professional level
requires
> >> > detailed technical knowledge of the domain. For example,
> accessibility
> >> > professionals are expected to evaluate the accessibility of
> existing
> >> > content or objects according to published technical standards and
> >> > guidelines, and provide detailed remediation recommendations.
> >> > They
> are
> >> > expected to know and use the relevant technologies, not merely
> >> > be
> >> aware
> >> > of
> >> > them.
> >> > - *Multiple Professional Level Credentials*: The IAAP was
> conceived as
> >> > an organization for all accessibility professionals across a
> >> > wide
> >> range
> >> > of
> >> > accessibility domains, such as accessibility of the web,
software,
> >> > multimedia, documents, consumer products, industrial design,
> >> > transportation, architecture and the built environment, etc.
> >> > The
> IAAP
> >> > will
> >> > develop multiple professional level certification exams for
> multiple
> >> > accessibility domains, depending on market demand.
> >> > - *Focus First on Web Accessibility*: The first Professional
> >> > level
> >> IAAP
> >> > credential will focus on web accessibility.
> >> >
> >> > Certified Accessibility Associate (CAA) The Certified
> >> > Accessibility Associate (CAA) credential is IAAP's foundational
> >> > certification, representing the practical application of broad,
> >> > cross-disciplinary conceptual knowledge about 1) disabilities, 2)
> >> > accessibility and
> >> universal
> >> > design, and 3) accessibility-related standards, laws, and
> >> > management strategies.
> >> >
> >> > Relevant domains for the CAA credential include the web and other
> digital
> >> > technologies, architecture and the built environment, consumer
> >> > and industrial design, transportation systems, and any domain in
> >> > which thoughtful design, policy, and management can improve
> >> > disability
> access.
> >> >
> >> > The CAA is the ideal credential for those who manage and support
> >> > accessibility, but who may not personally design, implement, or
> evaluate
> >> > the technical details of accessible solutions. For those who do
> >> > work
> at
> >> the
> >> > technical level, IAAP will be working to create domain-specific
> >> > professional credentials which build on the associate-level
> credential.
> >> The
> >> > first professional level he IAAP is actively developing is the
> Certified
> >> > Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA). The IAAP will add other
> >> technical
> >> > professional certification credentials in other domains in
> >> > accordance
> >> with
> >> > market and professional demand.
> >> > Nature of the Certification Examination The IAAP wants
> >> > accessibility professionals – and the employers who hire them –
> >> > to recognize the
> value
> >> of
> >> > IAAP credentials as a valid benchmark of a person's accessibility
> >> knowledge
> >> > and skills. To meet this goal, the IAAP will work closely with
> >> > accessibility professionals and assessment professionals to
> >> > design the exams and test their reliability and validity. The
> >> > IAAP will monitor
> the
> >> > outcomes and continually assess the effectiveness of the exams to
> ensure
> >> > the trustworthiness of all IAAP credentials.
> >> >
> >> > The exact nature and format of the test is to be determined. At
> >> > this
> >> point,
> >> > the IAAP anticipates that many questions will likely be in a
> >> > format amenable to automated scoring, but some questions –
> >> > especially at the professional level – may be more open-ended to
> >> > allow for more nuanced, performance-based assessments of actual
skills.
> >> > Who Should Take the Associate Level Examination? The
> >> > associate-level credential is intended for accessibility
> >> > professionals, for those who manage accessibility outcomes, and
> >> > for anyone who plays a key role in ensuring that the digital and
> >> > physical worlds are accessible to people
> >> with
> >> > disabilities including:
> >> >
> >> > - Accessibility professionals in any field (e.g. web design,
> software
> >> > engineering, hardware engineering, consumer and industrial
> >> > product design,
> >> > transportation, architecture and the built environment,
educational
> >> > accommodations, etc.), whose job requires in-depth
> >> > accessibility expertise.
> >> > Accessibility professionals should also consider IAAP
> >> professional-level
> >> > certification, if available for their area of expertise.*
> >> > - Project, program, or portfolio managers and executive leaders
> >> > overseeing initiatives or organizations that focus on
> accessibility,
> >> or
> >> > which include accessibility as a key component.
> >> > - Anyone whose job requires accessibility awareness or
> >> > competence
> >> (e.g.
> >> > technology professionals in diverse specializations,
> >> > architects and urban
> >> > planners, international development professionals, disability
> rights
> >> > activists, lawmakers and legal counsel, media producers,
> >> > recreation
> >> and
> >> > hospitality providers, teachers and professors, health care
> providers,
> >> > emergency response coordinators, salespeople and support staff at
> >> > accessibility consulting companies, etc.).
> >> >
> >> > *Note: The associate-level certification is the terminal (final)
> >> > IAAP credential for all careers except those for which a
> >> > professional-level
> >> IAAP
> >> > credential exists. Currently the only professional-level
> >> > certification under development by the IAAP is for web
> >> > accessibility. The IAAP will consider developing other specialized
credentials in the future.
> >> > When Will IAAP Offer the First Certification Examination?
> >> > Registration
> >> for
> >> > the associate level certification will be offered in the first
> quarter of
> >> > 2016. The timeline for other professional level certifications is
> still
> >> to
> >> > be determined.
> >> > How Much Will the CAA Certification Examination Cost? The exam
> >> > will be
> >> $325
> >> > for members; $425 for non-members. We will also offer an emerging
> country
> >> > rate at $150.
> >> > What Content Will the CAA Certification Examination Include?
> >> > While the
> >> exam
> >> > blueprint is still in development, the chart below outlines the
> >> anticipated
> >> > exam content.
> >> >
> >> > Anticipated Exam Content Topic Sub-Topic Disabilities Theoretical
> Models
> >> of
> >> > Disability Types of Disabilities, Challenges, and Assistive
> >> > Technologies Disability Demographics Disability Etiquette
> >> > Accessibility and Universal Design Individual Accommodations
> >> > versus Inclusive Design Benefits of Accessibility Accessibility
> >> > Principles (WCAG 2.0) The Principles of Universal Design 2.0
> >> > Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Usability and User Experience
> >> > (UX)
> Standards,
> >> > Laws, and Management Strategies International Conventions and
> >> > Treaties Accessibility Standards and Regulations National and
> >> > Regional Laws Systematic Organizational Governance and Management
> >> > Preparing for the CAA Certification Examination Certification
> Preparation
> >> > Training The certification will be competency-based, which means
> >> > that
> the
> >> > IAAP will not require the completion of any kind of training.
> Successful
> >> > certification will depend on one's score on the certification exam.
> >> > Certificants will be able to study on their own, based on the
> >> > content
> in
> >> > the Body of Knowledge document, or they can take certification
> >> preparation
> >> > courses if they choose.
> >> >
> >> > The IAAP does not currently offer an "official" IAAP
> >> > certification preparation training curriculum. The plan is to
> >> > leverage the existing third-party resources and services already
> >> > in the market. Nearly all accessibility companies and consultants
> >> > provide accessibility
> training as
> >> > part of their business model, and information is available online
> >> > in
> both
> >> > free and paid formats. The IAAP will publish a list of vetted
> >> certification
> >> > training providers for the benefit of those seeking exam
> >> > preparation training.
> >> > Maintaining Certification IAAP certification is valid for 3 years.
> Every
> >> > three years, certificants will be required to
> >> >
> >> > - Complete a certain number of continuing education credits (to
be
> >> > determined) a portion of which must be offered or approved by
IAAP
> >> > - Submit an application for certification renewal.
> >> >
> >> > Individuals do not need to retake any of the exams to maintain
> >> > their certification unless they allow their certification to lapse.
> >> >
> >> > As technologies and professional expectations evolve, these
> >> > renewal requirements are subject to change.
> >> > Continuing Education Units (CEUs) The IAAP will offer continuing
> >> education
> >> > units (CEUs) for classes, workshops, webcasts, conference
> >> > attendance,
> and
> >> > other similar IAAP-sponsored activities. The IAAP will implement
> >> > a
> >> process
> >> > to allow other organizations or individuals to offer
> >> > IAAP-approved continuing education credits for similar
> >> > career-enhancing educational opportunities.
> >> >
> >> > Types of Activities that May Qualify for Continuing Education
Credits:
> >> >
> >> > - Attending classes, workshops, webinars, and other
> >> > educational
> events
> >> > about accessibility
> >> > - Preparing or presenting educational materials about
accessibility
> >> > - Publishing articles, books, blogs, or other publications about
> >> > accessibility
> >> > - Mentoring others in accessibility
> >> > - Speaking engagements at IAAP or other approved educational
event
> >> > - Volunteer service with IAAP
> >> >
> >> > The IAAP is at the early stages of considering CEU options, so
> >> > further research and public discussion of the options is
> >> > necessary before
> >> deciding
> >> > on an official CEU policy.
> >> >
> >> > The Qualifications of the Certification Team The certification
> process at
> >> > IAAP is in good hands with our headquarters and volunteer
> >> > leadership
> >> team.
> >> > Here are abbreviated biographical sketches of some of the key
players:
> >> > *Paul Bohman, PhD, Chair of the IAAP Certification Committee* Dr.
> >> > Paul Bohman has been the Chair of the IAAP Certification
> >> > Committee since its inception and has steered the process through
> >> > the formative stages, from the initial concepts to the more
> >> > concrete proposals
> >> currently
> >> > under consideration. He is also Director of Training at Deque
> Systems, a
> >> > web accessibility software and consulting company based in the
> Washington
> >> > DC area. At Deque he has created the Deque University platform,
> >> > which
> is
> >> a
> >> > custom learning management system for teaching web accessibility,
> >> > and
> has
> >> > personally created or overseen the creation of a complete web
> >> accessibility
> >> > curriculum of online self-paced courses. He also travels
> >> > frequently to provide instructor-led training on web accessibility
to clients.
> >> >
> >> > His doctoral dissertation
> >> > <
> >> >
> >>
> http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article#64&;context
> =etd
> >> > >
> >> > investigated web accessibility in the higher education curriculum
> >> > in
> >> three
> >> > different countries, and his doctoral studies included extensive
> training
> >> > in research design, assessment design and evaluation, statistics,
> >> learning
> >> > and instructional theory, psychology, sociology, and social justice.
> >> > Previously Dr. Bohman taught web accessibility at George Mason
> >> University,
> >> > participated in the creation of the Web Content Accessibility
> Guidelines
> >> > 2.0, and was a founding member of WebAIM with Cyndi Rowland. At
> WebAIM,
> >> Dr.
> >> > Bohman created a full web accessibility curriculum (at that time
> based on
> >> > WCAG 1.0), some of which is still available on the WebAIM site.
> >> > He
> also
> >> > created the WebAIM listserv, which continues to be one of the
> >> > most
> active
> >> > groups on the internet for discussing web accessibility.
> >> > *Christine Murphy Peck, IAAP CEO* Christine Murphy Peck is the
> >> > CEO of the IAAP. She holds 29 years of experience in nonprofit
> >> > management, certification management,
> education
> >> > strategy development, corporate education and facilitation and
> strategic
> >> > planning. Peck currently leads the SmithBucklin Washington, D.C.
> >> > team responsible for implementing educational strategy, program
> >> > design and delivery, eLearning, certification and accreditation,
> >> > with a focus on outcomes and client growth.
> >> >
> >> > Previously, Peck founded Peck Performance Group, a consulting
> >> > practice serving clients in the areas of education, training and
> >> > organizational development, and served as president and chief
> >> > learning officer. She
> >> served
> >> > for seven years as the director of education and learning of the
U.S.
> >> > Tennis Association, where she established a full-service
> >> > educational
> >> center
> >> > providing professional development and educational resources to
> >> > staff
> and
> >> > volunteers in more than 1,000 community-based organizations. She
> >> > has
> >> worked
> >> > extensively with nonprofit organizations, including start-ups and
> >> > turnarounds, helping these organizations develop to their full
> potential
> >> > while managing multiple projects with combined budgets of more
> >> > than
> $20
> >> > million.
> >> > *Dr. Reed Castle* IAAP's partners with Professional Testing Inc.
> >> > an independent testing company that provides assistance with exam
> >> development,
> >> > administration, and scoring. Professional Testing develops,
> administers,
> >> > and maintains licensure and certification examination programs.
> >> > Professional Testing staff guide the exam development activities
> >> > and
> have
> >> > extensive psychometric and test development experience.
> >> >
> >> > Dr. Reed Castle is the leads the exam development activities from
> >> > Professional Testing. Dr. Castle has over 25 years of experience
> >> > in psychometrics and exam development and has assisted with
> >> > development
> in
> >> > with a multitude of examinations over his career. In his current
> >> capacity,
> >> > he oversees and provides consultation to a variety of clients by
> >> directing
> >> > psychometric services with respect to credentialing examinations
> >> > and providing NCCA and ANSI/ISO 17024 accreditation assistance.
> >> > He
> >> successfully
> >> > evaluates client needs to implement best management practices Dr.
> Castle
> >> > has his PhD in Quantitative and Qualitative Methods with an
> >> > emphasis
> in
> >> > Measurement, Statistics, and Research Design from the University
> >> > of Nebraska-Lincoln, a Masters in Educational and Counseling
> >> > Psychology
> with
> >> > an emphasis in Measurement and Statistics from the University of
> >> > Missouri-Columbia and a Bachelors in Psychology from University
> >> > of Missouri-Columbia.
> >> > *The Certification Committee* The Certification Committee is the
> >> governing
> >> > body of the professional certification program. Their mission is
> >> > to
> >> assure
> >> > a comprehensive level of knowledge through certification in the
> >> > accessibility profession. The Certification Committee is
> >> > responsible
> for
> >> > establishing the policies and procedures that guide the
> >> > professional certification program.
> >> >
> >> > The Certification Committee is comprised of experts from across
> >> > the accessibility industry. The Committee represents multiple
> >> > areas of accessibility to ensure that all interests are represented.
> >> >
> >> > The Certification Committee consists of the following individuals:
> >> >
> >> > Paul Bohman, PhD, Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc.
> >> > (Chair) Arlington, Virginia, USA
> >> >
> >> > Katie Haritos Shea, Senior Accessibility Subject Matter Expert
> >> > (WCAG/Section 508/ADA/AODA) Oakton, Virginia, USA
> >> >
> >> > Allen Hoffman, Office of Accessible Systems & Technology,
> >> > Department
> of
> >> > Homeland Security Washington, DC, USA
> >> >
> >> > Jay Cardinali, Worldwide Accessibility Manager, Walt Disney Parks
> >> > and Resorts Orlando, Florida, USA
> >> >
> >> > Ken Nakata, Director, Accessibility Consulting Practice,
> >> > Cryptzone Seattle, Washington, USA
> >> >
> >> > Robert Pearson, Accessiblity Officer, Accessible Media Inc. (AMI)
> >> > Toronto, Ontario, Canada
> >> >
> >> > Valorie Sundby, Web Accessibility Specialist, Self, Modis - 5280
> >> Solutions
> >> > Littleton, Colorado, USA
> >> >
> >> > Nigel Lewis, CEO, AbilityNet
> >> > London, United Kingdom
> >> >
> >> > David MacDonald, President, CanAdapt Solutions Inc.
> >> > Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
> >> >
> >> > Cristopher Broyles, Director of Digital Accessibility/Chief
> Accessibility
> >> > Officer, Perkins School for the Blind Boston, Massachussetts, USA
> >> >
> >> > Christian Vinten-Johansen, IT Manager, Pennsylvania State
> >> > University State College, Pennsylvania, USA
> >> >
> >> > Kevin Prince, IT Accessibility Consultant, Access1in5
> >> > Christchurch, New Zealand
> >> >
> >> > JoAnne Juett, Integration Specialist, HighPoint Global
> >> > Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
> >> >
> >> > Paul Bohman, PhD
> >> > Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc 703-225-0380, ext.121
> >> > https://DequeUniversity.com
> >> > > >> > > >> > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> >> > > >> > <javascript:;>
> <javascript:;>
> >> >
> >> > >> > >> archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> >> > >> <javascript:;>
> >>
> > > > > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > >
>
>
> --
>
> Karl Groves
> www.karlgroves.com
> @karlgroves
> http://www.linkedin.com/in/karlgroves
> Phone: +1 410.541.6829
>
> Modern Web Toolsets and Accessibility
> Modern Web Toolsets & The Next Generation of Accessibility Testing
> Tools <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uq6Db47-Ks>
>
> www.tenon.io
> > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> >


--

Paul Bohman, PhD
Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc 703-225-0380, ext.121
https://DequeUniversity.com http://webaim.org/discussion/archives

From: Paul Bohman
Date: Fri, Sep 11 2015 3:19PM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

Thanks for your question Dave. You do actually fit the description of who
should be certified. Here's what I said:

"Our target audience is designers, developers, and engineers (and the
people who manage them, or who test the quality of their output)."

You would fit into the last part of what I said: "people who... test the
quality of their output." In other words, people who test web sites for
accessibility are very much in the target audience because they are testing
the quality of the output created by designers, developers, and engineers.




Paul Bohman, PhD
Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
703-225-0380, ext.121
https://DequeUniversity.com


