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AHS Offers Professional Certificate on Accessibility

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It is commonly accepted that when people want information about products, services, and programs, they turn to the web. Websites have become an important communication vehicle between governments and constituents, companies and consumers, and agencies and clients. Increasingly, colleges and universities are offering courses and entire degree programs through the internet. Many states are passing legislation that establishes policy for digital accessibility. The law aside, accessible website design for persons with disabilities just makes good sense for everyone, including good financial sense. Several institutions of higher education, including Harvard, M.I.T., Penn State, and Northwestern, have been challenged legally by disability advocacy groups for inaccessible course content online. Giant retailer Target settled a website inaccessibility lawsuit in 2008 for $6 million.

Making websites accessible for persons with disabilities is a good idea, but how does one go about it? Where can website designers, information specialists, and disability service providers turn for high-quality information about universal design, federal and state mandates, standards, design techniques, and more?

Starting this fall, they can turn to the unquestioned leader in disability support programs, the College of Applied Health Sciences (AHS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Through the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, AHS will offer an online certificate program in Information Accessibility Design and Policy consisting of three courses:

  • Understanding Disability and Assistive Technology
  • Creating and Procuring Accessible Electronic Materials
  • Designing Universally Accessible Web Resources

Instructors for the 9-credit hour certificate, which can be completed within one academic year, include:

  • Dr. Reginald Alston, leading scholar in rehabilitation and disability services and Professor at the University of Illinois
  • Dr. Brad Hedrick, international expert on disability inclusion and former director of the Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) at the University of Illinois
  • Keith Hays, a senior accessibility specialist with Technology Services at the University of Illinois
  • Tim Offenstein, campus accessibility liaison for the University of Illinois
  • Hadi Rangin, an accessibility expert with the University of Washington
  • Dr. Marc Thompson, a leading course design specialist for the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning at the University of Illinois
  • Dr. Jon Gunderson, international expert and consultant on digital accessibility standards and techniques and coordinator of the Accessible Information Technology Group with DRES at the University of Illinois

With the increasing demand for accessible websites and the growing movement to mandate accessibility, this certificate will indicate to employers that their developers possess state-of-the-art, research-based knowledge, skills, and tools to create and convert digital content into accessible formats. Please click here to learn more about the Information Accessibility Design and Policy online certificate program.

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