On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 4:30 PM, Dave Bahr < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> Hi there,
>
> I guess I'm a little confused. I had joined the IAAP in hopes of
> understanding more about certification and it's ongoing progress. However,
> I
> was under the impression that it was being designed for people such as
> myself who are totally blind and interested in testing websites/software
> for
> accessibility. According to your description below, this is not to be the
> case? This begs the question, if I wantto be certified as some sort of
> accessibility specialist who has a disability, where would I look?that's
> why
> I posted what I did on the community foruma few weeks back.I feel like I
> have the passion and some of the knowledge necessary for understanding
> accessibility, but I will be the first to admit that I need help in
> acquiring more skills and suitable credentials. so… Where do I go and what
> do I do?
> Thanks, Dave
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf
> Of Paul Bohman
> Sent: 09/11/2015 05:42 AM
> To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] IAAP Certification Update
>
> I appreciate the feedback, Karl, and I know where you're coming from on
> that point. Starting a professional organization is not an easy process,
> and
> most of the work is done by volunteers who don't always have the bandwidth
> to both contribute to our committees and do all of the PR and marketing
> work, so it's usually more of an issue of time than anything else. I do
> this
> work after hours, on top of an already extremely busy work schedule.
>
> That said, I fully agree that we need to make more of an effort to be more
> transparent, and I agree that we need to reach wider audiences. I posted
> this update on a few lists with those purposes in mind, and I will continue
> to reach out to different advocacy groups, consumer groups, and others.
> It's a necessary part of our mission.
>
>
>
> On Friday, September 11, 2015, Karl Groves < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
> > "The survey has been distributed primarily to IAAP members up to this
> > point, because that is the target audience,"
> >
> > As an organization whose stated purpose is to grow the profession,
> > that seems to contradict its mission.
> >
> > Since even before its creation, IAAP has had the appearance of being a
> > pay-to-play organization.
> >
> > I'll go ahead and state this publicly: I have no intention to ever
> > participate in anything IAAP does until it becomes significantly more
> > transparent, until *all* members have a greater say in how it
> > operates, and until they become more active in growing the profession.
> >
> > On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 11:33 PM, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> > <javascript:;>> wrote:
> > > Ron,
> > >
> > > Thanks for providing some feedback.
> > >
> > > The IAAP certification credentials are aimed at people who create
> > > and design accessible virtual and real environments. This includes
> > > things in the IT space -- like web sites, software, documents,
> > > multimedia, etc. -- and can include things in the physical space
> > > like consumer and industrial products, transportation systems,
> > > architecture, etc. Our target audience
> > is
> > > designers, developers, and engineers (and the people who manage
> > > them, or who test the quality of their output).
> > >
> > > Our target audience is not the service sector of AT professionals
> > > who
> > work
> > > directly with people with disabilities. In fact, many of the people
> > > who would receive IAAP credentials will not work with people with
> > disabilities
> > > at all. They will instead be designing environments -- virtual or
> > physical
> > > -- that people of all kinds will access, including those with
> > disabilities.
> > > The goal of an accessibility professional in this context is to
> > > create environments that are universally accessible to the broadest
> > > range of people possible.
> > >
> > > We expect the IAAP credentials to be useful in private industry,
> > > government, higher education, and any context that employs
> > > designers, developers, or engineers.
> > >
> > > So the audience for IAAP is not the same audience as for RESNA or
> > > any
> > other
> > > group of assistive technology professionals. There is some overlap,
> > > but
> > not
> > > as much as it may seem on the surface.
> > >
> > > The survey has been distributed primarily to IAAP members up to this
> > point,
> > > because that is the target audience, but we welcome input from
> > > accessibility professionals who may not be IAAP members. The survey
> > > is still open, by the way, so feel free to contribute your responses.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Paul Bohman, PhD
> > > Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc 703-225-0380, ext.121
> > > https://DequeUniversity.com
> > >
> > >
> > > On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 2:39 PM, Ron < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> > <javascript:;>> wrote:
> > >
> > >> Paul if you solicited feedback from the stakeholder communities why
> > >> is
> > it
> > >> that none of the leaders in the Higher Ed AT community that I have
> > >> contacted ever saw this survey? I think what you all are doing is
> > >> great
> > for
> > >> the vendor and government community. But trying to extend it beyond
> > those
> > >> groups will be very problematic.
> > >>
> > >> ATHEN was never included in the effort at all nor was AHEAD as far
> > >> as I have been able to ascertain. So I find it somewhat
> > >> disingenuous to try and develop a certification process that in all
> > >> likelyhood will be
> > totally
> > >> irrelevant in the IHE AT service provider space. Sounds like the
> > >> RESNA
> > ATP
> > >> all over again.
> > >>
> > >> Ron Stewart
> > >>
> > >> On Wednesday, September 9, 2015, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> > <javascript:;>>
> > >> wrote:
> > >>
> > >> > I'm the Chair of the Certification Committee at the IAAP
> > (International
> > >> > Association of Accessibility Professionals). We've recently
> > >> > updated
> > the
> > >> > page about certification on the IAAP website to explain where we
> > >> > are
> > in
> > >> the
> > >> > process (
> > >> http://www.accessibilityassociation.org/content.asp?contentid28
> > >> > )
> > >> > I've also included the full text below. I welcome any comments or
> > >> > questions.
> > >> > IAAP Certification The International Association of Accessibility
> > >> > Professionals (IAAP) will begin offering professional
> > >> > certification in 2016.
> > >> > Where We Are Now in the Process? Currently, the Job Task Analysis
> > >> > validation survey has been distributed to the accessibility
> community.
> > >> The
> > >> > validation survey is used to define the core competencies of
> > >> > those
> > >> working
> > >> > at an entry level in the accessibility industry. The validation
> > survey is
> > >> > the foundation for the exam content outline (or blueprint) that
> > >> > will
> > >> serve
> > >> > as the basis for all exam content.
> > >> >
> > >> > Once the survey results have been finalized, the exam content
> > >> > outline
> > >> will
> > >> > be made publically available on the IAAP website.
> > >> >
> > >> > All accessibility professionals are encouraged to complete the
> > validation
> > >> > survey which can be accessed at
> > >> > https://accessibilityassociation.formstack.com/forms/iaap_2015_ja
> > >> > The Process of Creating a Professional Certification Professional
> > Testing
> > >> > (IAAP's exam development partner) outlines the critical steps
> > necessary
> > >> to
> > >> > develop a valid and reliable examination.
> > >> >
> > >> > Access the full certification process outline <
> > >> >
> > >>
> > http://iaap.membershipsoftware.org/files/Exam%20Development%20and%20Pr
> > ocedures%20Guidelines.pdf
> > >> > >
> > >> > .
> > >> > Goals of the Certification Program The IAAP certification program
> > aspires
> > >> > to the following goals for accessibility certification:
> > >> >
> > >> > - To define what accessibility professionals are expected to
> know.
> > >> > - To increase the quality and consistency of the work performed
> by
> > >> > accessibility professionals.
> > >> > - To provide accessibility professionals with a credential as
> > evidence
> > >> > of their commitment to the accessibility field, and of their
> > >> competence
> > >> > within the field.
> > >> > - To provide employers, the accessibility community and the
> > >> > public
> > >> with
> > >> > a metric to measure and assess the accessibility competence of
> > current
> > >> > and/or prospective employees.
> > >> > - To provide colleges, universities, and vocational programs
> > >> > with
> > >> clear
> > >> > educational outcomes and a curriculum outline for teaching
> > >> > accessibility.
> > >> > - To strengthen the community of practice among accessibility
> > >> > professionals.
> > >> >
> > >> > The Structure and Scope of the IAAP Certification Program The
> > >> > IAAP
> > will
> > >> > offer two levels of certification: an associate level credential,
> > >> > and subsequent professional level credentials. Associate Level
> > >> >
> > >> > - *Foundation Level*: The Associate level credential is the
> > >> > entry
> > >> level
> > >> > credential. It is the foundation upon which the Professional
> level
> > >> > certifications build.
> > >> > - *Broad and Conceptual*: This level covers a broad range of
> topics
> > >> > within accessibility, and the exam will be rigorous, but the
> > >> > exam questions
> > >> > will be mostly conceptual in nature, rather than technical.
> > >> >
> > >> > Professional Level
> > >> >
> > >> > - *Technical Detail*: Certifying at the professional level
> requires
> > >> > detailed technical knowledge of the domain. For example,
> > accessibility
> > >> > professionals are expected to evaluate the accessibility of
> > existing
> > >> > content or objects according to published technical standards and
> > >> > guidelines, and provide detailed remediation recommendations.
> > >> > They
> > are
> > >> > expected to know and use the relevant technologies, not merely
> > >> > be
> > >> aware
> > >> > of
> > >> > them.
> > >> > - *Multiple Professional Level Credentials*: The IAAP was
> > conceived as
> > >> > an organization for all accessibility professionals across a
> > >> > wide
> > >> range
> > >> > of
> > >> > accessibility domains, such as accessibility of the web,
> software,
> > >> > multimedia, documents, consumer products, industrial design,
> > >> > transportation, architecture and the built environment, etc.
> > >> > The
> > IAAP
> > >> > will
> > >> > develop multiple professional level certification exams for
> > multiple
> > >> > accessibility domains, depending on market demand.
> > >> > - *Focus First on Web Accessibility*: The first Professional
> > >> > level
> > >> IAAP
> > >> > credential will focus on web accessibility.
> > >> >
> > >> > Certified Accessibility Associate (CAA) The Certified
> > >> > Accessibility Associate (CAA) credential is IAAP's foundational
> > >> > certification, representing the practical application of broad,
> > >> > cross-disciplinary conceptual knowledge about 1) disabilities, 2)
> > >> > accessibility and
> > >> universal
> > >> > design, and 3) accessibility-related standards, laws, and
> > >> > management strategies.
> > >> >
> > >> > Relevant domains for the CAA credential include the web and other
> > digital
> > >> > technologies, architecture and the built environment, consumer
> > >> > and industrial design, transportation systems, and any domain in
> > >> > which thoughtful design, policy, and management can improve
> > >> > disability
> > access.
> > >> >
> > >> > The CAA is the ideal credential for those who manage and support
> > >> > accessibility, but who may not personally design, implement, or
> > evaluate
> > >> > the technical details of accessible solutions. For those who do
> > >> > work
> > at
> > >> the
> > >> > technical level, IAAP will be working to create domain-specific
> > >> > professional credentials which build on the associate-level
> > credential.
> > >> The
> > >> > first professional level he IAAP is actively developing is the
> > Certified
> > >> > Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA). The IAAP will add other
> > >> technical
> > >> > professional certification credentials in other domains in
> > >> > accordance
> > >> with
> > >> > market and professional demand.
> > >> > Nature of the Certification Examination The IAAP wants
> > >> > accessibility professionals – and the employers who hire them –
> > >> > to recognize the
> > value
> > >> of
> > >> > IAAP credentials as a valid benchmark of a person's accessibility
> > >> knowledge
> > >> > and skills. To meet this goal, the IAAP will work closely with
> > >> > accessibility professionals and assessment professionals to
> > >> > design the exams and test their reliability and validity. The
> > >> > IAAP will monitor
> > the
> > >> > outcomes and continually assess the effectiveness of the exams to
> > ensure
> > >> > the trustworthiness of all IAAP credentials.
> > >> >
> > >> > The exact nature and format of the test is to be determined. At
> > >> > this
> > >> point,
> > >> > the IAAP anticipates that many questions will likely be in a
> > >> > format amenable to automated scoring, but some questions –
> > >> > especially at the professional level – may be more open-ended to
> > >> > allow for more nuanced, performance-based assessments of actual
> skills.
> > >> > Who Should Take the Associate Level Examination? The
> > >> > associate-level credential is intended for accessibility
> > >> > professionals, for those who manage accessibility outcomes, and
> > >> > for anyone who plays a key role in ensuring that the digital and
> > >> > physical worlds are accessible to people
> > >> with
> > >> > disabilities including:
> > >> >
> > >> > - Accessibility professionals in any field (e.g. web design,
> > software
> > >> > engineering, hardware engineering, consumer and industrial
> > >> > product design,
> > >> > transportation, architecture and the built environment,
> educational
> > >> > accommodations, etc.), whose job requires in-depth
> > >> > accessibility expertise.
> > >> > Accessibility professionals should also consider IAAP
> > >> professional-level
> > >> > certification, if available for their area of expertise.*
> > >> > - Project, program, or portfolio managers and executive leaders
> > >> > overseeing initiatives or organizations that focus on
> > accessibility,
> > >> or
> > >> > which include accessibility as a key component.
> > >> > - Anyone whose job requires accessibility awareness or
> > >> > competence
> > >> (e.g.
> > >> > technology professionals in diverse specializations,
> > >> > architects and urban
> > >> > planners, international development professionals, disability
> > rights
> > >> > activists, lawmakers and legal counsel, media producers,
> > >> > recreation
> > >> and
> > >> > hospitality providers, teachers and professors, health care
> > providers,
> > >> > emergency response coordinators, salespeople and support staff at
> > >> > accessibility consulting companies, etc.).
> > >> >
> > >> > *Note: The associate-level certification is the terminal (final)
> > >> > IAAP credential for all careers except those for which a
> > >> > professional-level
> > >> IAAP
> > >> > credential exists. Currently the only professional-level
> > >> > certification under development by the IAAP is for web
> > >> > accessibility. The IAAP will consider developing other specialized
> credentials in the future.
> > >> > When Will IAAP Offer the First Certification Examination?
> > >> > Registration
> > >> for
> > >> > the associate level certification will be offered in the first
> > quarter of
> > >> > 2016. The timeline for other professional level certifications is
> > still
> > >> to
> > >> > be determined.
> > >> > How Much Will the CAA Certification Examination Cost? The exam
> > >> > will be
> > >> $325
> > >> > for members; $425 for non-members. We will also offer an emerging
> > country
> > >> > rate at $150.
> > >> > What Content Will the CAA Certification Examination Include?
> > >> > While the
> > >> exam
> > >> > blueprint is still in development, the chart below outlines the
> > >> anticipated
> > >> > exam content.
> > >> >
> > >> > Anticipated Exam Content Topic Sub-Topic Disabilities Theoretical
> > Models
> > >> of
> > >> > Disability Types of Disabilities, Challenges, and Assistive
> > >> > Technologies Disability Demographics Disability Etiquette
> > >> > Accessibility and Universal Design Individual Accommodations
> > >> > versus Inclusive Design Benefits of Accessibility Accessibility
> > >> > Principles (WCAG 2.0) The Principles of Universal Design 2.0
> > >> > Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Usability and User Experience
> > >> > (UX)
> > Standards,
> > >> > Laws, and Management Strategies International Conventions and
> > >> > Treaties Accessibility Standards and Regulations National and
> > >> > Regional Laws Systematic Organizational Governance and Management
> > >> > Preparing for the CAA Certification Examination Certification
> > Preparation
> > >> > Training The certification will be competency-based, which means
> > >> > that
> > the
> > >> > IAAP will not require the completion of any kind of training.
> > Successful
> > >> > certification will depend on one's score on the certification exam.
> > >> > Certificants will be able to study on their own, based on the
> > >> > content
> > in
> > >> > the Body of Knowledge document, or they can take certification
> > >> preparation
> > >> > courses if they choose.
> > >> >
> > >> > The IAAP does not currently offer an "official" IAAP
> > >> > certification preparation training curriculum. The plan is to
> > >> > leverage the existing third-party resources and services already
> > >> > in the market. Nearly all accessibility companies and consultants
> > >> > provide accessibility
> > training as
> > >> > part of their business model, and information is available online
> > >> > in
> > both
> > >> > free and paid formats. The IAAP will publish a list of vetted
> > >> certification
> > >> > training providers for the benefit of those seeking exam
> > >> > preparation training.
> > >> > Maintaining Certification IAAP certification is valid for 3 years.
> > Every
> > >> > three years, certificants will be required to
> > >> >
> > >> > - Complete a certain number of continuing education credits (to
> be
> > >> > determined) a portion of which must be offered or approved by
> IAAP
> > >> > - Submit an application for certification renewal.
> > >> >
> > >> > Individuals do not need to retake any of the exams to maintain
> > >> > their certification unless they allow their certification to lapse.
> > >> >
> > >> > As technologies and professional expectations evolve, these
> > >> > renewal requirements are subject to change.
> > >> > Continuing Education Units (CEUs) The IAAP will offer continuing
> > >> education
> > >> > units (CEUs) for classes, workshops, webcasts, conference
> > >> > attendance,
> > and
> > >> > other similar IAAP-sponsored activities. The IAAP will implement
> > >> > a
> > >> process
> > >> > to allow other organizations or individuals to offer
> > >> > IAAP-approved continuing education credits for similar
> > >> > career-enhancing educational opportunities.
> > >> >
> > >> > Types of Activities that May Qualify for Continuing Education
> Credits:
> > >> >
> > >> > - Attending classes, workshops, webinars, and other
> > >> > educational
> > events
> > >> > about accessibility
> > >> > - Preparing or presenting educational materials about
> accessibility
> > >> > - Publishing articles, books, blogs, or other publications about
> > >> > accessibility
> > >> > - Mentoring others in accessibility
> > >> > - Speaking engagements at IAAP or other approved educational
> event
> > >> > - Volunteer service with IAAP
> > >> >
> > >> > The IAAP is at the early stages of considering CEU options, so
> > >> > further research and public discussion of the options is
> > >> > necessary before
> > >> deciding
> > >> > on an official CEU policy.
> > >> >
> > >> > The Qualifications of the Certification Team The certification
> > process at
> > >> > IAAP is in good hands with our headquarters and volunteer
> > >> > leadership
> > >> team.
> > >> > Here are abbreviated biographical sketches of some of the key
> players:
> > >> > *Paul Bohman, PhD, Chair of the IAAP Certification Committee* Dr.
> > >> > Paul Bohman has been the Chair of the IAAP Certification
> > >> > Committee since its inception and has steered the process through
> > >> > the formative stages, from the initial concepts to the more
> > >> > concrete proposals
> > >> currently
> > >> > under consideration. He is also Director of Training at Deque
> > Systems, a
> > >> > web accessibility software and consulting company based in the
> > Washington
> > >> > DC area. At Deque he has created the Deque University platform,
> > >> > which
> > is
> > >> a
> > >> > custom learning management system for teaching web accessibility,
> > >> > and
> > has
> > >> > personally created or overseen the creation of a complete web
> > >> accessibility
> > >> > curriculum of online self-paced courses. He also travels
> > >> > frequently to provide instructor-led training on web accessibility
> to clients.
> > >> >
> > >> > His doctoral dissertation
> > >> > <
> > >> >
> > >>
> > http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article#64&;context
> > =etd
> > >> > >
> > >> > investigated web accessibility in the higher education curriculum
> > >> > in
> > >> three
> > >> > different countries, and his doctoral studies included extensive
> > training
> > >> > in research design, assessment design and evaluation, statistics,
> > >> learning
> > >> > and instructional theory, psychology, sociology, and social justice.
> > >> > Previously Dr. Bohman taught web accessibility at George Mason
> > >> University,
> > >> > participated in the creation of the Web Content Accessibility
> > Guidelines
> > >> > 2.0, and was a founding member of WebAIM with Cyndi Rowland. At
> > WebAIM,
> > >> Dr.
> > >> > Bohman created a full web accessibility curriculum (at that time
> > based on
> > >> > WCAG 1.0), some of which is still available on the WebAIM site.
> > >> > He
> > also
> > >> > created the WebAIM listserv, which continues to be one of the
> > >> > most
> > active
> > >> > groups on the internet for discussing web accessibility.
> > >> > *Christine Murphy Peck, IAAP CEO* Christine Murphy Peck is the
> > >> > CEO of the IAAP. She holds 29 years of experience in nonprofit
> > >> > management, certification management,
> > education
> > >> > strategy development, corporate education and facilitation and
> > strategic
> > >> > planning. Peck currently leads the SmithBucklin Washington, D.C.
> > >> > team responsible for implementing educational strategy, program
> > >> > design and delivery, eLearning, certification and accreditation,
> > >> > with a focus on outcomes and client growth.
> > >> >
> > >> > Previously, Peck founded Peck Performance Group, a consulting
> > >> > practice serving clients in the areas of education, training and
> > >> > organizational development, and served as president and chief
> > >> > learning officer. She
> > >> served
> > >> > for seven years as the director of education and learning of the
> U.S.
> > >> > Tennis Association, where she established a full-service
> > >> > educational
> > >> center
> > >> > providing professional development and educational resources to
> > >> > staff
> > and
> > >> > volunteers in more than 1,000 community-based organizations. She
> > >> > has
> > >> worked
> > >> > extensively with nonprofit organizations, including start-ups and
> > >> > turnarounds, helping these organizations develop to their full
> > potential
> > >> > while managing multiple projects with combined budgets of more
> > >> > than
> > $20
> > >> > million.
> > >> > *Dr. Reed Castle* IAAP's partners with Professional Testing Inc.
> > >> > an independent testing company that provides assistance with exam
> > >> development,
> > >> > administration, and scoring. Professional Testing develops,
> > administers,
> > >> > and maintains licensure and certification examination programs.
> > >> > Professional Testing staff guide the exam development activities
> > >> > and
> > have
> > >> > extensive psychometric and test development experience.
> > >> >
> > >> > Dr. Reed Castle is the leads the exam development activities from
> > >> > Professional Testing. Dr. Castle has over 25 years of experience
> > >> > in psychometrics and exam development and has assisted with
> > >> > development
> > in
> > >> > with a multitude of examinations over his career. In his current
> > >> capacity,
> > >> > he oversees and provides consultation to a variety of clients by
> > >> directing
> > >> > psychometric services with respect to credentialing examinations
> > >> > and providing NCCA and ANSI/ISO 17024 accreditation assistance.
> > >> > He
> > >> successfully
> > >> > evaluates client needs to implement best management practices Dr.
> > Castle
> > >> > has his PhD in Quantitative and Qualitative Methods with an
> > >> > emphasis
> > in
> > >> > Measurement, Statistics, and Research Design from the University
> > >> > of Nebraska-Lincoln, a Masters in Educational and Counseling
> > >> > Psychology
> > with
> > >> > an emphasis in Measurement and Statistics from the University of
> > >> > Missouri-Columbia and a Bachelors in Psychology from University
> > >> > of Missouri-Columbia.
> > >> > *The Certification Committee* The Certification Committee is the
> > >> governing
> > >> > body of the professional certification program. Their mission is
> > >> > to
> > >> assure
> > >> > a comprehensive level of knowledge through certification in the
> > >> > accessibility profession. The Certification Committee is
> > >> > responsible
> > for
> > >> > establishing the policies and procedures that guide the
> > >> > professional certification program.
> > >> >
> > >> > The Certification Committee is comprised of experts from across
> > >> > the accessibility industry. The Committee represents multiple
> > >> > areas of accessibility to ensure that all interests are represented.
> > >> >
> > >> > The Certification Committee consists of the following individuals:
> > >> >
> > >> > Paul Bohman, PhD, Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc.
> > >> > (Chair) Arlington, Virginia, USA
> > >> >
> > >> > Katie Haritos Shea, Senior Accessibility Subject Matter Expert
> > >> > (WCAG/Section 508/ADA/AODA) Oakton, Virginia, USA
> > >> >
> > >> > Allen Hoffman, Office of Accessible Systems & Technology,
> > >> > Department
> > of
> > >> > Homeland Security Washington, DC, USA
> > >> >
> > >> > Jay Cardinali, Worldwide Accessibility Manager, Walt Disney Parks
> > >> > and Resorts Orlando, Florida, USA
> > >> >
> > >> > Ken Nakata, Director, Accessibility Consulting Practice,
> > >> > Cryptzone Seattle, Washington, USA
> > >> >
> > >> > Robert Pearson, Accessiblity Officer, Accessible Media Inc. (AMI)
> > >> > Toronto, Ontario, Canada
> > >> >
> > >> > Valorie Sundby, Web Accessibility Specialist, Self, Modis - 5280
> > >> Solutions
> > >> > Littleton, Colorado, USA
> > >> >
> > >> > Nigel Lewis, CEO, AbilityNet
> > >> > London, United Kingdom
> > >> >
> > >> > David MacDonald, President, CanAdapt Solutions Inc.
> > >> > Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
> > >> >
> > >> > Cristopher Broyles, Director of Digital Accessibility/Chief
> > Accessibility
> > >> > Officer, Perkins School for the Blind Boston, Massachussetts, USA
> > >> >
> > >> > Christian Vinten-Johansen, IT Manager, Pennsylvania State
> > >> > University State College, Pennsylvania, USA
> > >> >
> > >> > Kevin Prince, IT Accessibility Consultant, Access1in5
> > >> > Christchurch, New Zealand
> > >> >
> > >> > JoAnne Juett, Integration Specialist, HighPoint Global
> > >> > Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
> > >> >
> > >> > Paul Bohman, PhD
> > >> > Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc 703-225-0380, ext.121
> > >> > https://DequeUniversity.com
> > >> > > > >> > > > >> > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > >> > > > >> > <javascript:;>
> > <javascript:;>
> > >> >
> > >> > > >> > > >> archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > >> > > >> <javascript:;>
> > >>
> > > > > > > > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > > >
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> > Karl Groves
> > www.karlgroves.com
> > @karlgroves
> > http://www.linkedin.com/in/karlgroves
> > Phone: +1 410.541.6829
> >
> > Modern Web Toolsets and Accessibility
> > Modern Web Toolsets & The Next Generation of Accessibility Testing
> > Tools <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uq6Db47-Ks>
> >
> > www.tenon.io
> > > > > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > >
>
>
> --
>
> Paul Bohman, PhD
> Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc 703-225-0380, ext.121
> https://DequeUniversity.com
> > > at
> http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > > > >

From: Ron
Date: Fri, Sep 11 2015 3:46PM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

I think part of the issue here is who the actual target audience is, it has
never been clearly communicated. Paul's responses helped me to develop
context, but my concern is that his understanding may not be universal
throughout the organization. I recently received an email from one of your
members that told me that the IAAP would solve a 15 year old issue. BS I
know better.

Both I and Gregg Vanderheiden brought this up early on in the development
of the IAAP. Claims have been continually made about the IHE space was
included In the development of the organization but that was never a
reality. In fact if I remember right we both recommended at CSUN that you
do not do this.

Also suspect is the organization you have chosen to align yourself, ATIA
has never had a good track record and now we find that they are now
reinventing themselves to be the IAAP. They are now your backend but their
track record has been proven to be more self serving than anything else.

Just some thoughts, you want credibility align youselves with trusted
organizations, do not try to reinvent yourself to to be something you do
not have the capacity to be. Be clear about what you are about, and do not
think the pay to play model will get you any traction in the real world.

I do not intend to be harsh, but I am tired of getting several emails a
week about the IAAP and how they are going to solve the problems in this
space. True progress will only be made if we work together,

Ron Stewart

On Friday, September 11, 2015, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> Thanks for your question Dave. You do actually fit the description of who
> should be certified. Here's what I said:
>
> "Our target audience is designers, developers, and engineers (and the
> people who manage them, or who test the quality of their output)."
>
> You would fit into the last part of what I said: "people who... test the
> quality of their output." In other words, people who test web sites for
> accessibility are very much in the target audience because they are testing
> the quality of the output created by designers, developers, and engineers.
>
>
>
>
> Paul Bohman, PhD
> Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
> 703-225-0380, ext.121
> https://DequeUniversity.com
>
>
> On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 4:30 PM, Dave Bahr < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
>
> > Hi there,
> >
> > I guess I'm a little confused. I had joined the IAAP in hopes of
> > understanding more about certification and it's ongoing progress.
> However,
> > I
> > was under the impression that it was being designed for people such as
> > myself who are totally blind and interested in testing websites/software
> > for
> > accessibility. According to your description below, this is not to be the
> > case? This begs the question, if I wantto be certified as some sort of
> > accessibility specialist who has a disability, where would I look?that's
> > why
> > I posted what I did on the community foruma few weeks back.I feel like I
> > have the passion and some of the knowledge necessary for understanding
> > accessibility, but I will be the first to admit that I need help in
> > acquiring more skills and suitable credentials. so… Where do I go and
> what
> > do I do?
> > Thanks, Dave
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <javascript:;>] On Behalf
> > Of Paul Bohman
> > Sent: 09/11/2015 05:42 AM
> > To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <javascript:;>>
> > Subject: Re: [WebAIM] IAAP Certification Update
> >
> > I appreciate the feedback, Karl, and I know where you're coming from on
> > that point. Starting a professional organization is not an easy process,
> > and
> > most of the work is done by volunteers who don't always have the
> bandwidth
> > to both contribute to our committees and do all of the PR and marketing
> > work, so it's usually more of an issue of time than anything else. I do
> > this
> > work after hours, on top of an already extremely busy work schedule.
> >
> > That said, I fully agree that we need to make more of an effort to be
> more
> > transparent, and I agree that we need to reach wider audiences. I posted
> > this update on a few lists with those purposes in mind, and I will
> continue
> > to reach out to different advocacy groups, consumer groups, and others.
> > It's a necessary part of our mission.
> >
> >
> >
> > On Friday, September 11, 2015, Karl Groves < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >
> > > "The survey has been distributed primarily to IAAP members up to this
> > > point, because that is the target audience,"
> > >
> > > As an organization whose stated purpose is to grow the profession,
> > > that seems to contradict its mission.
> > >
> > > Since even before its creation, IAAP has had the appearance of being a
> > > pay-to-play organization.
> > >
> > > I'll go ahead and state this publicly: I have no intention to ever
> > > participate in anything IAAP does until it becomes significantly more
> > > transparent, until *all* members have a greater say in how it
> > > operates, and until they become more active in growing the profession.
> > >
> > > On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 11:33 PM, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <javascript:;>
> > > <javascript:;>> wrote:
> > > > Ron,
> > > >
> > > > Thanks for providing some feedback.
> > > >
> > > > The IAAP certification credentials are aimed at people who create
> > > > and design accessible virtual and real environments. This includes
> > > > things in the IT space -- like web sites, software, documents,
> > > > multimedia, etc. -- and can include things in the physical space
> > > > like consumer and industrial products, transportation systems,
> > > > architecture, etc. Our target audience
> > > is
> > > > designers, developers, and engineers (and the people who manage
> > > > them, or who test the quality of their output).
> > > >
> > > > Our target audience is not the service sector of AT professionals
> > > > who
> > > work
> > > > directly with people with disabilities. In fact, many of the people
> > > > who would receive IAAP credentials will not work with people with
> > > disabilities
> > > > at all. They will instead be designing environments -- virtual or
> > > physical
> > > > -- that people of all kinds will access, including those with
> > > disabilities.
> > > > The goal of an accessibility professional in this context is to
> > > > create environments that are universally accessible to the broadest
> > > > range of people possible.
> > > >
> > > > We expect the IAAP credentials to be useful in private industry,
> > > > government, higher education, and any context that employs
> > > > designers, developers, or engineers.
> > > >
> > > > So the audience for IAAP is not the same audience as for RESNA or
> > > > any
> > > other
> > > > group of assistive technology professionals. There is some overlap,
> > > > but
> > > not
> > > > as much as it may seem on the surface.
> > > >
> > > > The survey has been distributed primarily to IAAP members up to this
> > > point,
> > > > because that is the target audience, but we welcome input from
> > > > accessibility professionals who may not be IAAP members. The survey
> > > > is still open, by the way, so feel free to contribute your responses.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Paul Bohman, PhD
> > > > Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc 703-225-0380, ext.121
> > > > https://DequeUniversity.com
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 2:39 PM, Ron < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <javascript:;>
> > > <javascript:;>> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >> Paul if you solicited feedback from the stakeholder communities why
> > > >> is
> > > it
> > > >> that none of the leaders in the Higher Ed AT community that I have
> > > >> contacted ever saw this survey? I think what you all are doing is
> > > >> great
> > > for
> > > >> the vendor and government community. But trying to extend it beyond
> > > those
> > > >> groups will be very problematic.
> > > >>
> > > >> ATHEN was never included in the effort at all nor was AHEAD as far
> > > >> as I have been able to ascertain. So I find it somewhat
> > > >> disingenuous to try and develop a certification process that in all
> > > >> likelyhood will be
> > > totally
> > > >> irrelevant in the IHE AT service provider space. Sounds like the
> > > >> RESNA
> > > ATP
> > > >> all over again.
> > > >>
> > > >> Ron Stewart
> > > >>
> > > >> On Wednesday, September 9, 2015, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <javascript:;>
> > > <javascript:;>>
> > > >> wrote:
> > > >>
> > > >> > I'm the Chair of the Certification Committee at the IAAP
> > > (International
> > > >> > Association of Accessibility Professionals). We've recently
> > > >> > updated
> > > the
> > > >> > page about certification on the IAAP website to explain where we
> > > >> > are
> > > in
> > > >> the
> > > >> > process (
> > > >> http://www.accessibilityassociation.org/content.asp?contentid28
> > > >> > )
> > > >> > I've also included the full text below. I welcome any comments or
> > > >> > questions.
> > > >> > IAAP Certification The International Association of Accessibility
> > > >> > Professionals (IAAP) will begin offering professional
> > > >> > certification in 2016.
> > > >> > Where We Are Now in the Process? Currently, the Job Task Analysis
> > > >> > validation survey has been distributed to the accessibility
> > community.
> > > >> The
> > > >> > validation survey is used to define the core competencies of
> > > >> > those
> > > >> working
> > > >> > at an entry level in the accessibility industry. The validation
> > > survey is
> > > >> > the foundation for the exam content outline (or blueprint) that
> > > >> > will
> > > >> serve
> > > >> > as the basis for all exam content.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Once the survey results have been finalized, the exam content
> > > >> > outline
> > > >> will
> > > >> > be made publically available on the IAAP website.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > All accessibility professionals are encouraged to complete the
> > > validation
> > > >> > survey which can be accessed at
> > > >> > https://accessibilityassociation.formstack.com/forms/iaap_2015_ja
> > > >> > The Process of Creating a Professional Certification Professional
> > > Testing
> > > >> > (IAAP's exam development partner) outlines the critical steps
> > > necessary
> > > >> to
> > > >> > develop a valid and reliable examination.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Access the full certification process outline <
> > > >> >
> > > >>
> > > http://iaap.membershipsoftware.org/files/Exam%20Development%20and%20Pr
> > > ocedures%20Guidelines.pdf
> > > >> > >
> > > >> > .
> > > >> > Goals of the Certification Program The IAAP certification program
> > > aspires
> > > >> > to the following goals for accessibility certification:
> > > >> >
> > > >> > - To define what accessibility professionals are expected to
> > know.
> > > >> > - To increase the quality and consistency of the work performed
> > by
> > > >> > accessibility professionals.
> > > >> > - To provide accessibility professionals with a credential as
> > > evidence
> > > >> > of their commitment to the accessibility field, and of their
> > > >> competence
> > > >> > within the field.
> > > >> > - To provide employers, the accessibility community and the
> > > >> > public
> > > >> with
> > > >> > a metric to measure and assess the accessibility competence of
> > > current
> > > >> > and/or prospective employees.
> > > >> > - To provide colleges, universities, and vocational programs
> > > >> > with
> > > >> clear
> > > >> > educational outcomes and a curriculum outline for teaching
> > > >> > accessibility.
> > > >> > - To strengthen the community of practice among accessibility
> > > >> > professionals.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > The Structure and Scope of the IAAP Certification Program The
> > > >> > IAAP
> > > will
> > > >> > offer two levels of certification: an associate level credential,
> > > >> > and subsequent professional level credentials. Associate Level
> > > >> >
> > > >> > - *Foundation Level*: The Associate level credential is the
> > > >> > entry
> > > >> level
> > > >> > credential. It is the foundation upon which the Professional
> > level
> > > >> > certifications build.
> > > >> > - *Broad and Conceptual*: This level covers a broad range of
> > topics
> > > >> > within accessibility, and the exam will be rigorous, but the
> > > >> > exam questions
> > > >> > will be mostly conceptual in nature, rather than technical.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Professional Level
> > > >> >
> > > >> > - *Technical Detail*: Certifying at the professional level
> > requires
> > > >> > detailed technical knowledge of the domain. For example,
> > > accessibility
> > > >> > professionals are expected to evaluate the accessibility of
> > > existing
> > > >> > content or objects according to published technical standards
> and
> > > >> > guidelines, and provide detailed remediation recommendations.
> > > >> > They
> > > are
> > > >> > expected to know and use the relevant technologies, not merely
> > > >> > be
> > > >> aware
> > > >> > of
> > > >> > them.
> > > >> > - *Multiple Professional Level Credentials*: The IAAP was
> > > conceived as
> > > >> > an organization for all accessibility professionals across a
> > > >> > wide
> > > >> range
> > > >> > of
> > > >> > accessibility domains, such as accessibility of the web,
> > software,
> > > >> > multimedia, documents, consumer products, industrial design,
> > > >> > transportation, architecture and the built environment, etc.
> > > >> > The
> > > IAAP
> > > >> > will
> > > >> > develop multiple professional level certification exams for
> > > multiple
> > > >> > accessibility domains, depending on market demand.
> > > >> > - *Focus First on Web Accessibility*: The first Professional
> > > >> > level
> > > >> IAAP
> > > >> > credential will focus on web accessibility.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Certified Accessibility Associate (CAA) The Certified
> > > >> > Accessibility Associate (CAA) credential is IAAP's foundational
> > > >> > certification, representing the practical application of broad,
> > > >> > cross-disciplinary conceptual knowledge about 1) disabilities, 2)
> > > >> > accessibility and
> > > >> universal
> > > >> > design, and 3) accessibility-related standards, laws, and
> > > >> > management strategies.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Relevant domains for the CAA credential include the web and other
> > > digital
> > > >> > technologies, architecture and the built environment, consumer
> > > >> > and industrial design, transportation systems, and any domain in
> > > >> > which thoughtful design, policy, and management can improve
> > > >> > disability
> > > access.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > The CAA is the ideal credential for those who manage and support
> > > >> > accessibility, but who may not personally design, implement, or
> > > evaluate
> > > >> > the technical details of accessible solutions. For those who do
> > > >> > work
> > > at
> > > >> the
> > > >> > technical level, IAAP will be working to create domain-specific
> > > >> > professional credentials which build on the associate-level
> > > credential.
> > > >> The
> > > >> > first professional level he IAAP is actively developing is the
> > > Certified
> > > >> > Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA). The IAAP will add other
> > > >> technical
> > > >> > professional certification credentials in other domains in
> > > >> > accordance
> > > >> with
> > > >> > market and professional demand.
> > > >> > Nature of the Certification Examination The IAAP wants
> > > >> > accessibility professionals – and the employers who hire them –
> > > >> > to recognize the
> > > value
> > > >> of
> > > >> > IAAP credentials as a valid benchmark of a person's accessibility
> > > >> knowledge
> > > >> > and skills. To meet this goal, the IAAP will work closely with
> > > >> > accessibility professionals and assessment professionals to
> > > >> > design the exams and test their reliability and validity. The
> > > >> > IAAP will monitor
> > > the
> > > >> > outcomes and continually assess the effectiveness of the exams to
> > > ensure
> > > >> > the trustworthiness of all IAAP credentials.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > The exact nature and format of the test is to be determined. At
> > > >> > this
> > > >> point,
> > > >> > the IAAP anticipates that many questions will likely be in a
> > > >> > format amenable to automated scoring, but some questions –
> > > >> > especially at the professional level – may be more open-ended to
> > > >> > allow for more nuanced, performance-based assessments of actual
> > skills.
> > > >> > Who Should Take the Associate Level Examination? The
> > > >> > associate-level credential is intended for accessibility
> > > >> > professionals, for those who manage accessibility outcomes, and
> > > >> > for anyone who plays a key role in ensuring that the digital and
> > > >> > physical worlds are accessible to people
> > > >> with
> > > >> > disabilities including:
> > > >> >
> > > >> > - Accessibility professionals in any field (e.g. web design,
> > > software
> > > >> > engineering, hardware engineering, consumer and industrial
> > > >> > product design,
> > > >> > transportation, architecture and the built environment,
> > educational
> > > >> > accommodations, etc.), whose job requires in-depth
> > > >> > accessibility expertise.
> > > >> > Accessibility professionals should also consider IAAP
> > > >> professional-level
> > > >> > certification, if available for their area of expertise.*
> > > >> > - Project, program, or portfolio managers and executive leaders
> > > >> > overseeing initiatives or organizations that focus on
> > > accessibility,
> > > >> or
> > > >> > which include accessibility as a key component.
> > > >> > - Anyone whose job requires accessibility awareness or
> > > >> > competence
> > > >> (e.g.
> > > >> > technology professionals in diverse specializations,
> > > >> > architects and urban
> > > >> > planners, international development professionals, disability
> > > rights
> > > >> > activists, lawmakers and legal counsel, media producers,
> > > >> > recreation
> > > >> and
> > > >> > hospitality providers, teachers and professors, health care
> > > providers,
> > > >> > emergency response coordinators, salespeople and support staff
> at
> > > >> > accessibility consulting companies, etc.).
> > > >> >
> > > >> > *Note: The associate-level certification is the terminal (final)
> > > >> > IAAP credential for all careers except those for which a
> > > >> > professional-level
> > > >> IAAP
> > > >> > credential exists. Currently the only professional-level
> > > >> > certification under development by the IAAP is for web
> > > >> > accessibility. The IAAP will consider developing other specialized
> > credentials in the future.
> > > >> > When Will IAAP Offer the First Certification Examination?
> > > >> > Registration
> > > >> for
> > > >> > the associate level certification will be offered in the first
> > > quarter of
> > > >> > 2016. The timeline for other professional level certifications is
> > > still
> > > >> to
> > > >> > be determined.
> > > >> > How Much Will the CAA Certification Examination Cost? The exam
> > > >> > will be
> > > >> $325
> > > >> > for members; $425 for non-members. We will also offer an emerging
> > > country
> > > >> > rate at $150.
> > > >> > What Content Will the CAA Certification Examination Include?
> > > >> > While the
> > > >> exam
> > > >> > blueprint is still in development, the chart below outlines the
> > > >> anticipated
> > > >> > exam content.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Anticipated Exam Content Topic Sub-Topic Disabilities Theoretical
> > > Models
> > > >> of
> > > >> > Disability Types of Disabilities, Challenges, and Assistive
> > > >> > Technologies Disability Demographics Disability Etiquette
> > > >> > Accessibility and Universal Design Individual Accommodations
> > > >> > versus Inclusive Design Benefits of Accessibility Accessibility
> > > >> > Principles (WCAG 2.0) The Principles of Universal Design 2.0
> > > >> > Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Usability and User Experience
> > > >> > (UX)
> > > Standards,
> > > >> > Laws, and Management Strategies International Conventions and
> > > >> > Treaties Accessibility Standards and Regulations National and
> > > >> > Regional Laws Systematic Organizational Governance and Management
> > > >> > Preparing for the CAA Certification Examination Certification
> > > Preparation
> > > >> > Training The certification will be competency-based, which means
> > > >> > that
> > > the
> > > >> > IAAP will not require the completion of any kind of training.
> > > Successful
> > > >> > certification will depend on one's score on the certification
> exam.
> > > >> > Certificants will be able to study on their own, based on the
> > > >> > content
> > > in
> > > >> > the Body of Knowledge document, or they can take certification
> > > >> preparation
> > > >> > courses if they choose.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > The IAAP does not currently offer an "official" IAAP
> > > >> > certification preparation training curriculum. The plan is to
> > > >> > leverage the existing third-party resources and services already
> > > >> > in the market. Nearly all accessibility companies and consultants
> > > >> > provide accessibility
> > > training as
> > > >> > part of their business model, and information is available online
> > > >> > in
> > > both
> > > >> > free and paid formats. The IAAP will publish a list of vetted
> > > >> certification
> > > >> > training providers for the benefit of those seeking exam
> > > >> > preparation training.
> > > >> > Maintaining Certification IAAP certification is valid for 3 years.
> > > Every
> > > >> > three years, certificants will be required to
> > > >> >
> > > >> > - Complete a certain number of continuing education credits (to
> > be
> > > >> > determined) a portion of which must be offered or approved by
> > IAAP
> > > >> > - Submit an application for certification renewal.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Individuals do not need to retake any of the exams to maintain
> > > >> > their certification unless they allow their certification to
> lapse.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > As technologies and professional expectations evolve, these
> > > >> > renewal requirements are subject to change.
> > > >> > Continuing Education Units (CEUs) The IAAP will offer continuing
> > > >> education
> > > >> > units (CEUs) for classes, workshops, webcasts, conference
> > > >> > attendance,
> > > and
> > > >> > other similar IAAP-sponsored activities. The IAAP will implement
> > > >> > a
> > > >> process
> > > >> > to allow other organizations or individuals to offer
> > > >> > IAAP-approved continuing education credits for similar
> > > >> > career-enhancing educational opportunities.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Types of Activities that May Qualify for Continuing Education
> > Credits:
> > > >> >
> > > >> > - Attending classes, workshops, webinars, and other
> > > >> > educational
> > > events
> > > >> > about accessibility
> > > >> > - Preparing or presenting educational materials about
> > accessibility
> > > >> > - Publishing articles, books, blogs, or other publications
> about
> > > >> > accessibility
> > > >> > - Mentoring others in accessibility
> > > >> > - Speaking engagements at IAAP or other approved educational
> > event
> > > >> > - Volunteer service with IAAP
> > > >> >
> > > >> > The IAAP is at the early stages of considering CEU options, so
> > > >> > further research and public discussion of the options is
> > > >> > necessary before
> > > >> deciding
> > > >> > on an official CEU policy.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > The Qualifications of the Certification Team The certification
> > > process at
> > > >> > IAAP is in good hands with our headquarters and volunteer
> > > >> > leadership
> > > >> team.
> > > >> > Here are abbreviated biographical sketches of some of the key
> > players:
> > > >> > *Paul Bohman, PhD, Chair of the IAAP Certification Committee* Dr.
> > > >> > Paul Bohman has been the Chair of the IAAP Certification
> > > >> > Committee since its inception and has steered the process through
> > > >> > the formative stages, from the initial concepts to the more
> > > >> > concrete proposals
> > > >> currently
> > > >> > under consideration. He is also Director of Training at Deque
> > > Systems, a
> > > >> > web accessibility software and consulting company based in the
> > > Washington
> > > >> > DC area. At Deque he has created the Deque University platform,
> > > >> > which
> > > is
> > > >> a
> > > >> > custom learning management system for teaching web accessibility,
> > > >> > and
> > > has
> > > >> > personally created or overseen the creation of a complete web
> > > >> accessibility
> > > >> > curriculum of online self-paced courses. He also travels
> > > >> > frequently to provide instructor-led training on web accessibility
> > to clients.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > His doctoral dissertation
> > > >> > <
> > > >> >
> > > >>
> > > http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article#64&;context
> > > =etd
> > > >> > >
> > > >> > investigated web accessibility in the higher education curriculum
> > > >> > in
> > > >> three
> > > >> > different countries, and his doctoral studies included extensive
> > > training
> > > >> > in research design, assessment design and evaluation, statistics,
> > > >> learning
> > > >> > and instructional theory, psychology, sociology, and social
> justice.
> > > >> > Previously Dr. Bohman taught web accessibility at George Mason
> > > >> University,
> > > >> > participated in the creation of the Web Content Accessibility
> > > Guidelines
> > > >> > 2.0, and was a founding member of WebAIM with Cyndi Rowland. At
> > > WebAIM,
> > > >> Dr.
> > > >> > Bohman created a full web accessibility curriculum (at that time
> > > based on
> > > >> > WCAG 1.0), some of which is still available on the WebAIM site.
> > > >> > He
> > > also
> > > >> > created the WebAIM listserv, which continues to be one of the
> > > >> > most
> > > active
> > > >> > groups on the internet for discussing web accessibility.
> > > >> > *Christine Murphy Peck, IAAP CEO* Christine Murphy Peck is the
> > > >> > CEO of the IAAP. She holds 29 years of experience in nonprofit
> > > >> > management, certification management,
> > > education
> > > >> > strategy development, corporate education and facilitation and
> > > strategic
> > > >> > planning. Peck currently leads the SmithBucklin Washington, D.C.
> > > >> > team responsible for implementing educational strategy, program
> > > >> > design and delivery, eLearning, certification and accreditation,
> > > >> > with a focus on outcomes and client growth.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Previously, Peck founded Peck Performance Group, a consulting
> > > >> > practice serving clients in the areas of education, training and
> > > >> > organizational development, and served as president and chief
> > > >> > learning officer. She
> > > >> served
> > > >> > for seven years as the director of education and learning of the
> > U.S.
> > > >> > Tennis Association, where she established a full-service
> > > >> > educational
> > > >> center
> > > >> > providing professional development and educational resources to
> > > >> > staff
> > > and
> > > >> > volunteers in more than 1,000 community-based organizations. She
> > > >> > has
> > > >> worked
> > > >> > extensively with nonprofit organizations, including start-ups and
> > > >> > turnarounds, helping these organizations develop to their full
> > > potential
> > > >> > while managing multiple projects with combined budgets of more
> > > >> > than
> > > $20
> > > >> > million.
> > > >> > *Dr. Reed Castle* IAAP's partners with Professional Testing Inc.
> > > >> > an independent testing company that provides assistance with exam
> > > >> development,
> > > >> > administration, and scoring. Professional Testing develops,
> > > administers,
> > > >> > and maintains licensure and certification examination programs.
> > > >> > Professional Testing staff guide the exam development activities
> > > >> > and
> > > have
> > > >> > extensive psychometric and test development experience.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Dr. Reed Castle is the leads the exam development activities from
> > > >> > Professional Testing. Dr. Castle has over 25 years of experience
> > > >> > in psychometrics and exam development and has assisted with
> > > >> > development
> > > in
> > > >> > with a multitude of examinations over his career. In his current
> > > >> capacity,
> > > >> > he oversees and provides consultation to a variety of clients by
> > > >> directing
> > > >> > psychometric services with respect to credentialing examinations
> > > >> > and providing NCCA and ANSI/ISO 17024 accreditation assistance.
> > > >> > He
> > > >> successfully
> > > >> > evaluates client needs to implement best management practices Dr.
> > > Castle
> > > >> > has his PhD in Quantitative and Qualitative Methods with an
> > > >> > emphasis
> > > in
> > > >> > Measurement, Statistics, and Research Design from the University
> > > >> > of Nebraska-Lincoln, a Masters in Educational and Counseling
> > > >> > Psychology
> > > with
> > > >> > an emphasis in Measurement and Statistics from the University of
> > > >> > Missouri-Columbia and a Bachelors in Psychology from University
> > > >> > of Missouri-Columbia.
> > > >> > *The Certification Committee* The Certification Committee is the
> > > >> governing
> > > >> > body of the professional certification program. Their mission is
> > > >> > to
> > > >> assure
> > > >> > a comprehensive level of knowledge through certification in the
> > > >> > accessibility profession. The Certification Committee is
> > > >> > responsible
> > > for
> > > >> > establishing the policies and procedures that guide the
> > > >> > professional certification program.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > The Certification Committee is comprised of experts from across
> > > >> > the accessibility industry. The Committee represents multiple
> > > >> > areas of accessibility to ensure that all interests are
> represented.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > The Certification Committee consists of the following individuals:
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Paul Bohman, PhD, Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc.
> > > >> > (Chair) Arlington, Virginia, USA
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Katie Haritos Shea, Senior Accessibility Subject Matter Expert
> > > >> > (WCAG/Section 508/ADA/AODA) Oakton, Virginia, USA
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Allen Hoffman, Office of Accessible Systems & Technology,
> > > >> > Department
> > > of
> > > >> > Homeland Security Washington, DC, USA
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Jay Cardinali, Worldwide Accessibility Manager, Walt Disney Parks
> > > >> > and Resorts Orlando, Florida, USA
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Ken Nakata, Director, Accessibility Consulting Practice,
> > > >> > Cryptzone Seattle, Washington, USA
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Robert Pearson, Accessiblity Officer, Accessible Media Inc. (AMI)
> > > >> > Toronto, Ontario, Canada
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Valorie Sundby, Web Accessibility Specialist, Self, Modis - 5280
> > > >> Solutions
> > > >> > Littleton, Colorado, USA
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Nigel Lewis, CEO, AbilityNet
> > > >> > London, United Kingdom
> > > >> >
> > > >> > David MacDonald, President, CanAdapt Solutions Inc.
> > > >> > Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Cristopher Broyles, Director of Digital Accessibility/Chief
> > > Accessibility
> > > >> > Officer, Perkins School for the Blind Boston, Massachussetts, USA
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Christian Vinten-Johansen, IT Manager, Pennsylvania State
> > > >> > University State College, Pennsylvania, USA
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Kevin Prince, IT Accessibility Consultant, Access1in5
> > > >> > Christchurch, New Zealand
> > > >> >
> > > >> > JoAnne Juett, Integration Specialist, HighPoint Global
> > > >> > Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Paul Bohman, PhD
> > > >> > Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc 703-225-0380, ext.121
> > > >> > https://DequeUniversity.com
> > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > >> > > <javascript:;>
> > > >> > <javascript:;>
> > > <javascript:;>
> > > >> >
> > > >> > > > >> > > > >> archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > >> > <javascript:;>
> > > >> <javascript:;>
> > > >>
> > > > > > > > > > > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > > > <javascript:;>
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > >
> > > Karl Groves
> > > www.karlgroves.com
> > > @karlgroves
> > > http://www.linkedin.com/in/karlgroves
> > > Phone: +1 410.541.6829
> > >
> > > Modern Web Toolsets and Accessibility
> > > Modern Web Toolsets & The Next Generation of Accessibility Testing
> > > Tools <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uq6Db47-Ks>
> > >
> > > www.tenon.io
> > > > > > > > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > > <javascript:;>
> > >
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> > Paul Bohman, PhD
> > Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc 703-225-0380, ext.121
> > https://DequeUniversity.com
> > > > > > at
> > http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > >

From: Paul Bohman
Date: Fri, Sep 11 2015 5:27PM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

Ron,

I'm engaging in this conversation precisely because I want to help clarify
the purpose of the IAAP with respect to certification. I recognize that
there is a need for more clarity and transparency. So I'm here to offer
that, at least to the extent that I can. I can't speak authoritatively
about every part of the IAAP, as I'm not involved in every aspect of what
they're doing.

Let me summarize some of the main goals of the IAAP as I see them:

- To organize a community of practice within the accessibility
profession. This includes an online discussion forum, networking with other
IAAP members, etc.
- To provide regular updates and news items related to the accessibility
profession. The IAAP has had a regular email newsletter in place since the
IAAP was established. These include both original articles and links to
external resources.
- To offer formal professional development opportunities such as
webinars, conferences, courses, etc. The IAAP has been offering webinars
for quite some time now, and there is a conference in Nevada in October.
- To offer a certification program. The certification serves several
purposes. For example:
- To provide a definition of what it means to be an accessibility
professional
- To provide a sense of legitimacy to the accessibility profession in
the eyes of employers and higher education programs
- To provide a way for accessibility professionals to provide proof
of their own knowledge and skills to potential employers
- To provide employers with a way to help evaluate and distinguish
the skills of job candidates
- To raise the bar in the accessibility professional overall by
giving people an incentive to study and then pass a rigorous test

The above list is not all inclusive, but it touches on some of the main
points.

Regarding the use of certification in the employment and hiring process,
employers have frequently lamented that it is very hard to find qualified
accessibility professionals. Not enough people know accessibility well. We
need more accessibility experts.

Beyond that, many of the people who claim to have accessibility skills
often do not know enough. Employers don't have a good way of distinguishing
people who are very skilled versus those who have only some skills or
awareness. The employer could create their own exam for internal purposes
-- and some have done exactly that -- but it is an unnecessary duplication
of effort if every employer does that. A professional certification
provides a common metric.

I would expect employers to use a variety of methods to determine
eligibility for a job: references, educational background, job experience,
publications, and professional certifications. They won't rely only on
certification, for example. Some employers may eventually require their
employees in accessibility roles to receive IAAP certification, and they
may require it as a condition of employment... or they may not. The IAAP
can't dictate how the certification will be used. The IAAP can offer it as
a part of the bigger picture, but it's certainly not the whole picture.

Some accessibility professionals who have been in the field for a long time
may never be certified, and that's fine. Their reputation may be enough to
secure their employment through the end of their career. But they are
certainly welcome to take the exam and receive the certification if they
want to.

I expect that the value of the certification will be higher for those with
less experience in the field, because they don't have as much of a
reputation or work history yet.

And the certification needs to be renewed every three years, to ensure that
the professional stays up to date with the field. They will not take the
test again. They will instead receive continuing education credits for
classes, courses, workshops, presentations, and other activities.

I'm actually quite enthusiastic about the possibilities of IAAP
certification, and I know that many employers at large companies are
looking forward to the certification one way (among several) to ensure
their employees learn what they need to learn about accessibility to be
able to adequately perform their jobs.
But do I think it's going to "solve everything" as your email said? No, not
really. There are a lot of pieces to the puzzle. I see certification as a
necessary piece in that puzzle, but it's not the whole puzzle.


Paul Bohman, PhD
Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
703-225-0380, ext.121
https://DequeUniversity.com

From: Dave Bahr
Date: Fri, Sep 11 2015 6:32PM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

Ok, sorry Paul, my bad for not reading that description properly. I see what you mean now about being a tester.

Um, not sure what to say to the last post in this thread because I'm not on the direct inside of all the organizations. So...for someone who is a newby at all of this. What would be a good first few steps to prepping for the impending certification when it gets finalized? I have no idea what I'm doing, and I'll freely admit that, because if I didn't, I'd be lying to myself. In the forum post I put out, someone wrote that they know a lot of people who are passionate about accessibility by providing opinions about whether the software is accessible but not necessarily providing constructive feedback with snippets of code or something to try to help the devs out. Or, at least, that's how I read it, I could again have interpreted that wrong. I fear that I may be one of those people. I can tell you when something isn't accessible for me as a user, but I couldn't necessarily tell you the exact coding on how to fix it. For example, I could tell you that if the website you were showing me didn't have headings where there could be headings, then you should put headings there so it's easier to read. But I couldn't tell you what style sheet to use and the exact html coding to do it.
That's a basic example, but I hope it illustrates where I'm coming from. I have extensive knowledge about accessibility on desktop and iphone, not android, don't have the money for one right now. I guess I'm feeling overwhelmed right now as to what a good place to start is. I was advised to concentrate on mobile access and, while I completely understand why that's so important, by more knowledgable areas are in desktop and screen reader access since that's what I deal with 98 percent of the time. So, yes, I'd love to be certified, is there a book I can start with or something?

Thanks, Dave

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Ron
Sent: 09/11/2015 03:47 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] IAAP Certification Update

I think part of the issue here is who the actual target audience is, it has never been clearly communicated. Paul's responses helped me to develop context, but my concern is that his understanding may not be universal throughout the organization. I recently received an email from one of your members that told me that the IAAP would solve a 15 year old issue. BS I know better.

Both I and Gregg Vanderheiden brought this up early on in the development of the IAAP. Claims have been continually made about the IHE space was included In the development of the organization but that was never a reality. In fact if I remember right we both recommended at CSUN that you do not do this.

Also suspect is the organization you have chosen to align yourself, ATIA has never had a good track record and now we find that they are now reinventing themselves to be the IAAP. They are now your backend but their track record has been proven to be more self serving than anything else.

Just some thoughts, you want credibility align youselves with trusted organizations, do not try to reinvent yourself to to be something you do not have the capacity to be. Be clear about what you are about, and do not think the pay to play model will get you any traction in the real world.

I do not intend to be harsh, but I am tired of getting several emails a week about the IAAP and how they are going to solve the problems in this space. True progress will only be made if we work together,

Ron Stewart

On Friday, September 11, 2015, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> Thanks for your question Dave. You do actually fit the description of
> who should be certified. Here's what I said:
>
> "Our target audience is designers, developers, and engineers (and the
> people who manage them, or who test the quality of their output)."
>
> You would fit into the last part of what I said: "people who... test
> the quality of their output." In other words, people who test web
> sites for accessibility are very much in the target audience because
> they are testing the quality of the output created by designers, developers, and engineers.
>
>
>
>
> Paul Bohman, PhD
> Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc 703-225-0380, ext.121
> https://DequeUniversity.com
>
>
> On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 4:30 PM, Dave Bahr < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
>
> > Hi there,
> >
> > I guess I'm a little confused. I had joined the IAAP in
> > hopes of understanding more about certification and it's ongoing progress.
> However,
> > I
> > was under the impression that it was being designed for people such
> > as myself who are totally blind and interested in testing
> > websites/software for accessibility. According to your description
> > below, this is not to be the case? This begs the question, if I
> > wantto be certified as some sort of accessibility specialist who has
> > a disability, where would I look?that's why I posted what I did on
> > the community foruma few weeks back.I feel like I have the passion
> > and some of the knowledge necessary for understanding accessibility,
> > but I will be the first to admit that I need help in acquiring more
> > skills and suitable credentials. so… Where do I go and
> what
> > do I do?
> > Thanks, Dave
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <javascript:;>] On Behalf
> > Of Paul Bohman
> > Sent: 09/11/2015 05:42 AM
> > To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> > <javascript:;>>
> > Subject: Re: [WebAIM] IAAP Certification Update
> >
> > I appreciate the feedback, Karl, and I know where you're coming from
> > on that point. Starting a professional organization is not an easy
> > process, and most of the work is done by volunteers who don't always
> > have the
> bandwidth
> > to both contribute to our committees and do all of the PR and
> > marketing work, so it's usually more of an issue of time than
> > anything else. I do this work after hours, on top of an already
> > extremely busy work schedule.
> >
> > That said, I fully agree that we need to make more of an effort to
> > be
> more
> > transparent, and I agree that we need to reach wider audiences. I
> > posted this update on a few lists with those purposes in mind, and I
> > will
> continue
> > to reach out to different advocacy groups, consumer groups, and others.
> > It's a necessary part of our mission.
> >
> >
> >
> > On Friday, September 11, 2015, Karl Groves < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <javascript:;>> wrote:
> >
> > > "The survey has been distributed primarily to IAAP members up to
> > > this point, because that is the target audience,"
> > >
> > > As an organization whose stated purpose is to grow the profession,
> > > that seems to contradict its mission.
> > >
> > > Since even before its creation, IAAP has had the appearance of
> > > being a pay-to-play organization.
> > >
> > > I'll go ahead and state this publicly: I have no intention to ever
> > > participate in anything IAAP does until it becomes significantly
> > > more transparent, until *all* members have a greater say in how it
> > > operates, and until they become more active in growing the profession.
> > >
> > > On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 11:33 PM, Paul Bohman
> > > < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <javascript:;>
> > > <javascript:;>> wrote:
> > > > Ron,
> > > >
> > > > Thanks for providing some feedback.
> > > >
> > > > The IAAP certification credentials are aimed at people who
> > > > create and design accessible virtual and real environments. This
> > > > includes things in the IT space -- like web sites, software,
> > > > documents, multimedia, etc. -- and can include things in the
> > > > physical space like consumer and industrial products,
> > > > transportation systems, architecture, etc. Our target audience
> > > is
> > > > designers, developers, and engineers (and the people who manage
> > > > them, or who test the quality of their output).
> > > >
> > > > Our target audience is not the service sector of AT
> > > > professionals who
> > > work
> > > > directly with people with disabilities. In fact, many of the
> > > > people who would receive IAAP credentials will not work with
> > > > people with
> > > disabilities
> > > > at all. They will instead be designing environments -- virtual
> > > > or
> > > physical
> > > > -- that people of all kinds will access, including those with
> > > disabilities.
> > > > The goal of an accessibility professional in this context is to
> > > > create environments that are universally accessible to the
> > > > broadest range of people possible.
> > > >
> > > > We expect the IAAP credentials to be useful in private industry,
> > > > government, higher education, and any context that employs
> > > > designers, developers, or engineers.
> > > >
> > > > So the audience for IAAP is not the same audience as for RESNA
> > > > or any
> > > other
> > > > group of assistive technology professionals. There is some
> > > > overlap, but
> > > not
> > > > as much as it may seem on the surface.
> > > >
> > > > The survey has been distributed primarily to IAAP members up to
> > > > this
> > > point,
> > > > because that is the target audience, but we welcome input from
> > > > accessibility professionals who may not be IAAP members. The
> > > > survey is still open, by the way, so feel free to contribute your responses.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Paul Bohman, PhD
> > > > Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc 703-225-0380, ext.121
> > > > https://DequeUniversity.com
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Thu, Sep 10, 2015 at 2:39 PM, Ron < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <javascript:;>
> > > <javascript:;>> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >> Paul if you solicited feedback from the stakeholder communities
> > > >> why is
> > > it
> > > >> that none of the leaders in the Higher Ed AT community that I
> > > >> have contacted ever saw this survey? I think what you all are
> > > >> doing is great
> > > for
> > > >> the vendor and government community. But trying to extend it
> > > >> beyond
> > > those
> > > >> groups will be very problematic.
> > > >>
> > > >> ATHEN was never included in the effort at all nor was AHEAD as
> > > >> far as I have been able to ascertain. So I find it somewhat
> > > >> disingenuous to try and develop a certification process that in
> > > >> all likelyhood will be
> > > totally
> > > >> irrelevant in the IHE AT service provider space. Sounds like
> > > >> the RESNA
> > > ATP
> > > >> all over again.
> > > >>
> > > >> Ron Stewart
> > > >>
> > > >> On Wednesday, September 9, 2015, Paul Bohman
> > > >> < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> <javascript:;>
> > > <javascript:;>>
> > > >> wrote:
> > > >>
> > > >> > I'm the Chair of the Certification Committee at the IAAP
> > > (International
> > > >> > Association of Accessibility Professionals). We've recently
> > > >> > updated
> > > the
> > > >> > page about certification on the IAAP website to explain where
> > > >> > we are
> > > in
> > > >> the
> > > >> > process (
> > > >> http://www.accessibilityassociation.org/content.asp?contentid=3
> > > >> 28
> > > >> > )
> > > >> > I've also included the full text below. I welcome any
> > > >> > comments or questions.
> > > >> > IAAP Certification The International Association of
> > > >> > Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) will begin offering
> > > >> > professional certification in 2016.
> > > >> > Where We Are Now in the Process? Currently, the Job Task
> > > >> > Analysis validation survey has been distributed to the
> > > >> > accessibility
> > community.
> > > >> The
> > > >> > validation survey is used to define the core competencies of
> > > >> > those
> > > >> working
> > > >> > at an entry level in the accessibility industry. The
> > > >> > validation
> > > survey is
> > > >> > the foundation for the exam content outline (or blueprint)
> > > >> > that will
> > > >> serve
> > > >> > as the basis for all exam content.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Once the survey results have been finalized, the exam content
> > > >> > outline
> > > >> will
> > > >> > be made publically available on the IAAP website.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > All accessibility professionals are encouraged to complete
> > > >> > the
> > > validation
> > > >> > survey which can be accessed at
> > > >> > https://accessibilityassociation.formstack.com/forms/iaap_201
> > > >> > 5_ja The Process of Creating a Professional Certification
> > > >> > Professional
> > > Testing
> > > >> > (IAAP's exam development partner) outlines the critical steps
> > > necessary
> > > >> to
> > > >> > develop a valid and reliable examination.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Access the full certification process outline <
> > > >> >
> > > >>
> > > http://iaap.membershipsoftware.org/files/Exam%20Development%20and%
> > > 20Pr
> > > ocedures%20Guidelines.pdf
> > > >> > >
> > > >> > .
> > > >> > Goals of the Certification Program The IAAP certification
> > > >> > program
> > > aspires
> > > >> > to the following goals for accessibility certification:
> > > >> >
> > > >> > - To define what accessibility professionals are expected
> > > >> > to
> > know.
> > > >> > - To increase the quality and consistency of the work
> > > >> > performed
> > by
> > > >> > accessibility professionals.
> > > >> > - To provide accessibility professionals with a credential
> > > >> > as
> > > evidence
> > > >> > of their commitment to the accessibility field, and of
> > > >> > their
> > > >> competence
> > > >> > within the field.
> > > >> > - To provide employers, the accessibility community and
> > > >> > the public
> > > >> with
> > > >> > a metric to measure and assess the accessibility
> > > >> > competence of
> > > current
> > > >> > and/or prospective employees.
> > > >> > - To provide colleges, universities, and vocational
> > > >> > programs with
> > > >> clear
> > > >> > educational outcomes and a curriculum outline for teaching
> > > >> > accessibility.
> > > >> > - To strengthen the community of practice among accessibility
> > > >> > professionals.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > The Structure and Scope of the IAAP Certification Program The
> > > >> > IAAP
> > > will
> > > >> > offer two levels of certification: an associate level
> > > >> > credential, and subsequent professional level credentials.
> > > >> > Associate Level
> > > >> >
> > > >> > - *Foundation Level*: The Associate level credential is
> > > >> > the entry
> > > >> level
> > > >> > credential. It is the foundation upon which the
> > > >> > Professional
> > level
> > > >> > certifications build.
> > > >> > - *Broad and Conceptual*: This level covers a broad range
> > > >> > of
> > topics
> > > >> > within accessibility, and the exam will be rigorous, but
> > > >> > the exam questions
> > > >> > will be mostly conceptual in nature, rather than technical.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Professional Level
> > > >> >
> > > >> > - *Technical Detail*: Certifying at the professional level
> > requires
> > > >> > detailed technical knowledge of the domain. For example,
> > > accessibility
> > > >> > professionals are expected to evaluate the accessibility
> > > >> > of
> > > existing
> > > >> > content or objects according to published technical
> > > >> > standards
> and
> > > >> > guidelines, and provide detailed remediation recommendations.
> > > >> > They
> > > are
> > > >> > expected to know and use the relevant technologies, not
> > > >> > merely be
> > > >> aware
> > > >> > of
> > > >> > them.
> > > >> > - *Multiple Professional Level Credentials*: The IAAP was
> > > conceived as
> > > >> > an organization for all accessibility professionals across
> > > >> > a wide
> > > >> range
> > > >> > of
> > > >> > accessibility domains, such as accessibility of the web,
> > software,
> > > >> > multimedia, documents, consumer products, industrial design,
> > > >> > transportation, architecture and the built environment, etc.
> > > >> > The
> > > IAAP
> > > >> > will
> > > >> > develop multiple professional level certification exams
> > > >> > for
> > > multiple
> > > >> > accessibility domains, depending on market demand.
> > > >> > - *Focus First on Web Accessibility*: The first
> > > >> > Professional level
> > > >> IAAP
> > > >> > credential will focus on web accessibility.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Certified Accessibility Associate (CAA) The Certified
> > > >> > Accessibility Associate (CAA) credential is IAAP's
> > > >> > foundational certification, representing the practical
> > > >> > application of broad, cross-disciplinary conceptual knowledge
> > > >> > about 1) disabilities, 2) accessibility and
> > > >> universal
> > > >> > design, and 3) accessibility-related standards, laws, and
> > > >> > management strategies.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Relevant domains for the CAA credential include the web and
> > > >> > other
> > > digital
> > > >> > technologies, architecture and the built environment,
> > > >> > consumer and industrial design, transportation systems, and
> > > >> > any domain in which thoughtful design, policy, and management
> > > >> > can improve disability
> > > access.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > The CAA is the ideal credential for those who manage and
> > > >> > support accessibility, but who may not personally design,
> > > >> > implement, or
> > > evaluate
> > > >> > the technical details of accessible solutions. For those who
> > > >> > do work
> > > at
> > > >> the
> > > >> > technical level, IAAP will be working to create
> > > >> > domain-specific professional credentials which build on the
> > > >> > associate-level
> > > credential.
> > > >> The
> > > >> > first professional level he IAAP is actively developing is
> > > >> > the
> > > Certified
> > > >> > Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA). The IAAP will add
> > > >> > other
> > > >> technical
> > > >> > professional certification credentials in other domains in
> > > >> > accordance
> > > >> with
> > > >> > market and professional demand.
> > > >> > Nature of the Certification Examination The IAAP wants
> > > >> > accessibility professionals – and the employers who hire them
> > > >> > – to recognize the
> > > value
> > > >> of
> > > >> > IAAP credentials as a valid benchmark of a person's
> > > >> > accessibility
> > > >> knowledge
> > > >> > and skills. To meet this goal, the IAAP will work closely
> > > >> > with accessibility professionals and assessment professionals
> > > >> > to design the exams and test their reliability and validity.
> > > >> > The IAAP will monitor
> > > the
> > > >> > outcomes and continually assess the effectiveness of the
> > > >> > exams to
> > > ensure
> > > >> > the trustworthiness of all IAAP credentials.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > The exact nature and format of the test is to be determined.
> > > >> > At this
> > > >> point,
> > > >> > the IAAP anticipates that many questions will likely be in a
> > > >> > format amenable to automated scoring, but some questions –
> > > >> > especially at the professional level – may be more open-ended
> > > >> > to allow for more nuanced, performance-based assessments of
> > > >> > actual
> > skills.
> > > >> > Who Should Take the Associate Level Examination? The
> > > >> > associate-level credential is intended for accessibility
> > > >> > professionals, for those who manage accessibility outcomes,
> > > >> > and for anyone who plays a key role in ensuring that the
> > > >> > digital and physical worlds are accessible to people
> > > >> with
> > > >> > disabilities including:
> > > >> >
> > > >> > - Accessibility professionals in any field (e.g. web
> > > >> > design,
> > > software
> > > >> > engineering, hardware engineering, consumer and industrial
> > > >> > product design,
> > > >> > transportation, architecture and the built environment,
> > educational
> > > >> > accommodations, etc.), whose job requires in-depth
> > > >> > accessibility expertise.
> > > >> > Accessibility professionals should also consider IAAP
> > > >> professional-level
> > > >> > certification, if available for their area of expertise.*
> > > >> > - Project, program, or portfolio managers and executive leaders
> > > >> > overseeing initiatives or organizations that focus on
> > > accessibility,
> > > >> or
> > > >> > which include accessibility as a key component.
> > > >> > - Anyone whose job requires accessibility awareness or
> > > >> > competence
> > > >> (e.g.
> > > >> > technology professionals in diverse specializations,
> > > >> > architects and urban
> > > >> > planners, international development professionals,
> > > >> > disability
> > > rights
> > > >> > activists, lawmakers and legal counsel, media producers,
> > > >> > recreation
> > > >> and
> > > >> > hospitality providers, teachers and professors, health
> > > >> > care
> > > providers,
> > > >> > emergency response coordinators, salespeople and support
> > > >> > staff
> at
> > > >> > accessibility consulting companies, etc.).
> > > >> >
> > > >> > *Note: The associate-level certification is the terminal
> > > >> > (final) IAAP credential for all careers except those for
> > > >> > which a professional-level
> > > >> IAAP
> > > >> > credential exists. Currently the only professional-level
> > > >> > certification under development by the IAAP is for web
> > > >> > accessibility. The IAAP will consider developing other
> > > >> > specialized
> > credentials in the future.
> > > >> > When Will IAAP Offer the First Certification Examination?
> > > >> > Registration
> > > >> for
> > > >> > the associate level certification will be offered in the
> > > >> > first
> > > quarter of
> > > >> > 2016. The timeline for other professional level
> > > >> > certifications is
> > > still
> > > >> to
> > > >> > be determined.
> > > >> > How Much Will the CAA Certification Examination Cost? The
> > > >> > exam will be
> > > >> $325
> > > >> > for members; $425 for non-members. We will also offer an
> > > >> > emerging
> > > country
> > > >> > rate at $150.
> > > >> > What Content Will the CAA Certification Examination Include?
> > > >> > While the
> > > >> exam
> > > >> > blueprint is still in development, the chart below outlines
> > > >> > the
> > > >> anticipated
> > > >> > exam content.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Anticipated Exam Content Topic Sub-Topic Disabilities
> > > >> > Theoretical
> > > Models
> > > >> of
> > > >> > Disability Types of Disabilities, Challenges, and Assistive
> > > >> > Technologies Disability Demographics Disability Etiquette
> > > >> > Accessibility and Universal Design Individual Accommodations
> > > >> > versus Inclusive Design Benefits of Accessibility
> > > >> > Accessibility Principles (WCAG 2.0) The Principles of
> > > >> > Universal Design 2.0 Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
> > > >> > Usability and User Experience
> > > >> > (UX)
> > > Standards,
> > > >> > Laws, and Management Strategies International Conventions and
> > > >> > Treaties Accessibility Standards and Regulations National and
> > > >> > Regional Laws Systematic Organizational Governance and
> > > >> > Management Preparing for the CAA Certification Examination
> > > >> > Certification
> > > Preparation
> > > >> > Training The certification will be competency-based, which
> > > >> > means that
> > > the
> > > >> > IAAP will not require the completion of any kind of training.
> > > Successful
> > > >> > certification will depend on one's score on the certification
> exam.
> > > >> > Certificants will be able to study on their own, based on the
> > > >> > content
> > > in
> > > >> > the Body of Knowledge document, or they can take
> > > >> > certification
> > > >> preparation
> > > >> > courses if they choose.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > The IAAP does not currently offer an "official" IAAP
> > > >> > certification preparation training curriculum. The plan is to
> > > >> > leverage the existing third-party resources and services
> > > >> > already in the market. Nearly all accessibility companies and
> > > >> > consultants provide accessibility
> > > training as
> > > >> > part of their business model, and information is available
> > > >> > online in
> > > both
> > > >> > free and paid formats. The IAAP will publish a list of vetted
> > > >> certification
> > > >> > training providers for the benefit of those seeking exam
> > > >> > preparation training.
> > > >> > Maintaining Certification IAAP certification is valid for 3 years.
> > > Every
> > > >> > three years, certificants will be required to
> > > >> >
> > > >> > - Complete a certain number of continuing education
> > > >> > credits (to
> > be
> > > >> > determined) a portion of which must be offered or approved
> > > >> > by
> > IAAP
> > > >> > - Submit an application for certification renewal.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Individuals do not need to retake any of the exams to
> > > >> > maintain their certification unless they allow their
> > > >> > certification to
> lapse.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > As technologies and professional expectations evolve, these
> > > >> > renewal requirements are subject to change.
> > > >> > Continuing Education Units (CEUs) The IAAP will offer
> > > >> > continuing
> > > >> education
> > > >> > units (CEUs) for classes, workshops, webcasts, conference
> > > >> > attendance,
> > > and
> > > >> > other similar IAAP-sponsored activities. The IAAP will
> > > >> > implement a
> > > >> process
> > > >> > to allow other organizations or individuals to offer
> > > >> > IAAP-approved continuing education credits for similar
> > > >> > career-enhancing educational opportunities.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Types of Activities that May Qualify for Continuing Education
> > Credits:
> > > >> >
> > > >> > - Attending classes, workshops, webinars, and other
> > > >> > educational
> > > events
> > > >> > about accessibility
> > > >> > - Preparing or presenting educational materials about
> > accessibility
> > > >> > - Publishing articles, books, blogs, or other publications
> about
> > > >> > accessibility
> > > >> > - Mentoring others in accessibility
> > > >> > - Speaking engagements at IAAP or other approved
> > > >> > educational
> > event
> > > >> > - Volunteer service with IAAP
> > > >> >
> > > >> > The IAAP is at the early stages of considering CEU options,
> > > >> > so further research and public discussion of the options is
> > > >> > necessary before
> > > >> deciding
> > > >> > on an official CEU policy.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > The Qualifications of the Certification Team The
> > > >> > certification
> > > process at
> > > >> > IAAP is in good hands with our headquarters and volunteer
> > > >> > leadership
> > > >> team.
> > > >> > Here are abbreviated biographical sketches of some of the key
> > players:
> > > >> > *Paul Bohman, PhD, Chair of the IAAP Certification Committee* Dr.
> > > >> > Paul Bohman has been the Chair of the IAAP Certification
> > > >> > Committee since its inception and has steered the process
> > > >> > through the formative stages, from the initial concepts to
> > > >> > the more concrete proposals
> > > >> currently
> > > >> > under consideration. He is also Director of Training at Deque
> > > Systems, a
> > > >> > web accessibility software and consulting company based in
> > > >> > the
> > > Washington
> > > >> > DC area. At Deque he has created the Deque University
> > > >> > platform, which
> > > is
> > > >> a
> > > >> > custom learning management system for teaching web
> > > >> > accessibility, and
> > > has
> > > >> > personally created or overseen the creation of a complete web
> > > >> accessibility
> > > >> > curriculum of online self-paced courses. He also travels
> > > >> > frequently to provide instructor-led training on web
> > > >> > accessibility
> > to clients.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > His doctoral dissertation
> > > >> > <
> > > >> >
> > > >>
> > > http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article#64&;con
> > > text
> > > =etd
> > > >> > >
> > > >> > investigated web accessibility in the higher education
> > > >> > curriculum in
> > > >> three
> > > >> > different countries, and his doctoral studies included
> > > >> > extensive
> > > training
> > > >> > in research design, assessment design and evaluation,
> > > >> > statistics,
> > > >> learning
> > > >> > and instructional theory, psychology, sociology, and social
> justice.
> > > >> > Previously Dr. Bohman taught web accessibility at George
> > > >> > Mason
> > > >> University,
> > > >> > participated in the creation of the Web Content Accessibility
> > > Guidelines
> > > >> > 2.0, and was a founding member of WebAIM with Cyndi Rowland.
> > > >> > At
> > > WebAIM,
> > > >> Dr.
> > > >> > Bohman created a full web accessibility curriculum (at that
> > > >> > time
> > > based on
> > > >> > WCAG 1.0), some of which is still available on the WebAIM site.
> > > >> > He
> > > also
> > > >> > created the WebAIM listserv, which continues to be one of the
> > > >> > most
> > > active
> > > >> > groups on the internet for discussing web accessibility.
> > > >> > *Christine Murphy Peck, IAAP CEO* Christine Murphy Peck is
> > > >> > the CEO of the IAAP. She holds 29 years of experience in
> > > >> > nonprofit management, certification management,
> > > education
> > > >> > strategy development, corporate education and facilitation
> > > >> > and
> > > strategic
> > > >> > planning. Peck currently leads the SmithBucklin Washington, D.C.
> > > >> > team responsible for implementing educational strategy,
> > > >> > program design and delivery, eLearning, certification and
> > > >> > accreditation, with a focus on outcomes and client growth.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Previously, Peck founded Peck Performance Group, a consulting
> > > >> > practice serving clients in the areas of education, training
> > > >> > and organizational development, and served as president and
> > > >> > chief learning officer. She
> > > >> served
> > > >> > for seven years as the director of education and learning of
> > > >> > the
> > U.S.
> > > >> > Tennis Association, where she established a full-service
> > > >> > educational
> > > >> center
> > > >> > providing professional development and educational resources
> > > >> > to staff
> > > and
> > > >> > volunteers in more than 1,000 community-based organizations.
> > > >> > She has
> > > >> worked
> > > >> > extensively with nonprofit organizations, including start-ups
> > > >> > and turnarounds, helping these organizations develop to their
> > > >> > full
> > > potential
> > > >> > while managing multiple projects with combined budgets of
> > > >> > more than
> > > $20
> > > >> > million.
> > > >> > *Dr. Reed Castle* IAAP's partners with Professional Testing Inc.
> > > >> > an independent testing company that provides assistance with
> > > >> > exam
> > > >> development,
> > > >> > administration, and scoring. Professional Testing develops,
> > > administers,
> > > >> > and maintains licensure and certification examination programs.
> > > >> > Professional Testing staff guide the exam development
> > > >> > activities and
> > > have
> > > >> > extensive psychometric and test development experience.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Dr. Reed Castle is the leads the exam development activities
> > > >> > from Professional Testing. Dr. Castle has over 25 years of
> > > >> > experience in psychometrics and exam development and has
> > > >> > assisted with development
> > > in
> > > >> > with a multitude of examinations over his career. In his
> > > >> > current
> > > >> capacity,
> > > >> > he oversees and provides consultation to a variety of clients
> > > >> > by
> > > >> directing
> > > >> > psychometric services with respect to credentialing
> > > >> > examinations and providing NCCA and ANSI/ISO 17024 accreditation assistance.
> > > >> > He
> > > >> successfully
> > > >> > evaluates client needs to implement best management practices Dr.
> > > Castle
> > > >> > has his PhD in Quantitative and Qualitative Methods with an
> > > >> > emphasis
> > > in
> > > >> > Measurement, Statistics, and Research Design from the
> > > >> > University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a Masters in Educational and
> > > >> > Counseling Psychology
> > > with
> > > >> > an emphasis in Measurement and Statistics from the University
> > > >> > of Missouri-Columbia and a Bachelors in Psychology from
> > > >> > University of Missouri-Columbia.
> > > >> > *The Certification Committee* The Certification Committee is
> > > >> > the
> > > >> governing
> > > >> > body of the professional certification program. Their mission
> > > >> > is to
> > > >> assure
> > > >> > a comprehensive level of knowledge through certification in
> > > >> > the accessibility profession. The Certification Committee is
> > > >> > responsible
> > > for
> > > >> > establishing the policies and procedures that guide the
> > > >> > professional certification program.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > The Certification Committee is comprised of experts from
> > > >> > across the accessibility industry. The Committee represents
> > > >> > multiple areas of accessibility to ensure that all interests
> > > >> > are
> represented.
> > > >> >
> > > >> > The Certification Committee consists of the following individuals:
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Paul Bohman, PhD, Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc.
> > > >> > (Chair) Arlington, Virginia, USA
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Katie Haritos Shea, Senior Accessibility Subject Matter
> > > >> > Expert (WCAG/Section 508/ADA/AODA) Oakton, Virginia, USA
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Allen Hoffman, Office of Accessible Systems & Technology,
> > > >> > Department
> > > of
> > > >> > Homeland Security Washington, DC, USA
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Jay Cardinali, Worldwide Accessibility Manager, Walt Disney
> > > >> > Parks and Resorts Orlando, Florida, USA
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Ken Nakata, Director, Accessibility Consulting Practice,
> > > >> > Cryptzone Seattle, Washington, USA
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Robert Pearson, Accessiblity Officer, Accessible Media Inc.
> > > >> > (AMI) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Valorie Sundby, Web Accessibility Specialist, Self, Modis -
> > > >> > 5280
> > > >> Solutions
> > > >> > Littleton, Colorado, USA
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Nigel Lewis, CEO, AbilityNet
> > > >> > London, United Kingdom
> > > >> >
> > > >> > David MacDonald, President, CanAdapt Solutions Inc.
> > > >> > Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Cristopher Broyles, Director of Digital Accessibility/Chief
> > > Accessibility
> > > >> > Officer, Perkins School for the Blind Boston, Massachussetts,
> > > >> > USA
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Christian Vinten-Johansen, IT Manager, Pennsylvania State
> > > >> > University State College, Pennsylvania, USA
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Kevin Prince, IT Accessibility Consultant, Access1in5
> > > >> > Christchurch, New Zealand
> > > >> >
> > > >> > JoAnne Juett, Integration Specialist, HighPoint Global
> > > >> > Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
> > > >> >
> > > >> > Paul Bohman, PhD
> > > >> > Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc 703-225-0380,
> > > >> > ext.121 https://DequeUniversity.com
> > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > <javascript:;>
> > > >> > <javascript:;>
> > > <javascript:;>
> > > >> >
> > > >> > > > >> > > > >> archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > >> > <javascript:;>
> > > >> <javascript:;>
> > > >>
> > > > > > > > > > > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > > > > > > <javascript:;>
> <javascript:;>
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > >
> > > Karl Groves
> > > www.karlgroves.com
> > > @karlgroves
> > > http://www.linkedin.com/in/karlgroves
> > > Phone: +1 410.541.6829
> > >
> > > Modern Web Toolsets and Accessibility Modern Web Toolsets & The
> > > Next Generation of Accessibility Testing Tools
> > > <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uq6Db47-Ks>
> > >
> > > www.tenon.io
> > > > > > > > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > > > > <javascript:;>
> <javascript:;>
> > >
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> > Paul Bohman, PhD
> > Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc 703-225-0380, ext.121
> > https://DequeUniversity.com
> > > > > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > > > > > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > >
> > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> >

From: Paul Bohman
Date: Sat, Sep 12 2015 8:50AM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

A correction on something I said previously:

I have been informed that when the survey was initially distributed, it
went out to the full database of IAAP contacts, which is about 4000 people.
About 25% of those contacts are IAAP members, so the majority of the
initial recipients were not IAAP members.

My posting of the survey information on a few different lists is an effort
to increase the reach of the survey, and we'll continue to widen the scope
so that we can get input from a broad range of people. We started with our
internal list of contacts, but that's not where we're ending.

Here's the direct link to the survey, if you haven't filled it out yet:
https://accessibilityassociation.formstack.com/forms/iaap_2015_ja


Paul Bohman, PhD
Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
703-225-0380, ext.121
https://DequeUniversity.com

From: Paul Bohman
Date: Sat, Sep 12 2015 3:37PM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

Dave,

You asked "What would be a good first few steps to prepping for the
impending certification when it gets finalized?"

That's an excellent question. Here is the list of topics that we anticipate
will be on the Associate level exam (subject to a final review):

- Disabilities
- Theoretical Models of Disability
- Types of Disabilities, Challenges, and Assistive Technologies
- Disability Demographics
- Disability Etiquette
- Accessibility and Universal Design
- Individual Accommodations versus Inclusive Design
- Benefits of Accessibility
- Accessibility Principles (WCAG 2.0) (http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG/)
- The Principles of Universal Design 2.0 (
http://www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/design/cud/about_ud/udprinciplestext.htm)
- Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (
http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines)
- Usability and User Experience (UX)
- Standards, Laws, and Management Strategies
- International Conventions and Treaties (The Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, The
Marrakesh Treaty (WIPO))
- Accessibility Standards and Regulations
- National and Regional Laws
- Systematic Organizational Governance and Management

There is more than one place that you can find tutorials, classes, or
workshops on all of these topics. I am most familiar with the resources
that I have created (or collaborated on) on the Deque University web site:
https://dequeuniversity.com/courses/ You could start with the course "Web
Accessibility Fundamentals," which also includes a section on Universal
Design in the Physical World, to supplement all the other information about
Universal Design for the Web.

And there are other similar resources on the web as well, some free, some
with paid subscriptions. I'll let others chime in if they want to add their
own resources.

Aside from pre-packaged curricula, you can use the outline above as a study
guide to do some of your own research. As soon as the Exam Blueprint is
validated, the IAAP will publish a complete Body of Knowledge document with
much more detail that can be used as a complete study guide.

Note that the Associate level credential is not just about web
accessibility. It is about the broad concepts of accessibility in both
virtual and physical spaces. One of the goals of the credential is to
encourage people to think across domains, because sometimes the best
solutions to accessibility problems in one domain are actually in another
domain.






Paul Bohman, PhD
Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
703-225-0380, ext.121
https://DequeUniversity.com


On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 8:32 PM, Dave Bahr < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> Ok, sorry Paul, my bad for not reading that description properly. I see
> what you mean now about being a tester.
>
> Um, not sure what to say to the last post in this thread because I'm not
> on the direct inside of all the organizations. So...for someone who is a
> newby at all of this. What would be a good first few steps to prepping for
> the impending certification when it gets finalized? I have no idea what I'm
> doing, and I'll freely admit that, because if I didn't, I'd be lying to
> myself. In the forum post I put out, someone wrote that they know a lot of
> people who are passionate about accessibility by providing opinions about
> whether the software is accessible but not necessarily providing
> constructive feedback with snippets of code or something to try to help the
> devs out. Or, at least, that's how I read it, I could again have
> interpreted that wrong. I fear that I may be one of those people. I can
> tell you when something isn't accessible for me as a user, but I couldn't
> necessarily tell you the exact coding on how to fix it. For example, I
> could tell you that if the website you were showing me didn't have headings
> where there could be headings, then you should put headings there so it's
> easier to read. But I couldn't tell you what style sheet to use and the
> exact html coding to do it.
> That's a basic example, but I hope it illustrates where I'm coming from. I
> have extensive knowledge about accessibility on desktop and iphone, not
> android, don't have the money for one right now. I guess I'm feeling
> overwhelmed right now as to what a good place to start is. I was advised to
> concentrate on mobile access and, while I completely understand why that's
> so important, by more knowledgable areas are in desktop and screen reader
> access since that's what I deal with 98 percent of the time. So, yes, I'd
> love to be certified, is there a book I can start with or something?
>
>
>

From: Jennison Mark Asuncion
Date: Sat, Sep 12 2015 6:35PM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

Paul,

Re your comment: "There is more than one place that you can find
tutorials, classes, or
workshops on all of these topics." I would expect that IAAP has/will
take the lead in compiling a list of such sources to help prospective
test takers prepare to write the exam. I for one would not know where
to start looking, for all of these diverse topics.

My question is what specific jobs does the IAAP envision someone
holding an Associate Level certification being able to obtain? Or, is
IAAP's thinking that someone would have to obtain both the Associate
Level and one of the other planned certifications in order to help
them secure employment in accessibility?

Jennison






On 9/12/15, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Dave,
>
> You asked "What would be a good first few steps to prepping for the
> impending certification when it gets finalized?"
>
> That's an excellent question. Here is the list of topics that we anticipate
> will be on the Associate level exam (subject to a final review):
>
> - Disabilities
> - Theoretical Models of Disability
> - Types of Disabilities, Challenges, and Assistive Technologies
> - Disability Demographics
> - Disability Etiquette
> - Accessibility and Universal Design
> - Individual Accommodations versus Inclusive Design
> - Benefits of Accessibility
> - Accessibility Principles (WCAG 2.0) (http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG/)
> - The Principles of Universal Design 2.0 (
> http://www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/design/cud/about_ud/udprinciplestext.htm)
> - Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (
> http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines)
> - Usability and User Experience (UX)
> - Standards, Laws, and Management Strategies
> - International Conventions and Treaties (The Universal Declaration
> of Human Rights, Convention on the Rights of Persons with
> Disabilities, The
> Marrakesh Treaty (WIPO))
> - Accessibility Standards and Regulations
> - National and Regional Laws
> - Systematic Organizational Governance and Management
>
> There is more than one place that you can find tutorials, classes, or
> workshops on all of these topics. I am most familiar with the resources
> that I have created (or collaborated on) on the Deque University web site:
> https://dequeuniversity.com/courses/ You could start with the course "Web
> Accessibility Fundamentals," which also includes a section on Universal
> Design in the Physical World, to supplement all the other information about
> Universal Design for the Web.
>
> And there are other similar resources on the web as well, some free, some
> with paid subscriptions. I'll let others chime in if they want to add their
> own resources.
>
> Aside from pre-packaged curricula, you can use the outline above as a study
> guide to do some of your own research. As soon as the Exam Blueprint is
> validated, the IAAP will publish a complete Body of Knowledge document with
> much more detail that can be used as a complete study guide.
>
> Note that the Associate level credential is not just about web
> accessibility. It is about the broad concepts of accessibility in both
> virtual and physical spaces. One of the goals of the credential is to
> encourage people to think across domains, because sometimes the best
> solutions to accessibility problems in one domain are actually in another
> domain.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Paul Bohman, PhD
> Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
> 703-225-0380, ext.121
> https://DequeUniversity.com
>
>
> On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 8:32 PM, Dave Bahr < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
>> Ok, sorry Paul, my bad for not reading that description properly. I see
>> what you mean now about being a tester.
>>
>> Um, not sure what to say to the last post in this thread because I'm not
>> on the direct inside of all the organizations. So...for someone who is a
>> newby at all of this. What would be a good first few steps to prepping for
>> the impending certification when it gets finalized? I have no idea what
>> I'm
>> doing, and I'll freely admit that, because if I didn't, I'd be lying to
>> myself. In the forum post I put out, someone wrote that they know a lot of
>> people who are passionate about accessibility by providing opinions about
>> whether the software is accessible but not necessarily providing
>> constructive feedback with snippets of code or something to try to help
>> the
>> devs out. Or, at least, that's how I read it, I could again have
>> interpreted that wrong. I fear that I may be one of those people. I can
>> tell you when something isn't accessible for me as a user, but I couldn't
>> necessarily tell you the exact coding on how to fix it. For example, I
>> could tell you that if the website you were showing me didn't have
>> headings
>> where there could be headings, then you should put headings there so it's
>> easier to read. But I couldn't tell you what style sheet to use and the
>> exact html coding to do it.
>> That's a basic example, but I hope it illustrates where I'm coming from. I
>> have extensive knowledge about accessibility on desktop and iphone, not
>> android, don't have the money for one right now. I guess I'm feeling
>> overwhelmed right now as to what a good place to start is. I was advised
>> to
>> concentrate on mobile access and, while I completely understand why that's
>> so important, by more knowledgable areas are in desktop and screen reader
>> access since that's what I deal with 98 percent of the time. So, yes, I'd
>> love to be certified, is there a book I can start with or something?
>>
>>
>>
> > > > >


--
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: Roger Hudson
Date: Sat, Sep 12 2015 8:01PM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

At the risk of pissing a few people off, I find all this IAAP stuff is starting to get a little tiring.

It is hard to develop any process of certification, and this is particularly the case when it has to take in to account a diverse range of linguistic, geographic, technical, financial and cognitive issues. I suspect that unless the IAAP process in much more transparent (thanks Karl) and is affordable to all those who might be interested, it runs the risk of just being a self-serving promotional tool.

Finally, in my opinion two of the most important things that are necessary when it comes to developing or testing accessible content are empathy and commonsense, and sadly neither of these are easy to teach.

Roger

-----Original Message-----
From: Jennison Mark Asuncion [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ]
Sent: Sunday, 13 September 2015 10:36 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] IAAP Certification Update

Paul,

Re your comment: "There is more than one place that you can find tutorials, classes, or workshops on all of these topics." I would expect that IAAP has/will take the lead in compiling a list of such sources to help prospective test takers prepare to write the exam. I for one would not know where to start looking, for all of these diverse topics.

My question is what specific jobs does the IAAP envision someone holding an Associate Level certification being able to obtain? Or, is IAAP's thinking that someone would have to obtain both the Associate Level and one of the other planned certifications in order to help them secure employment in accessibility?

Jennison






On 9/12/15, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Dave,
>
> You asked "What would be a good first few steps to prepping for the
> impending certification when it gets finalized?"
>
> That's an excellent question. Here is the list of topics that we
> anticipate will be on the Associate level exam (subject to a final review):
>
> - Disabilities
> - Theoretical Models of Disability
> - Types of Disabilities, Challenges, and Assistive Technologies
> - Disability Demographics
> - Disability Etiquette
> - Accessibility and Universal Design
> - Individual Accommodations versus Inclusive Design
> - Benefits of Accessibility
> - Accessibility Principles (WCAG 2.0) (http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG/)
> - The Principles of Universal Design 2.0 (
> http://www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/design/cud/about_ud/udprinciplestext.htm)
> - Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (
> http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines)
> - Usability and User Experience (UX)
> - Standards, Laws, and Management Strategies
> - International Conventions and Treaties (The Universal Declaration
> of Human Rights, Convention on the Rights of Persons with
> Disabilities, The
> Marrakesh Treaty (WIPO))
> - Accessibility Standards and Regulations
> - National and Regional Laws
> - Systematic Organizational Governance and Management
>
> There is more than one place that you can find tutorials, classes, or
> workshops on all of these topics. I am most familiar with the
> resources that I have created (or collaborated on) on the Deque University web site:
> https://dequeuniversity.com/courses/ You could start with the course
> "Web Accessibility Fundamentals," which also includes a section on
> Universal Design in the Physical World, to supplement all the other
> information about Universal Design for the Web.
>
> And there are other similar resources on the web as well, some free,
> some with paid subscriptions. I'll let others chime in if they want to
> add their own resources.
>
> Aside from pre-packaged curricula, you can use the outline above as a
> study guide to do some of your own research. As soon as the Exam
> Blueprint is validated, the IAAP will publish a complete Body of
> Knowledge document with much more detail that can be used as a complete study guide.
>
> Note that the Associate level credential is not just about web
> accessibility. It is about the broad concepts of accessibility in both
> virtual and physical spaces. One of the goals of the credential is to
> encourage people to think across domains, because sometimes the best
> solutions to accessibility problems in one domain are actually in
> another domain.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Paul Bohman, PhD
> Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc 703-225-0380, ext.121
> https://DequeUniversity.com
>
>
> On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 8:32 PM, Dave Bahr < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
>> Ok, sorry Paul, my bad for not reading that description properly. I
>> see what you mean now about being a tester.
>>
>> Um, not sure what to say to the last post in this thread because I'm
>> not on the direct inside of all the organizations. So...for someone
>> who is a newby at all of this. What would be a good first few steps
>> to prepping for the impending certification when it gets finalized? I
>> have no idea what I'm doing, and I'll freely admit that, because if I
>> didn't, I'd be lying to myself. In the forum post I put out, someone
>> wrote that they know a lot of people who are passionate about
>> accessibility by providing opinions about whether the software is
>> accessible but not necessarily providing constructive feedback with
>> snippets of code or something to try to help the devs out. Or, at
>> least, that's how I read it, I could again have interpreted that
>> wrong. I fear that I may be one of those people. I can tell you when
>> something isn't accessible for me as a user, but I couldn't
>> necessarily tell you the exact coding on how to fix it. For example,
>> I could tell you that if the website you were showing me didn't have
>> headings where there could be headings, then you should put headings
>> there so it's easier to read. But I couldn't tell you what style
>> sheet to use and the exact html coding to do it.
>> That's a basic example, but I hope it illustrates where I'm coming
>> from. I have extensive knowledge about accessibility on desktop and
>> iphone, not android, don't have the money for one right now. I guess
>> I'm feeling overwhelmed right now as to what a good place to start
>> is. I was advised to concentrate on mobile access and, while I
>> completely understand why that's so important, by more knowledgable
>> areas are in desktop and screen reader access since that's what I
>> deal with 98 percent of the time. So, yes, I'd love to be certified,
>> is there a book I can start with or something?
>>
>>
>>
> > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> >


--
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: Léonie Watson
Date: Sun, Sep 13 2015 4:11AM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

> From: WebAIM-Forum On Behalf Of Jennison Mark Asuncion
> Sent: 13 September 2015 01:36
> My question is what specific jobs does the IAAP envision someone holding
> an Associate Level certification being able to obtain? Or, is IAAP's thinking
> that someone would have to obtain both the Associate Level and one of the
> other planned certifications in order to help them secure employment in
> accessibility?

These are good questions. As the organisation intending to become the professional body for accessibility professionals, it might be a useful activity to define the typical roles and responsibilities within our industry.

It's relatively easy to find typical descriptions for software developers, support technicians, forensic engineers, systems administrators, graphic designers etc. It would be useful to have a set of descriptions for both accessibility exclusive roles, and for accessibility responsibilities within other roles.

From there it might be easier for people in our profession (and those wanting to join it) to understand the potential career paths ahead of them, and to know which type of education might be most appropriate.

If IAAP has done this already and I've missed it, my apologies.


Léonie.

From: Paul Bohman
Date: Sun, Sep 13 2015 8:38AM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

Jennison,

With regard to test preparation:

Yes, the IAAP will publish a list of courses and other learning resources
so that people will be able to prepare adequately for the certification
exam. In addition to cataloging the resources I'm already aware of, I'll
distribute a questionnaire to accessibility training providers to allow
them to say which exam topics their training covers currently, and if they
don't currently cover all topics, they will be able to say if they have
plans to cover them and the anticipated availability of those new
materials.

I'll also reiterate that the Body of Knowledge document will be detailed,
and will serve as a good outline of the topics. People will likely still
benefit from taking preparation courses, but there is no requirement to
take any exam preparation course. The exam is competency-based.

With regard to target audience:

There are two levels of IAAP certification: associate and professional. The
associate level is conceptual and broad, with little technical content. The
professional level is technical. The associate level credential can be
considered the final IAAP credential (no need for professional-level
certification) for people in roles such as:

- Project or program or product managers who oversee
accessibility-related activities -- Examples include managers at IT
companies, ADA coordinators (U.S.), Section 508 coordinators in U.S.
government, Coordinators of student disability services in higher
education, executive leadership (especially in IT companies), and anyone in
a leadership or manager role who could benefit from accessibility knowledge.
- Visual designers and artists ("the creatives")
- Content writers and contributors
- User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) professionals (or they
have the option to also complete the professional level if they are
technically-inclined)
- Account representatives and salespeople who deal with
accessibility-related services.
- Customer service representatives (and their managers).
- Other non-technical positions that deal with accessibility issues in
one way or another.

The plan all along has been for the associate level to be a prerequisite
for any professional-level certifications that follow, but a final decision
has not yet been made on that point. My strong preference would be to have
the associate level serve as a prerequisite so that we wouldn't have to
duplicate topics on the professional-level exams. I want people to have a
strong conceptual foundation, which the associate-level exam will provide,
before certifying on the technical requirements.

By way of contrast, the professional-level certification exam for web
accessibility will be appropriate for:

- Web developers
- Web programmers
- Quality assurance (QA) analysts
- Accessibility analysts and consultants
- Accessibility instructors
- Anyone in a technical role who deals with accessibility issues


Paul Bohman, PhD
Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
703-225-0380, ext.121
https://DequeUniversity.com

From: Paul Bohman
Date: Sun, Sep 13 2015 8:47AM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

Roger,

With regard to your concern that the IAAP might run "the risk of just being
a self-serving promotional tool," I can say that the people with whom I'm
working believe very strongly in making a difference in the accessibility
world. The people on the certification committee are volunteers, myself
included, who care deeply about the accessibility profession. We see these
efforts as a way to increase awareness of accessibility, and to make it
easier for employers and potential employees to measure or verify
accessibility expertise (and I will again emphasize that certification is
not the only way to do that, but it can be an important way among others).

The IAAP succeeds to the extent that it furthers the cause of
accessibility. We know that, and that's what we're trying to do.


Paul Bohman, PhD
Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
703-225-0380, ext.121
https://DequeUniversity.com

From: Paul Bohman
Date: Sun, Sep 13 2015 8:55AM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

Leonie,

Extensive work has been done within the Professional Development committee
to define roles and competencies within the accessibility profession. Kathy
Wahlbin has been leading that committee and has done an excellent job
there. I see that a brief summary is posted here
http://www.accessibilityassociation.org/content.asp?contentid7 but I can
say that there has been more work done than is currently represented on
that page, so there is an opportunity for the IAAP to release more
information there. I'm not the head of that committee, so I will have to
defer to Kathy on that one.

I will say, though, that the certification exam topics flow from the roles
and competencies identified in the Professional Development committee.


Paul Bohman, PhD
Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
703-225-0380, ext.121
https://DequeUniversity.com

From: Tim Harshbarger
Date: Mon, Sep 14 2015 7:11AM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

I keep seeing comments about a desire for more transparency. Would people be willing to describe what exactly they are looking for from an organization like this when it comes to transparency?


-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Roger Hudson
Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2015 9:02 PM
To: 'WebAIM Discussion List'
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] IAAP Certification Update

At the risk of pissing a few people off, I find all this IAAP stuff is starting to get a little tiring.

It is hard to develop any process of certification, and this is particularly the case when it has to take in to account a diverse range of linguistic, geographic, technical, financial and cognitive issues. I suspect that unless the IAAP process in much more transparent (thanks Karl) and is affordable to all those who might be interested, it runs the risk of just being a self-serving promotional tool.

Finally, in my opinion two of the most important things that are necessary when it comes to developing or testing accessible content are empathy and commonsense, and sadly neither of these are easy to teach.

Roger

-----Original Message-----
From: Jennison Mark Asuncion [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ]
Sent: Sunday, 13 September 2015 10:36 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] IAAP Certification Update

Paul,

Re your comment: "There is more than one place that you can find tutorials, classes, or workshops on all of these topics." I would expect that IAAP has/will take the lead in compiling a list of such sources to help prospective test takers prepare to write the exam. I for one would not know where to start looking, for all of these diverse topics.

My question is what specific jobs does the IAAP envision someone holding an Associate Level certification being able to obtain? Or, is IAAP's thinking that someone would have to obtain both the Associate Level and one of the other planned certifications in order to help them secure employment in accessibility?

Jennison






On 9/12/15, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Dave,
>
> You asked "What would be a good first few steps to prepping for the
> impending certification when it gets finalized?"
>
> That's an excellent question. Here is the list of topics that we
> anticipate will be on the Associate level exam (subject to a final review):
>
> - Disabilities
> - Theoretical Models of Disability
> - Types of Disabilities, Challenges, and Assistive Technologies
> - Disability Demographics
> - Disability Etiquette
> - Accessibility and Universal Design
> - Individual Accommodations versus Inclusive Design
> - Benefits of Accessibility
> - Accessibility Principles (WCAG 2.0) (http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG/)
> - The Principles of Universal Design 2.0 (
> http://www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/design/cud/about_ud/udprinciplestext.htm)
> - Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (
> http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines)
> - Usability and User Experience (UX)
> - Standards, Laws, and Management Strategies
> - International Conventions and Treaties (The Universal Declaration
> of Human Rights, Convention on the Rights of Persons with
> Disabilities, The
> Marrakesh Treaty (WIPO))
> - Accessibility Standards and Regulations
> - National and Regional Laws
> - Systematic Organizational Governance and Management
>
> There is more than one place that you can find tutorials, classes, or
> workshops on all of these topics. I am most familiar with the
> resources that I have created (or collaborated on) on the Deque University web site:
> https://dequeuniversity.com/courses/ You could start with the course
> "Web Accessibility Fundamentals," which also includes a section on
> Universal Design in the Physical World, to supplement all the other
> information about Universal Design for the Web.
>
> And there are other similar resources on the web as well, some free,
> some with paid subscriptions. I'll let others chime in if they want to
> add their own resources.
>
> Aside from pre-packaged curricula, you can use the outline above as a
> study guide to do some of your own research. As soon as the Exam
> Blueprint is validated, the IAAP will publish a complete Body of
> Knowledge document with much more detail that can be used as a complete study guide.
>
> Note that the Associate level credential is not just about web
> accessibility. It is about the broad concepts of accessibility in both
> virtual and physical spaces. One of the goals of the credential is to
> encourage people to think across domains, because sometimes the best
> solutions to accessibility problems in one domain are actually in
> another domain.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Paul Bohman, PhD
> Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc 703-225-0380, ext.121
> https://DequeUniversity.com
>
>
> On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 8:32 PM, Dave Bahr < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
>> Ok, sorry Paul, my bad for not reading that description properly. I
>> see what you mean now about being a tester.
>>
>> Um, not sure what to say to the last post in this thread because I'm
>> not on the direct inside of all the organizations. So...for someone
>> who is a newby at all of this. What would be a good first few steps
>> to prepping for the impending certification when it gets finalized? I
>> have no idea what I'm doing, and I'll freely admit that, because if I
>> didn't, I'd be lying to myself. In the forum post I put out, someone
>> wrote that they know a lot of people who are passionate about
>> accessibility by providing opinions about whether the software is
>> accessible but not necessarily providing constructive feedback with
>> snippets of code or something to try to help the devs out. Or, at
>> least, that's how I read it, I could again have interpreted that
>> wrong. I fear that I may be one of those people. I can tell you when
>> something isn't accessible for me as a user, but I couldn't
>> necessarily tell you the exact coding on how to fix it. For example,
>> I could tell you that if the website you were showing me didn't have
>> headings where there could be headings, then you should put headings
>> there so it's easier to read. But I couldn't tell you what style
>> sheet to use and the exact html coding to do it.
>> That's a basic example, but I hope it illustrates where I'm coming
>> from. I have extensive knowledge about accessibility on desktop and
>> iphone, not android, don't have the money for one right now. I guess
>> I'm feeling overwhelmed right now as to what a good place to start
>> is. I was advised to concentrate on mobile access and, while I
>> completely understand why that's so important, by more knowledgable
>> areas are in desktop and screen reader access since that's what I
>> deal with 98 percent of the time. So, yes, I'd love to be certified,
>> is there a book I can start with or something?
>>
>>
>>
> > > archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> >


--
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: Jon Metz
Date: Mon, Sep 14 2015 1:00PM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

I appreciate the concept of certification. I think I posed the question to
the list a long time ago and there were a number of very helpful posts
made at the time that shared why or why not it was a good idea. With all
the things I¹ve read, I still believe that our profession could benefit
from some kind of certification that proves we know our stuff. However, I
do not believe the way it¹s being done through IAAP is the way to go. So
far it seems to be presented as a method of ³weeding out the undesirables²
in order to prove one¹s muster and to highlight the arbitrary importance
of some concepts of accessibility over another. I think this direction is
detrimental to furthering the cause of promoting ICT accessibility and
professional accessibility awareness.


Paul mentioned that everyone at the IAAP is fully committed to promoting
and making the accessibility a top priority. There is not a doubt in my
mind that that¹s true. I truly believe that the companies and
organizations want to see more accessibility professionals and a
determinable level of qualifications before stating you¹re an
accessibility professional on your resume. Please note that the following
examples are not intended to criticize anyone, but merely to shed some
light on my reasoning. I truly respect the work of each of the individual
people and companies involved in IAAP, and honestly look up to many of
it¹s members as role models and even celebrities in this field.

Even with their strong desire for promoting accessibility cohesion,
there¹s an equally disturbing bias that¹s included with each
organization¹s opinion of what it takes to be considered an Accessibility
Professional. This is especially the case at its root. The Assistive
Technology Industry Association (ATIA) has been a strong opponent to any
legislation that dictates it must follow some sort of standard to follow
in adhering to Industry Standard specifications (see Proposed Rule of the
2015 ICT Refresh; Section E, 2010 and 2011 ANPRMS Significant Issues; 5.
Interoperability Requirements for Assistive Technology; 3-VV Assistive
Technology ‹ No Consensus). This opinion
flies in the face of the spirit of any Standardization process: ³You agree
to do one thing, I agree to do another thing; and we¹ll meet in the middle
to make sure things work.²

Aside from the IAAP, within the ranks of the Supporting (Founding?)
members involved there¹s been significant push-back for the kinds of
technology that must be used in order to make something accessible. At the
risk of soliciting a universal sigh from this group, PDF is often looked
upon as being similar to printed paper in it¹s accessibility ability. This
is usually stated with the same reasons and misinformation from several
³Accessibility Subject Matter Experts (SME)³ on IAAP¹s own Boards that
ignores the efforts made by the International Standards Organization
(ISO), the NVDA Goes PDF/UA Project, the Association for Information and
Image Management (AIIM), and several others involved in PDF/UA.

To wit, the very ³Center of Development Expertise (CODE) for Accessibility
Task Force Final Report² delivered by the ATIA was provided in PDF form,
and it¹s an oddly incorrectly tagged document (the cover page is a Table
for some reason). Deque, listed at the beginning of almost every page
about the IAAP has several PDFs on their web site about accessibility that
do not follow any recommendations for making an accessible PDF either,
even the rudimentary (and now severely outdated) Accessibility provisions
provided by Katie¹s work in the W3C for PDF Accessibility requirements
published in 2001.

Aside from the ugly stepchild that is PDF, DHS has a (potentially) amazing
and rigorous testing methodology outlined in it¹s Trusted Tester program.
However, their tests are made completely within a Windows environment,
using Internet Explorer alone, and are impossible to be performed from
someone who has a disability because of how it breaks the site in order to
test it. No provision has been provided for testing other aspects of ICT
aside from maybe multimedia.

This apparent focus on specific ICT is attributed to a set of opinions
that one technology is better than another, and its one of the more
frustrating things to deal with in our industry. Clients will regularly
inform me they do not need to follow accessibility provisions for Section
508 (used as example, because that¹s mostly the type of clients I have)
based on something they read from another agency. Later, when their
Section 508 office returns with a different interpretation of the law,
they return telling me it¹s the opposite. It¹s frustrating because, while
it¹s a known fact that every 508 Coordinator has a different idea of how
to interpret the rules, all Subject Matter Experts have different ideas of
what is possible to be the most accessible. I know the IAAP would say this
is why we need certification, but this advice is coming from members
organizations of the IAAP.

This brings me to the next problem. The problem with starting any
certification is that you need someone who says they are better at
something than you are, in order to provide the training and testing
required making it mean anything. You can certainly list off your resume
to us that you are the best group of people for the job, but we could
easily do the same. What¹s to say that we¹re not just as worthy as you are
in order to consider ourselves Accessibility Subject Matter Experts?
Paying $300 to take an exam only proves you either have money to throw at
someone¹s opinions of what it takes to do something and some kind of idea
that you were worse at your job than someone else. This is not the way to
go with any certification process.

Worse, the very certifications highlight the opinions and biases of the
actual organizations behind the IAAP. You can only get an Associate level
certification as a Project Management person, but if you want to consider
yourself to be an Accessibility Professional, you need to do work
primarily on the web? As an Invited Expert of the Education and Outreach
for WAI, I can tell you that our work is equally important as that of a
Web Developer because our responsibility involves interpreting the
requirements to do the work. Many of us (myself included) are not
programmers. It would be far better to have a set of individual categories
that make up a focus in one¹s career path that create a Professional
certification. Otherwise you¹re just reinventing certifications that
people can already get today, such as PMP, ACE, CompTIA, CIM, etc.

Unlike certifications for software or many other standardized processes,
the field of accessibility is a highly and personally conceptualized
field. It¹s true that one must understand ICT and have an ability to
understand what it¹s like to have a disability, but how disabilities react
to different aspects of ICT largely play a role in how something should be
made accessible. This mindset becomes more prevalent when one's work has
been driven based on one¹s own disability. I¹ve had many conversations on
this list with other professionals who adamantly believe that making
websites accessible is for one type of disability alone. Whether there is
truth to this is irrelevant. Anyone taking a test to prove their worth of
being considered an Accessibility Professional will undoubtedly interpret
many rules that apply to their preferred contextual disability. This is
going to be even more so the case when the tester is someone with a
specific disability. It¹s very hard to consider how to fill another¹s
shoes when you¹ve been wearing your own for so long.

I would prefer the IAAP to change their focus from asking what sort of
technology it takes to be considered a professional in this field, but
instead ask what type of person it takes to make an accessibility
professional. While I disagree with many of my colleagues about PDFs or
relying on one browser alone, I don¹t immediately suspect that they are
worthless in this field. That¹s the tone that the IAAP has been taking and
it isn¹t doing anybody any good.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my opinion.

Jon Metz
www.metzessible.com <http://www.metzessible.com>;





On 9/14/15, 9:11 AM, "WebAIM-Forum on behalf of Tim Harshbarger"
< = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = on behalf of
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

>I keep seeing comments about a desire for more transparency. Would
>people be willing to describe what exactly they are looking for from an
>organization like this when it comes to transparency?
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On
>Behalf Of Roger Hudson
>Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2015 9:02 PM
>To: 'WebAIM Discussion List'
>Subject: Re: [WebAIM] IAAP Certification Update
>
>At the risk of pissing a few people off, I find all this IAAP stuff is
>starting to get a little tiring.
>
>It is hard to develop any process of certification, and this is
>particularly the case when it has to take in to account a diverse range
>of linguistic, geographic, technical, financial and cognitive issues. I
>suspect that unless the IAAP process in much more transparent (thanks
>Karl) and is affordable to all those who might be interested, it runs the
>risk of just being a self-serving promotional tool.
>
>Finally, in my opinion two of the most important things that are
>necessary when it comes to developing or testing accessible content are
>empathy and commonsense, and sadly neither of these are easy to teach.
>
>Roger
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Jennison Mark Asuncion [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ]
>Sent: Sunday, 13 September 2015 10:36 AM
>To: WebAIM Discussion List
>Subject: Re: [WebAIM] IAAP Certification Update
>
>Paul,
>
>Re your comment: "There is more than one place that you can find
>tutorials, classes, or workshops on all of these topics." I would expect
>that IAAP has/will take the lead in compiling a list of such sources to
>help prospective test takers prepare to write the exam. I for one would
>not know where to start looking, for all of these diverse topics.
>
>My question is what specific jobs does the IAAP envision someone holding
>an Associate Level certification being able to obtain? Or, is IAAP's
>thinking that someone would have to obtain both the Associate Level and
>one of the other planned certifications in order to help them secure
>employment in accessibility?
>
>Jennison
>
>
>
>
>
>
>On 9/12/15, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>> Dave,
>>
>> You asked "What would be a good first few steps to prepping for the
>> impending certification when it gets finalized?"
>>
>> That's an excellent question. Here is the list of topics that we
>> anticipate will be on the Associate level exam (subject to a final
>>review):
>>
>> - Disabilities
>> - Theoretical Models of Disability
>> - Types of Disabilities, Challenges, and Assistive Technologies
>> - Disability Demographics
>> - Disability Etiquette
>> - Accessibility and Universal Design
>> - Individual Accommodations versus Inclusive Design
>> - Benefits of Accessibility
>> - Accessibility Principles (WCAG 2.0) (http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG/)
>> - The Principles of Universal Design 2.0 (
>> http://www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/design/cud/about_ud/udprinciplestext.htm)
>> - Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (
>> http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines)
>> - Usability and User Experience (UX)
>> - Standards, Laws, and Management Strategies
>> - International Conventions and Treaties (The Universal
>>Declaration
>> of Human Rights, Convention on the Rights of Persons with
>> Disabilities, The
>> Marrakesh Treaty (WIPO))
>> - Accessibility Standards and Regulations
>> - National and Regional Laws
>> - Systematic Organizational Governance and Management
>>
>> There is more than one place that you can find tutorials, classes, or
>> workshops on all of these topics. I am most familiar with the
>> resources that I have created (or collaborated on) on the Deque
>>University web site:
>> https://dequeuniversity.com/courses/ You could start with the course
>> "Web Accessibility Fundamentals," which also includes a section on
>> Universal Design in the Physical World, to supplement all the other
>> information about Universal Design for the Web.
>>
>> And there are other similar resources on the web as well, some free,
>> some with paid subscriptions. I'll let others chime in if they want to
>> add their own resources.
>>
>> Aside from pre-packaged curricula, you can use the outline above as a
>> study guide to do some of your own research. As soon as the Exam
>> Blueprint is validated, the IAAP will publish a complete Body of
>> Knowledge document with much more detail that can be used as a complete
>>study guide.
>>
>> Note that the Associate level credential is not just about web
>> accessibility. It is about the broad concepts of accessibility in both
>> virtual and physical spaces. One of the goals of the credential is to
>> encourage people to think across domains, because sometimes the best
>> solutions to accessibility problems in one domain are actually in
>> another domain.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Paul Bohman, PhD
>> Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc 703-225-0380, ext.121
>> https://DequeUniversity.com
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 8:32 PM, Dave Bahr < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>>
>>> Ok, sorry Paul, my bad for not reading that description properly. I
>>> see what you mean now about being a tester.
>>>
>>> Um, not sure what to say to the last post in this thread because I'm
>>> not on the direct inside of all the organizations. So...for someone
>>> who is a newby at all of this. What would be a good first few steps
>>> to prepping for the impending certification when it gets finalized? I
>>> have no idea what I'm doing, and I'll freely admit that, because if I
>>> didn't, I'd be lying to myself. In the forum post I put out, someone
>>> wrote that they know a lot of people who are passionate about
>>> accessibility by providing opinions about whether the software is
>>> accessible but not necessarily providing constructive feedback with
>>> snippets of code or something to try to help the devs out. Or, at
>>> least, that's how I read it, I could again have interpreted that
>>> wrong. I fear that I may be one of those people. I can tell you when
>>> something isn't accessible for me as a user, but I couldn't
>>> necessarily tell you the exact coding on how to fix it. For example,
>>> I could tell you that if the website you were showing me didn't have
>>> headings where there could be headings, then you should put headings
>>> there so it's easier to read. But I couldn't tell you what style
>>> sheet to use and the exact html coding to do it.
>>> That's a basic example, but I hope it illustrates where I'm coming
>>> from. I have extensive knowledge about accessibility on desktop and
>>> iphone, not android, don't have the money for one right now. I guess
>>> I'm feeling overwhelmed right now as to what a good place to start
>>> is. I was advised to concentrate on mobile access and, while I
>>> completely understand why that's so important, by more knowledgable
>>> areas are in desktop and screen reader access since that's what I
>>> deal with 98 percent of the time. So, yes, I'd love to be certified,
>>> is there a book I can start with or something?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> >> >> archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
>> >>
>
>
>--
>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
>>>at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
>>
>>>>>>>>

From: Katie Haritos-Shea GMAIL
Date: Mon, Sep 14 2015 2:08PM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

Jon,

I do not claim to speak for anyone other than myself here.....

I want to explain why I am at the table. I agree with you that we all have something to offer, I am completely against giving the impression that a person who has been in this field for many years is unskilled with nothing to offer. They are skilled within the confines of their experiences.

I am really not as concerned as others are by what some refer to as 'pretenders'. I think when I was working in Accessibility for 5 years I felt myself 'skilled' (while of course understanding that one could never understand the depths of all topics and technologies unless one worked with them on a daily basis).At 10 years in I am sure I felt the same, and so on. But regardless - I know that I am skilled 'within the confines of my experience'. Which is to say there will always be aspects of accessibility I will probably never be that good at, because I did not have the opportunity to work in that space.

That said, I do understand why companies needs some level of idea of whether or not a person has the requisite skills to fill a need BEFORE they go to the expense and time of hiring them. Not everyone in our business, nay I would say few, are famous bloggers or speakers out in the world making an A11Y name for themselves. Most are quietly doing their jobs in universities, companies, agencies - and often referencing, learning and keeping up-to-date as they can with those loud and less loud resources - such as this one, WebAIM.

How do those people, who are very skilled without creds, or a name for themselves, get traction? Find a job, or a new job? How do new people just getting into this work build up a skill set that can help them move into any kind of Accessibility related environment?

I think the day for certification in our industry has come.

What it will eventually look like, I think, will be a combination of certifying organizations, universities and Accessibility organizations (W3C WAI, WebAIM, etc), working in tandem and together - to make that happen. IAAP's certification process *can*be one of those pieces of the puzzle.

I am at this table because the IAAP put out a call for volunteers to join their various organizing committees - as they were sort of pushed to do by our A11Y community to be more inclusive. They asked all and anyone. I answered. I do not work for any founding member or current member organization of IAAP. I wanted the opportunity to help and have a voice - so that the committees were NOT only run by founding members and large companies. And frankly, I am tired of people bitching without offering viable options to what IAAP could offer. If the people who are so concerned would just come to the table and add their voice, and frankly, their time and hard work - it is much less likely to go off the rails - where many unknowing people - assume it has already gone.

I volunteer my time to help. I will not even be eligible to take the certification - as I have been part of the beginnings of the process. I do NOT feel I know more than others. I know that I have many areas that are lean - I have however been fortunate enough to work for government, industry, for an Accessibility tool company as well as within the W3C for the last 15 years. I do think I have some valuable things to contribute - but again it is based on the confines of my experiences. When I was made a Section 508 Coordinator for a US federal agency, I WISH that there had been some place for me to go to learn. In place of any formal training I perused and learned from the W3C and work being done in Australia and Canada - as they had related Accessibility incidents and topics in a language I could understand (one of the confines of my experiences).

All will make their own decisions about what to do about IAAP. I have chosen to lend my voice to the effort, and join as an individual member. Do I call out issues when I see them? You bet I do! Is anyone in IAAP listening? They are, and continue to do so. Do I preach about this (other than to a friend or three)? Only here and now.

Just like all things it is good to *learn the facts*, before dissing something out of hand. Has the criticism helped this organization? Yes, it has.

My 2 cents!



* katie *

Katie Haritos-Shea
Senior Accessibility SME (WCAG/Section 508/ADA/AODA)

Cell: 703-371-5545 | = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = | Oakton, VA | LinkedIn Profile | Office: 703-371-5545

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Jon Metz
Sent: Monday, September 14, 2015 3:00 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] IAAP Certification Update

I appreciate the concept of certification. I think I posed the question to the list a long time ago and there were a number of very helpful posts made at the time that shared why or why not it was a good idea. With all the things I¹ve read, I still believe that our profession could benefit from some kind of certification that proves we know our stuff. However, I do not believe the way it¹s being done through IAAP is the way to go. So far it seems to be presented as a method of ³weeding out the undesirables² in order to prove one¹s muster and to highlight the arbitrary importance of some concepts of accessibility over another. I think this direction is detrimental to furthering the cause of promoting ICT accessibility and professional accessibility awareness.


Paul mentioned that everyone at the IAAP is fully committed to promoting and making the accessibility a top priority. There is not a doubt in my mind that that¹s true. I truly believe that the companies and organizations want to see more accessibility professionals and a determinable level of qualifications before stating you¹re an accessibility professional on your resume. Please note that the following examples are not intended to criticize anyone, but merely to shed some light on my reasoning. I truly respect the work of each of the individual people and companies involved in IAAP, and honestly look up to many of it¹s members as role models and even celebrities in this field.

Even with their strong desire for promoting accessibility cohesion, there¹s an equally disturbing bias that¹s included with each organization¹s opinion of what it takes to be considered an Accessibility Professional. This is especially the case at its root. The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) has been a strong opponent to any legislation that dictates it must follow some sort of standard to follow in adhering to Industry Standard specifications (see Proposed Rule of the
2015 ICT Refresh; Section E, 2010 and 2011 ANPRMS Significant Issues; 5.
Interoperability Requirements for Assistive Technology; 3-VV Assistive Technology ‹ No Consensus). This opinion flies in the face of the spirit of any Standardization process: ³You agree to do one thing, I agree to do another thing; and we¹ll meet in the middle to make sure things work.²

Aside from the IAAP, within the ranks of the Supporting (Founding?) members involved there¹s been significant push-back for the kinds of technology that must be used in order to make something accessible. At the risk of soliciting a universal sigh from this group, PDF is often looked upon as being similar to printed paper in it¹s accessibility ability. This is usually stated with the same reasons and misinformation from several ³Accessibility Subject Matter Experts (SME)³ on IAAP¹s own Boards that ignores the efforts made by the International Standards Organization (ISO), the NVDA Goes PDF/UA Project, the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM), and several others involved in PDF/UA.

To wit, the very ³Center of Development Expertise (CODE) for Accessibility Task Force Final Report² delivered by the ATIA was provided in PDF form, and it¹s an oddly incorrectly tagged document (the cover page is a Table for some reason). Deque, listed at the beginning of almost every page about the IAAP has several PDFs on their web site about accessibility that do not follow any recommendations for making an accessible PDF either, even the rudimentary (and now severely outdated) Accessibility provisions provided by Katie¹s work in the W3C for PDF Accessibility requirements published in 2001.

Aside from the ugly stepchild that is PDF, DHS has a (potentially) amazing and rigorous testing methodology outlined in it¹s Trusted Tester program.
However, their tests are made completely within a Windows environment, using Internet Explorer alone, and are impossible to be performed from someone who has a disability because of how it breaks the site in order to test it. No provision has been provided for testing other aspects of ICT aside from maybe multimedia.

This apparent focus on specific ICT is attributed to a set of opinions that one technology is better than another, and its one of the more frustrating things to deal with in our industry. Clients will regularly inform me they do not need to follow accessibility provisions for Section
508 (used as example, because that¹s mostly the type of clients I have) based on something they read from another agency. Later, when their Section 508 office returns with a different interpretation of the law, they return telling me it¹s the opposite. It¹s frustrating because, while it¹s a known fact that every 508 Coordinator has a different idea of how to interpret the rules, all Subject Matter Experts have different ideas of what is possible to be the most accessible. I know the IAAP would say this is why we need certification, but this advice is coming from members organizations of the IAAP.

This brings me to the next problem. The problem with starting any certification is that you need someone who says they are better at something than you are, in order to provide the training and testing required making it mean anything. You can certainly list off your resume to us that you are the best group of people for the job, but we could easily do the same. What¹s to say that we¹re not just as worthy as you are in order to consider ourselves Accessibility Subject Matter Experts?
Paying $300 to take an exam only proves you either have money to throw at someone¹s opinions of what it takes to do something and some kind of idea that you were worse at your job than someone else. This is not the way to go with any certification process.

Worse, the very certifications highlight the opinions and biases of the actual organizations behind the IAAP. You can only get an Associate level certification as a Project Management person, but if you want to consider yourself to be an Accessibility Professional, you need to do work primarily on the web? As an Invited Expert of the Education and Outreach for WAI, I can tell you that our work is equally important as that of a Web Developer because our responsibility involves interpreting the requirements to do the work. Many of us (myself included) are not programmers. It would be far better to have a set of individual categories that make up a focus in one¹s career path that create a Professional certification. Otherwise you¹re just reinventing certifications that people can already get today, such as PMP, ACE, CompTIA, CIM, etc.

Unlike certifications for software or many other standardized processes, the field of accessibility is a highly and personally conceptualized field. It¹s true that one must understand ICT and have an ability to understand what it¹s like to have a disability, but how disabilities react to different aspects of ICT largely play a role in how something should be made accessible. This mindset becomes more prevalent when one's work has been driven based on one¹s own disability. I¹ve had many conversations on this list with other professionals who adamantly believe that making websites accessible is for one type of disability alone. Whether there is truth to this is irrelevant. Anyone taking a test to prove their worth of being considered an Accessibility Professional will undoubtedly interpret many rules that apply to their preferred contextual disability. This is going to be even more so the case when the tester is someone with a specific disability. It¹s very hard to consider how to fill another¹s shoes when you¹ve been wearing your own for so long.

I would prefer the IAAP to change their focus from asking what sort of technology it takes to be considered a professional in this field, but instead ask what type of person it takes to make an accessibility professional. While I disagree with many of my colleagues about PDFs or relying on one browser alone, I don¹t immediately suspect that they are worthless in this field. That¹s the tone that the IAAP has been taking and it isn¹t doing anybody any good.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my opinion.

Jon Metz
www.metzessible.com <http://www.metzessible.com>;





On 9/14/15, 9:11 AM, "WebAIM-Forum on behalf of Tim Harshbarger"
< = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = on behalf of = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

>I keep seeing comments about a desire for more transparency. Would
>people be willing to describe what exactly they are looking for from an
>organization like this when it comes to transparency?
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On
>Behalf Of Roger Hudson
>Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2015 9:02 PM
>To: 'WebAIM Discussion List'
>Subject: Re: [WebAIM] IAAP Certification Update
>
>At the risk of pissing a few people off, I find all this IAAP stuff is
>starting to get a little tiring.
>
>It is hard to develop any process of certification, and this is
>particularly the case when it has to take in to account a diverse range
>of linguistic, geographic, technical, financial and cognitive issues. I
>suspect that unless the IAAP process in much more transparent (thanks
>Karl) and is affordable to all those who might be interested, it runs
>the risk of just being a self-serving promotional tool.
>
>Finally, in my opinion two of the most important things that are
>necessary when it comes to developing or testing accessible content are
>empathy and commonsense, and sadly neither of these are easy to teach.
>
>Roger
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Jennison Mark Asuncion [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ]
>Sent: Sunday, 13 September 2015 10:36 AM
>To: WebAIM Discussion List
>Subject: Re: [WebAIM] IAAP Certification Update
>
>Paul,
>
>Re your comment: "There is more than one place that you can find
>tutorials, classes, or workshops on all of these topics." I would
>expect that IAAP has/will take the lead in compiling a list of such
>sources to help prospective test takers prepare to write the exam. I
>for one would not know where to start looking, for all of these diverse topics.
>
>My question is what specific jobs does the IAAP envision someone
>holding an Associate Level certification being able to obtain? Or, is
>IAAP's thinking that someone would have to obtain both the Associate
>Level and one of the other planned certifications in order to help them
>secure employment in accessibility?
>
>Jennison
>
>
>
>
>
>
>On 9/12/15, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>> Dave,
>>
>> You asked "What would be a good first few steps to prepping for the
>> impending certification when it gets finalized?"
>>
>> That's an excellent question. Here is the list of topics that we
>>anticipate will be on the Associate level exam (subject to a final
>>review):
>>
>> - Disabilities
>> - Theoretical Models of Disability
>> - Types of Disabilities, Challenges, and Assistive Technologies
>> - Disability Demographics
>> - Disability Etiquette
>> - Accessibility and Universal Design
>> - Individual Accommodations versus Inclusive Design
>> - Benefits of Accessibility
>> - Accessibility Principles (WCAG 2.0) (http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG/)
>> - The Principles of Universal Design 2.0 (
>> http://www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/design/cud/about_ud/udprinciplestext.htm)
>> - Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (
>> http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines)
>> - Usability and User Experience (UX)
>> - Standards, Laws, and Management Strategies
>> - International Conventions and Treaties (The Universal
>>Declaration
>> of Human Rights, Convention on the Rights of Persons with
>>Disabilities, The
>> Marrakesh Treaty (WIPO))
>> - Accessibility Standards and Regulations
>> - National and Regional Laws
>> - Systematic Organizational Governance and Management
>>
>> There is more than one place that you can find tutorials, classes, or
>>workshops on all of these topics. I am most familiar with the
>>resources that I have created (or collaborated on) on the Deque
>>University web site:
>> https://dequeuniversity.com/courses/ You could start with the course
>>"Web Accessibility Fundamentals," which also includes a section on
>>Universal Design in the Physical World, to supplement all the other
>>information about Universal Design for the Web.
>>
>> And there are other similar resources on the web as well, some free,
>> some with paid subscriptions. I'll let others chime in if they want
>> to add their own resources.
>>
>> Aside from pre-packaged curricula, you can use the outline above as a
>>study guide to do some of your own research. As soon as the Exam
>>Blueprint is validated, the IAAP will publish a complete Body of
>>Knowledge document with much more detail that can be used as a
>>complete study guide.
>>
>> Note that the Associate level credential is not just about web
>> accessibility. It is about the broad concepts of accessibility in
>> both virtual and physical spaces. One of the goals of the credential
>> is to encourage people to think across domains, because sometimes the
>> best solutions to accessibility problems in one domain are actually
>> in another domain.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Paul Bohman, PhD
>> Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc 703-225-0380, ext.121
>> https://DequeUniversity.com
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 8:32 PM, Dave Bahr < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>>
>>> Ok, sorry Paul, my bad for not reading that description properly. I
>>> see what you mean now about being a tester.
>>>
>>> Um, not sure what to say to the last post in this thread because I'm
>>> not on the direct inside of all the organizations. So...for someone
>>> who is a newby at all of this. What would be a good first few steps
>>> to prepping for the impending certification when it gets finalized?
>>> I have no idea what I'm doing, and I'll freely admit that, because
>>> if I didn't, I'd be lying to myself. In the forum post I put out,
>>> someone wrote that they know a lot of people who are passionate
>>> about accessibility by providing opinions about whether the software
>>> is accessible but not necessarily providing constructive feedback
>>> with snippets of code or something to try to help the devs out. Or,
>>> at least, that's how I read it, I could again have interpreted that
>>> wrong. I fear that I may be one of those people. I can tell you when
>>> something isn't accessible for me as a user, but I couldn't
>>> necessarily tell you the exact coding on how to fix it. For example,
>>> I could tell you that if the website you were showing me didn't have
>>> headings where there could be headings, then you should put headings
>>> there so it's easier to read. But I couldn't tell you what style
>>> sheet to use and the exact html coding to do it.
>>> That's a basic example, but I hope it illustrates where I'm coming
>>> from. I have extensive knowledge about accessibility on desktop and
>>> iphone, not android, don't have the money for one right now. I guess
>>> I'm feeling overwhelmed right now as to what a good place to start
>>> is. I was advised to concentrate on mobile access and, while I
>>> completely understand why that's so important, by more knowledgable
>>> areas are in desktop and screen reader access since that's what I
>>> deal with 98 percent of the time. So, yes, I'd love to be certified,
>>> is there a book I can start with or something?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> >> >> archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
>> >>
>
>
>--
>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
>>>archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
>>
>>>archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
>>>>archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
>

From: Paul Bohman
Date: Mon, Sep 14 2015 3:54PM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

Jon,

A few points:

- Thank you for the feedback. I'm always interested in understanding
people's thoughts about certification.
- Certification isn't so much about weeding out undesirables as it is
about providing a common definition and metric that people can reference.
- The hope is that the certification exam will be a meaningful, accurate
metric of a person's knowledge and analytical skills. There are certainly
limitations to what an exam can test. I would not expect that the
certification would be the only way to measure or prove one's accessibility
skills. It will be one way among several.
- To your points about PDF files, I'll mention that there are good and
bad aspects to it. PDF files can be fully screen reader accessible on
Windows, but not so much on a Mac, iOS device, or Android. I will mention
that the IAAP has considered offering another professional level
certification for e-documents, such as PDF, Word, EPUB, and ebook formats
of other kinds.
- The associate level is not just for managers. In a previous email in
this thread, I named managers as one category. I also named UX specialists,
visual designers, content writers and contributors, account
representatives, salespeople, and people in other non-technical roles.
Generally, for these people, accessibility is not their main focus on the
job. They do accessibility as a part of their larger set of
responsibilities. That doesn't make their job less important at all. It
just means that they themselves probably would not think of themselves as
"accessibility professionals." They would think of themselves as project
managers, UX specialists, etc., who happen to have some accessibility
knowledge.
- You are right that it is a challenge to get a group of accessibility
professionals to agree on testing methods or priorities. Welcome to one of
the challenges of what we're trying to accomplish! It's also an
opportunity. It will take time to bring clarity to all aspects of
accessibility. We're trying to do our part.



Paul Bohman, PhD
Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
703-225-0380, ext.121
https://DequeUniversity.com

From: Kevin Prince
Date: Mon, Sep 14 2015 7:35PM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

Hi All,

I'm new to this list (and I have no idea why I haven't made the effort to join before). I am also part of the committee working on this question. I can however, only speak for myself in seconding what Katie has to say. As an adopted kiwi I really don't recognise this landscape where people are able to get jobs with large corporations as accessibility experts - pretty much down here its something you bolt on to another job. I was concerned that, should a certification exist, it would be corporate-facing and North American in nature so I joined in to both understand more and to bring a small-scale operator's perspective to the party.

I was pleased to see that my fears as to intention were wrong and that international and non-corporate perspectives are both welcomed and I am confident that I have added to the progress rather than ignoring it or sniping at it.

Whether certification is something I will take up personally does really depend on it's value to those with whom I work and the cost/benefit versus the scale of my business. I can't call that yet. Is it a ‘goodthing' to have a certification - I believe so.

Here's to a good, open and honest dialogue - it can't hurt, but it will in all liklihood result in a better outcome.

Kevin prince
Access1in5

Independent Accessibility and IT Consultancy.



> On 15/09/2015, at 08:08, Katie Haritos-Shea GMAIL < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
> Jon,
>
> I do not claim to speak for anyone other than myself here.....
>
> I want to explain why I am at the table. I agree with you that we all have something to offer, I am completely against giving the impression that a person who has been in this field for many years is unskilled with nothing to offer. They are skilled within the confines of their experiences.
>
> I am really not as concerned as others are by what some refer to as 'pretenders'. I think when I was working in Accessibility for 5 years I felt myself 'skilled' (while of course understanding that one could never understand the depths of all topics and technologies unless one worked with them on a daily basis).At 10 years in I am sure I felt the same, and so on. But regardless - I know that I am skilled 'within the confines of my experience'. Which is to say there will always be aspects of accessibility I will probably never be that good at, because I did not have the opportunity to work in that space.
>
> That said, I do understand why companies needs some level of idea of whether or not a person has the requisite skills to fill a need BEFORE they go to the expense and time of hiring them. Not everyone in our business, nay I would say few, are famous bloggers or speakers out in the world making an A11Y name for themselves. Most are quietly doing their jobs in universities, companies, agencies - and often referencing, learning and keeping up-to-date as they can with those loud and less loud resources - such as this one, WebAIM.
>
> How do those people, who are very skilled without creds, or a name for themselves, get traction? Find a job, or a new job? How do new people just getting into this work build up a skill set that can help them move into any kind of Accessibility related environment?
>
> I think the day for certification in our industry has come.
>
> What it will eventually look like, I think, will be a combination of certifying organizations, universities and Accessibility organizations (W3C WAI, WebAIM, etc), working in tandem and together - to make that happen. IAAP's certification process *can*be one of those pieces of the puzzle.
>
> I am at this table because the IAAP put out a call for volunteers to join their various organizing committees - as they were sort of pushed to do by our A11Y community to be more inclusive. They asked all and anyone. I answered. I do not work for any founding member or current member organization of IAAP. I wanted the opportunity to help and have a voice - so that the committees were NOT only run by founding members and large companies. And frankly, I am tired of people bitching without offering viable options to what IAAP could offer. If the people who are so concerned would just come to the table and add their voice, and frankly, their time and hard work - it is much less likely to go off the rails - where many unknowing people - assume it has already gone.
>
> I volunteer my time to help. I will not even be eligible to take the certification - as I have been part of the beginnings of the process. I do NOT feel I know more than others. I know that I have many areas that are lean - I have however been fortunate enough to work for government, industry, for an Accessibility tool company as well as within the W3C for the last 15 years. I do think I have some valuable things to contribute - but again it is based on the confines of my experiences. When I was made a Section 508 Coordinator for a US federal agency, I WISH that there had been some place for me to go to learn. In place of any formal training I perused and learned from the W3C and work being done in Australia and Canada - as they had related Accessibility incidents and topics in a language I could understand (one of the confines of my experiences).
>
> All will make their own decisions about what to do about IAAP. I have chosen to lend my voice to the effort, and join as an individual member. Do I call out issues when I see them? You bet I do! Is anyone in IAAP listening? They are, and continue to do so. Do I preach about this (other than to a friend or three)? Only here and now.
>
> Just like all things it is good to *learn the facts*, before dissing something out of hand. Has the criticism helped this organization? Yes, it has.
>
> My 2 cents!
>
>
>
> * katie *
>
> Katie Haritos-Shea
> Senior Accessibility SME (WCAG/Section 508/ADA/AODA)
>
> Cell: 703-371-5545 | = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = | Oakton, VA | LinkedIn Profile | Office: 703-371-5545
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Jon Metz
> Sent: Monday, September 14, 2015 3:00 PM
> To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] IAAP Certification Update
>
> I appreciate the concept of certification. I think I posed the question to the list a long time ago and there were a number of very helpful posts made at the time that shared why or why not it was a good idea. With all the things I¹ve read, I still believe that our profession could benefit from some kind of certification that proves we know our stuff. However, I do not believe the way it¹s being done through IAAP is the way to go. So far it seems to be presented as a method of ³weeding out the undesirables² in order to prove one¹s muster and to highlight the arbitrary importance of some concepts of accessibility over another. I think this direction is detrimental to furthering the cause of promoting ICT accessibility and professional accessibility awareness.
>
>
> Paul mentioned that everyone at the IAAP is fully committed to promoting and making the accessibility a top priority. There is not a doubt in my mind that that¹s true. I truly believe that the companies and organizations want to see more accessibility professionals and a determinable level of qualifications before stating you¹re an accessibility professional on your resume. Please note that the following examples are not intended to criticize anyone, but merely to shed some light on my reasoning. I truly respect the work of each of the individual people and companies involved in IAAP, and honestly look up to many of it¹s members as role models and even celebrities in this field.
>
> Even with their strong desire for promoting accessibility cohesion, there¹s an equally disturbing bias that¹s included with each organization¹s opinion of what it takes to be considered an Accessibility Professional. This is especially the case at its root. The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) has been a strong opponent to any legislation that dictates it must follow some sort of standard to follow in adhering to Industry Standard specifications (see Proposed Rule of the
> 2015 ICT Refresh; Section E, 2010 and 2011 ANPRMS Significant Issues; 5.
> Interoperability Requirements for Assistive Technology; 3-VV Assistive Technology ‹ No Consensus). This opinion flies in the face of the spirit of any Standardization process: ³You agree to do one thing, I agree to do another thing; and we¹ll meet in the middle to make sure things work.²
>
> Aside from the IAAP, within the ranks of the Supporting (Founding?) members involved there¹s been significant push-back for the kinds of technology that must be used in order to make something accessible. At the risk of soliciting a universal sigh from this group, PDF is often looked upon as being similar to printed paper in it¹s accessibility ability. This is usually stated with the same reasons and misinformation from several ³Accessibility Subject Matter Experts (SME)³ on IAAP¹s own Boards that ignores the efforts made by the International Standards Organization (ISO), the NVDA Goes PDF/UA Project, the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM), and several others involved in PDF/UA.
>
> To wit, the very ³Center of Development Expertise (CODE) for Accessibility Task Force Final Report² delivered by the ATIA was provided in PDF form, and it¹s an oddly incorrectly tagged document (the cover page is a Table for some reason). Deque, listed at the beginning of almost every page about the IAAP has several PDFs on their web site about accessibility that do not follow any recommendations for making an accessible PDF either, even the rudimentary (and now severely outdated) Accessibility provisions provided by Katie¹s work in the W3C for PDF Accessibility requirements published in 2001.
>
> Aside from the ugly stepchild that is PDF, DHS has a (potentially) amazing and rigorous testing methodology outlined in it¹s Trusted Tester program.
> However, their tests are made completely within a Windows environment, using Internet Explorer alone, and are impossible to be performed from someone who has a disability because of how it breaks the site in order to test it. No provision has been provided for testing other aspects of ICT aside from maybe multimedia.
>
> This apparent focus on specific ICT is attributed to a set of opinions that one technology is better than another, and its one of the more frustrating things to deal with in our industry. Clients will regularly inform me they do not need to follow accessibility provisions for Section
> 508 (used as example, because that¹s mostly the type of clients I have) based on something they read from another agency. Later, when their Section 508 office returns with a different interpretation of the law, they return telling me it¹s the opposite. It¹s frustrating because, while it¹s a known fact that every 508 Coordinator has a different idea of how to interpret the rules, all Subject Matter Experts have different ideas of what is possible to be the most accessible. I know the IAAP would say this is why we need certification, but this advice is coming from members organizations of the IAAP.
>
> This brings me to the next problem. The problem with starting any certification is that you need someone who says they are better at something than you are, in order to provide the training and testing required making it mean anything. You can certainly list off your resume to us that you are the best group of people for the job, but we could easily do the same. What¹s to say that we¹re not just as worthy as you are in order to consider ourselves Accessibility Subject Matter Experts?
> Paying $300 to take an exam only proves you either have money to throw at someone¹s opinions of what it takes to do something and some kind of idea that you were worse at your job than someone else. This is not the way to go with any certification process.
>
> Worse, the very certifications highlight the opinions and biases of the actual organizations behind the IAAP. You can only get an Associate level certification as a Project Management person, but if you want to consider yourself to be an Accessibility Professional, you need to do work primarily on the web? As an Invited Expert of the Education and Outreach for WAI, I can tell you that our work is equally important as that of a Web Developer because our responsibility involves interpreting the requirements to do the work. Many of us (myself included) are not programmers. It would be far better to have a set of individual categories that make up a focus in one¹s career path that create a Professional certification. Otherwise you¹re just reinventing certifications that people can already get today, such as PMP, ACE, CompTIA, CIM, etc.
>
> Unlike certifications for software or many other standardized processes, the field of accessibility is a highly and personally conceptualized field. It¹s true that one must understand ICT and have an ability to understand what it¹s like to have a disability, but how disabilities react to different aspects of ICT largely play a role in how something should be made accessible. This mindset becomes more prevalent when one's work has been driven based on one¹s own disability. I¹ve had many conversations on this list with other professionals who adamantly believe that making websites accessible is for one type of disability alone. Whether there is truth to this is irrelevant. Anyone taking a test to prove their worth of being considered an Accessibility Professional will undoubtedly interpret many rules that apply to their preferred contextual disability. This is going to be even more so the case when the tester is someone with a specific disability. It¹s very hard to consider how to fill another¹s shoes when you¹ve been wearing your own for so long.
>
> I would prefer the IAAP to change their focus from asking what sort of technology it takes to be considered a professional in this field, but instead ask what type of person it takes to make an accessibility professional. While I disagree with many of my colleagues about PDFs or relying on one browser alone, I don¹t immediately suspect that they are worthless in this field. That¹s the tone that the IAAP has been taking and it isn¹t doing anybody any good.
>
> Thank you for taking the time to consider my opinion.
>
> Jon Metz
> www.metzessible.com <http://www.metzessible.com>;
>
>
>
>
>
> On 9/14/15, 9:11 AM, "WebAIM-Forum on behalf of Tim Harshbarger"
> < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = on behalf of = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
>> I keep seeing comments about a desire for more transparency. Would
>> people be willing to describe what exactly they are looking for from an
>> organization like this when it comes to transparency?
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On
>> Behalf Of Roger Hudson
>> Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2015 9:02 PM
>> To: 'WebAIM Discussion List'
>> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] IAAP Certification Update
>>
>> At the risk of pissing a few people off, I find all this IAAP stuff is
>> starting to get a little tiring.
>>
>> It is hard to develop any process of certification, and this is
>> particularly the case when it has to take in to account a diverse range
>> of linguistic, geographic, technical, financial and cognitive issues. I
>> suspect that unless the IAAP process in much more transparent (thanks
>> Karl) and is affordable to all those who might be interested, it runs
>> the risk of just being a self-serving promotional tool.
>>
>> Finally, in my opinion two of the most important things that are
>> necessary when it comes to developing or testing accessible content are
>> empathy and commonsense, and sadly neither of these are easy to teach.
>>
>> Roger
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Jennison Mark Asuncion [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ]
>> Sent: Sunday, 13 September 2015 10:36 AM
>> To: WebAIM Discussion List
>> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] IAAP Certification Update
>>
>> Paul,
>>
>> Re your comment: "There is more than one place that you can find
>> tutorials, classes, or workshops on all of these topics." I would
>> expect that IAAP has/will take the lead in compiling a list of such
>> sources to help prospective test takers prepare to write the exam. I
>> for one would not know where to start looking, for all of these diverse topics.
>>
>> My question is what specific jobs does the IAAP envision someone
>> holding an Associate Level certification being able to obtain? Or, is
>> IAAP's thinking that someone would have to obtain both the Associate
>> Level and one of the other planned certifications in order to help them
>> secure employment in accessibility?
>>
>> Jennison
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 9/12/15, Paul Bohman < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>>> Dave,
>>>
>>> You asked "What would be a good first few steps to prepping for the
>>> impending certification when it gets finalized?"
>>>
>>> That's an excellent question. Here is the list of topics that we
>>> anticipate will be on the Associate level exam (subject to a final
>>> review):
>>>
>>> - Disabilities
>>> - Theoretical Models of Disability
>>> - Types of Disabilities, Challenges, and Assistive Technologies
>>> - Disability Demographics
>>> - Disability Etiquette
>>> - Accessibility and Universal Design
>>> - Individual Accommodations versus Inclusive Design
>>> - Benefits of Accessibility
>>> - Accessibility Principles (WCAG 2.0) (http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG/)
>>> - The Principles of Universal Design 2.0 (
>>> http://www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/design/cud/about_ud/udprinciplestext.htm)
>>> - Universal Design for Learning (UDL) (
>>> http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines)
>>> - Usability and User Experience (UX)
>>> - Standards, Laws, and Management Strategies
>>> - International Conventions and Treaties (The Universal
>>> Declaration
>>> of Human Rights, Convention on the Rights of Persons with
>>> Disabilities, The
>>> Marrakesh Treaty (WIPO))
>>> - Accessibility Standards and Regulations
>>> - National and Regional Laws
>>> - Systematic Organizational Governance and Management
>>>
>>> There is more than one place that you can find tutorials, classes, or
>>> workshops on all of these topics. I am most familiar with the
>>> resources that I have created (or collaborated on) on the Deque
>>> University web site:
>>> https://dequeuniversity.com/courses/ You could start with the course
>>> "Web Accessibility Fundamentals," which also includes a section on
>>> Universal Design in the Physical World, to supplement all the other
>>> information about Universal Design for the Web.
>>>
>>> And there are other similar resources on the web as well, some free,
>>> some with paid subscriptions. I'll let others chime in if they want
>>> to add their own resources.
>>>
>>> Aside from pre-packaged curricula, you can use the outline above as a
>>> study guide to do some of your own research. As soon as the Exam
>>> Blueprint is validated, the IAAP will publish a complete Body of
>>> Knowledge document with much more detail that can be used as a
>>> complete study guide.
>>>
>>> Note that the Associate level credential is not just about web
>>> accessibility. It is about the broad concepts of accessibility in
>>> both virtual and physical spaces. One of the goals of the credential
>>> is to encourage people to think across domains, because sometimes the
>>> best solutions to accessibility problems in one domain are actually
>>> in another domain.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Paul Bohman, PhD
>>> Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc 703-225-0380, ext.121
>>> https://DequeUniversity.com
>>>
>>>
>>> On Fri, Sep 11, 2015 at 8:32 PM, Dave Bahr < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Ok, sorry Paul, my bad for not reading that description properly. I
>>>> see what you mean now about being a tester.
>>>>
>>>> Um, not sure what to say to the last post in this thread because I'm
>>>> not on the direct inside of all the organizations. So...for someone
>>>> who is a newby at all of this. What would be a good first few steps
>>>> to prepping for the impending certification when it gets finalized?
>>>> I have no idea what I'm doing, and I'll freely admit that, because
>>>> if I didn't, I'd be lying to myself. In the forum post I put out,
>>>> someone wrote that they know a lot of people who are passionate
>>>> about accessibility by providing opinions about whether the software
>>>> is accessible but not necessarily providing constructive feedback
>>>> with snippets of code or something to try to help the devs out. Or,
>>>> at least, that's how I read it, I could again have interpreted that
>>>> wrong. I fear that I may be one of those people. I can tell you when
>>>> something isn't accessible for me as a user, but I couldn't
>>>> necessarily tell you the exact coding on how to fix it. For example,
>>>> I could tell you that if the website you were showing me didn't have
>>>> headings where there could be headings, then you should put headings
>>>> there so it's easier to read. But I couldn't tell you what style
>>>> sheet to use and the exact html coding to do it.
>>>> That's a basic example, but I hope it illustrates where I'm coming
>>>> from. I have extensive knowledge about accessibility on desktop and
>>>> iphone, not android, don't have the money for one right now. I guess
>>>> I'm feeling overwhelmed right now as to what a good place to start
>>>> is. I was advised to concentrate on mobile access and, while I
>>>> completely understand why that's so important, by more knowledgable
>>>> areas are in desktop and screen reader access since that's what I
>>>> deal with 98 percent of the time. So, yes, I'd love to be certified,
>>>> is there a book I can start with or something?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> >>> >>> archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
>>> >>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> 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
>> >> >> archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
>> >>
>> >> >> archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
>> >> >> >> archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
>> >
> > > >
> > > >

From: Jon Metz
Date: Wed, Sep 16 2015 11:14AM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

Hi Katie and Paul,

Thank you for responding to my message and I appreciate you taking the
time to personally provide some insight. I also wanted to wait a little
bit, because I can¹t help but feel a little sensitive to some of your
comments. I¹m terrible with context or making a big deal out of things,
but I feel it¹s necessary to respond in kind with a little clarification
about my reservations about the certification approach at IAAP.

On 9/14/15, 5:54 PM, "WebAIM-Forum on behalf of Paul Bohman"
< = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = on behalf of = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
wrote:

> - To your points about PDF files, I'll mention that there are good and
> bad aspects to it. PDF files can be fully screen reader accessible on
> Windows, but not so much on a Mac, iOS device, or Android. I will
>mention
> that the IAAP has considered offering another professional level
> certification for e-documents, such as PDF, Word, EPUB, and ebook
>formats
> of other kinds.

This is like saying we shouldn¹t advocate the use of ARIA because
Assistive Technology has irregular consistency when using a different
browser from Safari on a Mac. The fact that AT doesn¹t play well with one
particular type of ICT is not a limitation of the ICT. It¹s an inability
from one side of the specifications game to play well with others. Of
course, this could be solved if the AT industry would hop on board the
Specification Wagon, but this has been an uphill battle to say the least.

Making vendor specific certifications are also kind of silly because each
of them (mostly) already have their own certification: Adobe has the ACE,
MS has the Office Expert, etc. You can also go the complete route and get
a certification in Information Management or The AIIM certification as
well and call it a day. Why spend money on a fledgling organization on
something that is already recognized in the industry.

> Generally, for these people, accessibility is not their main focus on
>the
> job. They do accessibility as a part of their larger set of
> responsibilities. That doesn't make their job less important at all. It
> just means that they themselves probably would not think of themselves
>as
> "accessibility professionals." They would think of themselves as
>project
> managers, UX specialists, etc., who happen to have some accessibility
> knowledge.

My biggest problem here is that separating these fields from those working
specifically in programming, it becomes an affirmation that if one is not
a web developer, one couldn¹t possibly be considered an Accessibility
Professional. For example, my career is centered around helping
contractors and Federal agencies to interpret the specifications and
integrate them into their design and project management processes. My
specific job is not to implement the code or remediation myself (though I
do occasionally), but mostly train others on how to identify these things
before they become bugs and to strategically implement at a policy or
organizational level first.

This is not a case of individuals who "don¹t consider themselves
Œaccessibility professionals¹,² but rather that the IAAP simply does not
consider these fields eligible to be accessibility professionals. Your
obvious bias against people who do not work specifically in the trenches
is dictating what makes a real Accessibility Professional, and I can¹t
help but be offended.

I¹m rarely an optimist, but I have a belief that eventually people will
stop looking at accessibility as a ³feature,² and just equate it to
"Standards-Based Design". I believe this will happen because it already
has happened. Way back in the day, Jeffrey Zeldman made a strong push for
making what a real Designer or Developer was, and that was one that was
able to meet or exceed the Standards that were in place. Soon, we ended up
with people making incredibly complex web sites that had badges of honor
stating how their sites were W3C compliant, and all sorts of other badges
followed. You could tell who was amazing because of how their site
achieved some sort of achievement.

This did not happen because some random group of companies in the field
got together and said the Only True Way (tm) to be a Web Professional is
someone who stops calling themselves a Graphic Designer. It became
relevant because their work was specification-driven. By focusing on
labels as to what dictates a true profession, IAAP is doing a disservice
to the accessibility community.

On 9/14/15, 4:08 PM, "WebAIM-Forum on behalf of Katie Haritos-Shea GMAIL"
< = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = on behalf of = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
wrote:

>
>How do those people, who are very skilled without creds, or a name for
>themselves, get traction? Find a job, or a new job? How do new people
>just getting into this work build up a skill set that can help them move
>into any kind of Accessibility related environment?
>
>I think the day for certification in our industry has come.

I 100% agree. And as I stated in my original message as well as this one,
I believe that this can be accomplished via more productive and inclusive
means.

The problem is, the Associate level is totally ridiculous as it stands
right now. It¹s meant to be a stepping stone towards something where many
of the titles Paul mentioned elsewhere can progress to being a Web
Professional. The problem is, there¹s *already* certifications that these
same professions will likely do instead of the basic IAAP one. There¹s the
PMP for Project Managers, DoD 8570 for IT, Human Factor¹s CXA for UX
people, etc. After doing all of these, many which are already
requirements; what is the point of burning an extra $400 on such a
rudimentary certification when the IAAP has already decided these titles
shouldn't qualified for consideration to be an accessibility professional?

Further, it doesn¹t help that in our field, we end up having to pay our
own way for conferences, travel expenses and other things. You volunteer
your time at IAAP, so certainly you can understand the desire to make sure
your money goes to things that matter more crucially.

>They asked all and anyone. I answered. I do not work for any founding
>member or current member organization of IAAP. I wanted the opportunity
>to help and have a voice - so that the committees were NOT only run by
>founding members and large companies.

As did I. On April 8th of 2014, I responded to IAAP about the Roadmap
process when they asked for suggestions, and it echoed many of the
sentiments I¹m arguing here: Be less vendor specific, get rid of the
rudimentary certification or make it more relevant, streamline the process
of the professional certification to be in line with how people do their
jobs, not what their jobs areŠ What did I get in return? Crickets. No one
responded to my comments. No one confirmed that it was even read.

Now, I assume the difference between you and I are that you have 15+ years
of experience over me and your Accessibility Kung Fu is probably more
refined than mine. I would argue that I still have something to add to a
conversation however, yet when I tried to engage them, I did not have the
same results. It¹s unfair of you to believe that they¹ll listen to anybody
who offers an opinion. It became more obvious that they were only
interested in those who did not dissent too far from their already set
opinions. Therefore, I did not renew my membership.

>And frankly, I am tired of people bitching without offering viable
>options to what IAAP could offer. If the people who are so concerned
>would just come to the table and add their voice, and frankly, their time
>and hard work - it is much less likely to go off the rails - where many
>unknowing people - assume it has already gone.

I¹m not sure if you are directing this to me or not. But Katie, I¹m not
bitching about the IAAP, and no one else is either. I have provided
opinions about how they could be doing better, and voiced a strong opinion
about how I feel they are not doing things correctly. In fact, I¹m not
alone. All the other blogs and comments out there from Karl, Leonie,
Shannon, et al are backed up with reasons and ideas for how to move
forward. If quick snark appears in the commentariat right now, it¹s
because the IAAP has ignored, is ignoring, and will continue to ignore the
opposition to their progress.

The concept of the IAAP is awesome. But it¹s currently very one-sided. You
have a group of big players who really only want to see their side of the
conversation see the light. So realistically, it¹s obvious none of my
comments really matter anyway. IAAP will do what it wants, to he[ck] with
anyone disagrees, and move forward with it¹s direction. And eventually,
after being brow-beaten by all the true Accessibility Professionals out
there, many companies will give up on the certification process altogether
because their direction is making it as useless as the Certified Web
Design certification.

Those same companies, IAAP included, will cry and say, ³We tried to make
this a more relevant field and position but no one listened!² In reality
though, it¹s the IAAP who hasn¹t listened, won¹t listen, and doesn¹t seem
to be interested in listening now.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond personally.

Best,
Jon


On 9/14/15, 5:54 PM, "WebAIM-Forum on behalf of Paul Bohman"
< = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = on behalf of = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
wrote:

>Jon,
>
>A few points:
>
> - Thank you for the feedback. I'm always interested in understanding
> people's thoughts about certification.
> - Certification isn't so much about weeding out undesirables as it is
> about providing a common definition and metric that people can
>reference.
> - The hope is that the certification exam will be a meaningful,
>accurate
> metric of a person's knowledge and analytical skills. There are
>certainly
> limitations to what an exam can test. I would not expect that the
> certification would be the only way to measure or prove one's
>accessibility
> skills. It will be one way among several.
> - To your points about PDF files, I'll mention that there are good and
> bad aspects to it. PDF files can be fully screen reader accessible on
> Windows, but not so much on a Mac, iOS device, or Android. I will
>mention
> that the IAAP has considered offering another professional level
> certification for e-documents, such as PDF, Word, EPUB, and ebook
>formats
> of other kinds.
> - The associate level is not just for managers. In a previous email in
> this thread, I named managers as one category. I also named UX
>specialists,
> visual designers, content writers and contributors, account
> representatives, salespeople, and people in other non-technical roles.
> Generally, for these people, accessibility is not their main focus on
>the
> job. They do accessibility as a part of their larger set of
> responsibilities. That doesn't make their job less important at all. It
> just means that they themselves probably would not think of themselves
>as
> "accessibility professionals." They would think of themselves as
>project
> managers, UX specialists, etc., who happen to have some accessibility
> knowledge.
> - You are right that it is a challenge to get a group of accessibility
> professionals to agree on testing methods or priorities. Welcome to
>one of
> the challenges of what we're trying to accomplish! It's also an
> opportunity. It will take time to bring clarity to all aspects of
> accessibility. We're trying to do our part.
>
>
>
>Paul Bohman, PhD
>Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
>703-225-0380, ext.121
>https://DequeUniversity.com
>>>>

From: Paul Bohman
Date: Wed, Sep 16 2015 1:42PM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

Jon, here are a few more responses:

- *With respect to who your complaint that I only consider developers to
be accessibility professionals:* I didn't actually say that, nor do I
believe that. Accessibility professionals might be developers. They might
be accessibility consultants or evaluators (like yourself). They might have
other roles within accessibility. Perhaps more importantly, I am very much
aware that accessibility tasks often fall on people whose main
responsibility is not accessibility, and the work that those people do is
extremely valuable. A person does not have to do accessibility 100% of the
time on the job to be an important part of the overall accessibility
strategy. Sometimes these are the most important people in the process.
Sometimes they even drive the process, if they have the passion for it. The
Associate level certification is meant to cover a broad range of topics at
the conceptual level, and that is exactly what many of these people need to
know about accessibility. The intent is to ensure that the Associate level
is rigorous within its scope. We don't want it to be a "fluff" credential.
We expect that people will study for it, and that many people will find it
challenging, even without the technical content specific to the web. I will
also mention that any of these people could take the professional level
certification if they want to. There is no requirement that says that a
person must be engaged in accessibility full time to qualify to take the
professional level certification. When I wrote the list of intended
audiences for the associate level exam, it was to help differentiate the
content and purpose of the two exams, but there is no restriction on who
can take them.
- *With respect to the comment that there are other certifications
already in existence for project managers (PMP), Human Factors, and so on:*
That's true. In no way do we want IAAP certification to be a replacement
for any of those. We want the content of the certification exam to be
specific to accessibility. A person could be certified as a PMP and also
receive IAAP certification if they want to.
- *With respect to the idea that IAAP certification is an unnecessary
cost burden on individuals: *Cost will certainly be one thing that
people consider before becoming certified. Some employers may cover the
cost. Others won't. There is a substantial discount for people who live in
countries with less wealthy economies ($150 rather than the full $325). For
some people the cost will be prohibitive. For others it will not. I will
first say that no one is being compelled to become certified. We hope that
it will become common, just as the PMP certification is common for project
managers, but we can't see into the future. There are project managers
without PMP certification, and there will always be accessibility
professionals without IAAP certification. That's perfectly alright. If a
specific employer requires some of their employees to become certified, we
would hope that the employer would cover that cost, but they may decide not
to. In the end, the IAAP has to be financially viable, or it will fail. If
the IAAP gives everything away all the time, the time and/or money to run
the IAAP will evaporate, and the IAAP will cease to exist. There are
probably multiple models for financial sustainability. There will be
opportunities to reevaluate pricing and other aspects of the financial
picture once the IAAP gets a feel for the market demand. As it is right
now, the price is comparable to many other certification programs.
- *With respect to the idea that a few "big players" are calling all the
shots in the IAAP certification process:* The committees are open to
participants who are willing to do the work. There is no requirement that
anybody on a committee work for any organization, large or small. Looking
at the list of people on the certification committee (the bottom of this
page: http://bit.ly/1iwGYzh), most work for small accessibility
consulting companies. My own company, Deque, is one of the larger
accessibility companies, but honestly, I'm getting zero direction from the
leadership in my company on what I should say or do in this committee, and
in fact all the time I put into it is my own. In other words, I represent
myself and my own ideas in this committee, not my company. I get the sense
that everyone else in the committee is also representing their own ideas,
and they do not have any mandates from above telling them to influence the
direction of our decisions. We get on calls together, we meet in rooms
together, and we debate and try to come to consensus. Sometimes we're more
successful at coming to consensus than others, but so far there has been a
great deal of respect within the group for the diversity of opinions, and
we consider the alternatives based on their merit.



Paul Bohman, PhD
Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
703-225-0380, ext.121
https://DequeUniversity.com


On Wed, Sep 16, 2015 at 1:14 PM, Jon Metz < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

> Hi Katie and Paul,
>
> Thank you for responding to my message and I appreciate you taking the
> time to personally provide some insight. I also wanted to wait a little
> bit, because I can¹t help but feel a little sensitive to some of your
> comments. I¹m terrible with context or making a big deal out of things,
> but I feel it¹s necessary to respond in kind with a little clarification
> about my reservations about the certification approach at IAAP.
>
> On 9/14/15, 5:54 PM, "WebAIM-Forum on behalf of Paul Bohman"
> < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = on behalf of = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> wrote:
>
> > - To your points about PDF files, I'll mention that there are good and
> > bad aspects to it. PDF files can be fully screen reader accessible on
> > Windows, but not so much on a Mac, iOS device, or Android. I will
> >mention
> > that the IAAP has considered offering another professional level
> > certification for e-documents, such as PDF, Word, EPUB, and ebook
> >formats
> > of other kinds.
>
> This is like saying we shouldn¹t advocate the use of ARIA because
> Assistive Technology has irregular consistency when using a different
> browser from Safari on a Mac. The fact that AT doesn¹t play well with one
> particular type of ICT is not a limitation of the ICT. It¹s an inability
> from one side of the specifications game to play well with others. Of
> course, this could be solved if the AT industry would hop on board the
> Specification Wagon, but this has been an uphill battle to say the least.
>
> Making vendor specific certifications are also kind of silly because each
> of them (mostly) already have their own certification: Adobe has the ACE,
> MS has the Office Expert, etc. You can also go the complete route and get
> a certification in Information Management or The AIIM certification as
> well and call it a day. Why spend money on a fledgling organization on
> something that is already recognized in the industry.
>
> > Generally, for these people, accessibility is not their main focus on
> >the
> > job. They do accessibility as a part of their larger set of
> > responsibilities. That doesn't make their job less important at all. It
> > just means that they themselves probably would not think of themselves
> >as
> > "accessibility professionals." They would think of themselves as
> >project
> > managers, UX specialists, etc., who happen to have some accessibility
> > knowledge.
>
> My biggest problem here is that separating these fields from those working
> specifically in programming, it becomes an affirmation that if one is not
> a web developer, one couldn¹t possibly be considered an Accessibility
> Professional. For example, my career is centered around helping
> contractors and Federal agencies to interpret the specifications and
> integrate them into their design and project management processes. My
> specific job is not to implement the code or remediation myself (though I
> do occasionally), but mostly train others on how to identify these things
> before they become bugs and to strategically implement at a policy or
> organizational level first.
>
> This is not a case of individuals who "don¹t consider themselves
> Œaccessibility professionals¹,² but rather that the IAAP simply does not
> consider these fields eligible to be accessibility professionals. Your
> obvious bias against people who do not work specifically in the trenches
> is dictating what makes a real Accessibility Professional, and I can¹t
> help but be offended.
>
> I¹m rarely an optimist, but I have a belief that eventually people will
> stop looking at accessibility as a ³feature,² and just equate it to
> "Standards-Based Design". I believe this will happen because it already
> has happened. Way back in the day, Jeffrey Zeldman made a strong push for
> making what a real Designer or Developer was, and that was one that was
> able to meet or exceed the Standards that were in place. Soon, we ended up
> with people making incredibly complex web sites that had badges of honor
> stating how their sites were W3C compliant, and all sorts of other badges
> followed. You could tell who was amazing because of how their site
> achieved some sort of achievement.
>
> This did not happen because some random group of companies in the field
> got together and said the Only True Way (tm) to be a Web Professional is
> someone who stops calling themselves a Graphic Designer. It became
> relevant because their work was specification-driven. By focusing on
> labels as to what dictates a true profession, IAAP is doing a disservice
> to the accessibility community.
>
> On 9/14/15, 4:08 PM, "WebAIM-Forum on behalf of Katie Haritos-Shea GMAIL"
> < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = on behalf of = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> wrote:
>
> >
> >How do those people, who are very skilled without creds, or a name for
> >themselves, get traction? Find a job, or a new job? How do new people
> >just getting into this work build up a skill set that can help them move
> >into any kind of Accessibility related environment?
> >
> >I think the day for certification in our industry has come.
>
> I 100% agree. And as I stated in my original message as well as this one,
> I believe that this can be accomplished via more productive and inclusive
> means.
>
> The problem is, the Associate level is totally ridiculous as it stands
> right now. It¹s meant to be a stepping stone towards something where many
> of the titles Paul mentioned elsewhere can progress to being a Web
> Professional. The problem is, there¹s *already* certifications that these
> same professions will likely do instead of the basic IAAP one. There¹s the
> PMP for Project Managers, DoD 8570 for IT, Human Factor¹s CXA for UX
> people, etc. After doing all of these, many which are already
> requirements; what is the point of burning an extra $400 on such a
> rudimentary certification when the IAAP has already decided these titles
> shouldn't qualified for consideration to be an accessibility professional?
>
> Further, it doesn¹t help that in our field, we end up having to pay our
> own way for conferences, travel expenses and other things. You volunteer
> your time at IAAP, so certainly you can understand the desire to make sure
> your money goes to things that matter more crucially.
>
> >They asked all and anyone. I answered. I do not work for any founding
> >member or current member organization of IAAP. I wanted the opportunity
> >to help and have a voice - so that the committees were NOT only run by
> >founding members and large companies.
>
> As did I. On April 8th of 2014, I responded to IAAP about the Roadmap
> process when they asked for suggestions, and it echoed many of the
> sentiments I¹m arguing here: Be less vendor specific, get rid of the
> rudimentary certification or make it more relevant, streamline the process
> of the professional certification to be in line with how people do their
> jobs, not what their jobs areÅ  What did I get in return? Crickets. No one
> responded to my comments. No one confirmed that it was even read.
>
> Now, I assume the difference between you and I are that you have 15+ years
> of experience over me and your Accessibility Kung Fu is probably more
> refined than mine. I would argue that I still have something to add to a
> conversation however, yet when I tried to engage them, I did not have the
> same results. It¹s unfair of you to believe that they¹ll listen to anybody
> who offers an opinion. It became more obvious that they were only
> interested in those who did not dissent too far from their already set
> opinions. Therefore, I did not renew my membership.
>
> >And frankly, I am tired of people bitching without offering viable
> >options to what IAAP could offer. If the people who are so concerned
> >would just come to the table and add their voice, and frankly, their time
> >and hard work - it is much less likely to go off the rails - where many
> >unknowing people - assume it has already gone.
>
> I¹m not sure if you are directing this to me or not. But Katie, I¹m not
> bitching about the IAAP, and no one else is either. I have provided
> opinions about how they could be doing better, and voiced a strong opinion
> about how I feel they are not doing things correctly. In fact, I¹m not
> alone. All the other blogs and comments out there from Karl, Leonie,
> Shannon, et al are backed up with reasons and ideas for how to move
> forward. If quick snark appears in the commentariat right now, it¹s
> because the IAAP has ignored, is ignoring, and will continue to ignore the
> opposition to their progress.
>
> The concept of the IAAP is awesome. But it¹s currently very one-sided. You
> have a group of big players who really only want to see their side of the
> conversation see the light. So realistically, it¹s obvious none of my
> comments really matter anyway. IAAP will do what it wants, to he[ck] with
> anyone disagrees, and move forward with it¹s direction. And eventually,
> after being brow-beaten by all the true Accessibility Professionals out
> there, many companies will give up on the certification process altogether
> because their direction is making it as useless as the Certified Web
> Design certification.
>
> Those same companies, IAAP included, will cry and say, ³We tried to make
> this a more relevant field and position but no one listened!² In reality
> though, it¹s the IAAP who hasn¹t listened, won¹t listen, and doesn¹t seem
> to be interested in listening now.
>
> Thanks again for taking the time to respond personally.
>
> Best,
> Jon
>
>
> On 9/14/15, 5:54 PM, "WebAIM-Forum on behalf of Paul Bohman"
> < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = on behalf of = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> wrote:
>
> >Jon,
> >
> >A few points:
> >
> > - Thank you for the feedback. I'm always interested in understanding
> > people's thoughts about certification.
> > - Certification isn't so much about weeding out undesirables as it is
> > about providing a common definition and metric that people can
> >reference.
> > - The hope is that the certification exam will be a meaningful,
> >accurate
> > metric of a person's knowledge and analytical skills. There are
> >certainly
> > limitations to what an exam can test. I would not expect that the
> > certification would be the only way to measure or prove one's
> >accessibility
> > skills. It will be one way among several.
> > - To your points about PDF files, I'll mention that there are good and
> > bad aspects to it. PDF files can be fully screen reader accessible on
> > Windows, but not so much on a Mac, iOS device, or Android. I will
> >mention
> > that the IAAP has considered offering another professional level
> > certification for e-documents, such as PDF, Word, EPUB, and ebook
> >formats
> > of other kinds.
> > - The associate level is not just for managers. In a previous email in
> > this thread, I named managers as one category. I also named UX
> >specialists,
> > visual designers, content writers and contributors, account
> > representatives, salespeople, and people in other non-technical roles.
> > Generally, for these people, accessibility is not their main focus on
> >the
> > job. They do accessibility as a part of their larger set of
> > responsibilities. That doesn't make their job less important at all. It
> > just means that they themselves probably would not think of themselves
> >as
> > "accessibility professionals." They would think of themselves as
> >project
> > managers, UX specialists, etc., who happen to have some accessibility
> > knowledge.
> > - You are right that it is a challenge to get a group of accessibility
> > professionals to agree on testing methods or priorities. Welcome to
> >one of
> > the challenges of what we're trying to accomplish! It's also an
> > opportunity. It will take time to bring clarity to all aspects of
> > accessibility. We're trying to do our part.
> >
> >
> >
> >Paul Bohman, PhD
> >Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc
> >703-225-0380, ext.121
> >https://DequeUniversity.com
> >> >> >> >>
>
> > > > >

From: Paul Bohman
Date: Wed, Sep 16 2015 2:31PM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | Next message →

Correction: The first bullet point in my previous email had an extra word
("who") in it. It should have read:
*"With respect to your complaint that I only consider developers to be
accessibility professionals..."*
And I will say that I'm trying to offer honest responses that are intended
to clarify where possible. I'm trying to improve the communication and
dialog about what we're doing in the IAAP. If any of my responses come
across as an attempt to insist that I have all the answers, then I
apologize, because I would never claim to have all the answers. I do know
what we've done in the certification committee though, because I'm
intimately involved with it. I also know that we're working on a difficult
task, and there are differences of opinion within the accessibility
community. Those are the waters that I have to navigate.

In the end, my mission is to further the cause of accessibility, and
certification can play a role in doing that.

From: Katie Haritos-Shea GMAIL
Date: Wed, Sep 16 2015 4:05PM
Subject: Re: IAAP Certification Update
← Previous message | No next message

Jon,

>>And frankly, I am tired of people bitching without offering viable
>>options to what IAAP could offer. If the people who are so concerned
>>would just come to the table and add their voice, and frankly, their
>>time and hard work - it is much less likely to go off the rails - where
>>many unknowing people - assume it has already gone.

>I¹m not sure if you are directing this to me or not. But Katie, I¹m not bitching about the IAAP, and no one else is either

Not in a million years was I talking about you! You sent your comments to IAAP long before I joined the Certification Committee. It would be interesting to see what would happened today if you resubmitted your comments.

Happy Wednesday!!


* katie *

Katie Haritos-Shea
Senior Accessibility SME (WCAG/Section 508/ADA/AODA)

Cell: 703-371-5545 | = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = | Oakton, VA | LinkedIn Profile | Office: 703-371-5545

-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Jon Metz
Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2015 1:15 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] IAAP Certification Update

Hi Katie and Paul,

Thank you for responding to my message and I appreciate you taking the time to personally provide some insight. I also wanted to wait a little bit, because I can¹t help but feel a little sensitive to some of your comments. I¹m terrible with context or making a big deal out of things, but I feel it¹s necessary to respond in kind with a little clarification about my reservations about the certification approach at IAAP.

On 9/14/15, 5:54 PM, "WebAIM-Forum on behalf of Paul Bohman"
< = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = on behalf of = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
wrote:

> - To your points about PDF files, I'll mention that there are good and
> bad aspects to it. PDF files can be fully screen reader accessible on
> Windows, but not so much on a Mac, iOS device, or Android. I will
>mention
> that the IAAP has considered offering another professional level
> certification for e-documents, such as PDF, Word, EPUB, and ebook
>formats
> of other kinds.

This is like saying we shouldn¹t advocate the use of ARIA because Assistive Technology has irregular consistency when using a different browser from Safari on a Mac. The fact that AT doesn¹t play well with one particular type of ICT is not a limitation of the ICT. It¹s an inability from one side of the specifications game to play well with others. Of course, this could be solved if the AT industry would hop on board the Specification Wagon, but this has been an uphill battle to say the least.

Making vendor specific certifications are also kind of silly because each of them (mostly) already have their own certification: Adobe has the ACE, MS has the Office Expert, etc. You can also go the complete route and get a certification in Information Management or The AIIM certification as well and call it a day. Why spend money on a fledgling organization on something that is already recognized in the industry.

> Generally, for these people, accessibility is not their main focus
>on the
> job. They do accessibility as a part of their larger set of
> responsibilities. That doesn't make their job less important at all. It
> just means that they themselves probably would not think of
>themselves as
> "accessibility professionals." They would think of themselves as
>project
> managers, UX specialists, etc., who happen to have some accessibility
> knowledge.

My biggest problem here is that separating these fields from those working specifically in programming, it becomes an affirmation that if one is not a web developer, one couldn¹t possibly be considered an Accessibility Professional. For example, my career is centered around helping contractors and Federal agencies to interpret the specifications and integrate them into their design and project management processes. My specific job is not to implement the code or remediation myself (though I do occasionally), but mostly train others on how to identify these things before they become bugs and to strategically implement at a policy or organizational level first.

This is not a case of individuals who "don¹t consider themselves Œaccessibility professionals¹,² but rather that the IAAP simply does not consider these fields eligible to be accessibility professionals. Your obvious bias against people who do not work specifically in the trenches is dictating what makes a real Accessibility Professional, and I can¹t help but be offended.

I¹m rarely an optimist, but I have a belief that eventually people will stop looking at accessibility as a ³feature,² and just equate it to "Standards-Based Design". I believe this will happen because it already has happened. Way back in the day, Jeffrey Zeldman made a strong push for making what a real Designer or Developer was, and that was one that was able to meet or exceed the Standards that were in place. Soon, we ended up with people making incredibly complex web sites that had badges of honor stating how their sites were W3C compliant, and all sorts of other badges followed. You could tell who was amazing because of how their site achieved some sort of achievement.

This did not happen because some random group of companies in the field got together and said the Only True Way (tm) to be a Web Professional is someone who stops calling themselves a Graphic Designer. It became relevant because their work was specification-driven. By focusing on labels as to what dictates a true profession, IAAP is doing a disservice to the accessibility community.

On 9/14/15, 4:08 PM, "WebAIM-Forum on behalf of Katie Haritos-Shea GMAIL"
< = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = on behalf of = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
wrote:

>
>How do those people, who are very skilled without creds, or a name for
>themselves, get traction? Find a job, or a new job? How do new people
>just getting into this work build up a skill set that can help them
>move into any kind of Accessibility related environment?
>
>I think the day for certification in our industry has come.

I 100% agree. And as I stated in my original message as well as this one, I believe that this can be accomplished via more productive and inclusive means.

The problem is, the Associate level is totally ridiculous as it stands right now. It¹s meant to be a stepping stone towards something where many of the titles Paul mentioned elsewhere can progress to being a Web Professional. The problem is, there¹s *already* certifications that these same professions will likely do instead of the basic IAAP one. There¹s the PMP for Project Managers, DoD 8570 for IT, Human Factor¹s CXA for UX people, etc. After doing all of these, many which are already requirements; what is the point of burning an extra $400 on such a rudimentary certification when the IAAP has already decided these titles shouldn't qualified for consideration to be an accessibility professional?

Further, it doesn¹t help that in our field, we end up having to pay our own way for conferences, travel expenses and other things. You volunteer your time at IAAP, so certainly you can understand the desire to make sure your money goes to things that matter more crucially.

>They asked all and anyone. I answered. I do not work for any founding
>member or current member organization of IAAP. I wanted the opportunity
>to help and have a voice - so that the committees were NOT only run by
>founding members and large companies.

As did I. On April 8th of 2014, I responded to IAAP about the Roadmap process when they asked for suggestions, and it echoed many of the sentiments I¹m arguing here: Be less vendor specific, get rid of the rudimentary certification or make it more relevant, streamline the process of the professional certification to be in line with how people do their jobs, not what their jobs areŠ What did I get in return? Crickets. No one responded to my comments. No one confirmed that it was even read.

Now, I assume the difference between you and I are that you have 15+ years of experience over me and your Accessibility Kung Fu is probably more refined than mine. I would argue that I still have something to add to a conversation however, yet when I tried to engage them, I did not have the same results. It¹s unfair of you to believe that they¹ll listen to anybody who offers an opinion. It became more obvious that they were only interested in those who did not dissent too far from their already set opinions. Therefore, I did not renew my membership.

>And frankly, I am tired of people bitching without offering viable
>options to what IAAP could offer. If the people who are so concerned
>would just come to the table and add their voice, and frankly, their
>time and hard work - it is much less likely to go off the rails - where
>many unknowing people - assume it has already gone.

I¹m not sure if you are directing this to me or not. But Katie, I¹m not bitching about the IAAP, and no one else is either. I have provided opinions about how they could be doing better, and voiced a strong opinion about how I feel they are not doing things correctly. In fact, I¹m not alone. All the other blogs and comments out there from Karl, Leonie, Shannon, et al are backed up with reasons and ideas for how to move forward. If quick snark appears in the commentariat right now, it¹s because the IAAP has ignored, is ignoring, and will continue to ignore the opposition to their progress.

The concept of the IAAP is awesome. But it¹s currently very one-sided. You have a group of big players who really only want to see their side of the conversation see the light. So realistically, it¹s obvious none of my comments really matter anyway. IAAP will do what it wants, to he[ck] with anyone disagrees, and move forward with it¹s direction. And eventually, after being brow-beaten by all the true Accessibility Professionals out there, many companies will give up on the certification process altogether because their direction is making it as useless as the Certified Web Design certification.

Those same companies, IAAP included, will cry and say, ³We tried to make this a more relevant field and position but no one listened!² In reality though, it¹s the IAAP who hasn¹t listened, won¹t listen, and doesn¹t seem to be interested in listening now.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond personally.

Best,
Jon


On 9/14/15, 5:54 PM, "WebAIM-Forum on behalf of Paul Bohman"
< = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = on behalf of = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
wrote:

>Jon,
>
>A few points:
>
> - Thank you for the feedback. I'm always interested in understanding
> people's thoughts about certification.
> - Certification isn't so much about weeding out undesirables as it is
> about providing a common definition and metric that people can
>reference.
> - The hope is that the certification exam will be a meaningful,
>accurate
> metric of a person's knowledge and analytical skills. There are
>certainly
> limitations to what an exam can test. I would not expect that the
> certification would be the only way to measure or prove one's
>accessibility
> skills. It will be one way among several.
> - To your points about PDF files, I'll mention that there are good and
> bad aspects to it. PDF files can be fully screen reader accessible on
> Windows, but not so much on a Mac, iOS device, or Android. I will
>mention
> that the IAAP has considered offering another professional level
> certification for e-documents, such as PDF, Word, EPUB, and ebook
>formats
> of other kinds.
> - The associate level is not just for managers. In a previous email in
> this thread, I named managers as one category. I also named UX
>specialists,
> visual designers, content writers and contributors, account
> representatives, salespeople, and people in other non-technical roles.
> Generally, for these people, accessibility is not their main focus
>on the
> job. They do accessibility as a part of their larger set of
> responsibilities. That doesn't make their job less important at all. It
> just means that they themselves probably would not think of
>themselves as
> "accessibility professionals." They would think of themselves as
>project
> managers, UX specialists, etc., who happen to have some accessibility
> knowledge.
> - You are right that it is a challenge to get a group of accessibility
> professionals to agree on testing methods or priorities. Welcome to
>one of
> the challenges of what we're trying to accomplish! It's also an
> opportunity. It will take time to bring clarity to all aspects of
> accessibility. We're trying to do our part.
>
>
>
>Paul Bohman, PhD
>Director of Training, Deque Systems, Inc 703-225-0380, ext.121
>https://DequeUniversity.com
>>>archives at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
>