Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies’ Accessible Technologies group is now accepting applications for the Accessibility Professional Certification Grant Program. Grant recipients receive the opportunity to develop expertise and earn the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) certification.

CPACC is IAAP's foundational certification, representing broad, cross-disciplinary conceptual knowledge. Grant recipients receive membership in IAAP, exam prep training, and a waiver of exam fees. The training covers disabilities and assistive technologies; accessibility and universal design; and laws, standards, and organizational management. Cohort members meet weekly via Zoom to review materials, ask questions, and see assistive technology demonstrations.

Faculty, staff, and graduate students who want to gain cross-disciplinary knowledge of disabilities, accessibility, universal design, and the associated standards should apply for this grant. Past participants report that the program has provided them with the skills to produce high-quality work that meets the needs of a broad range of people with disabilities.

“One new thing I’m trying this semester since completing the CPACC grant program is to expand my assignment offerings to better reflect UDL principles,” said Carolyn Shivers, an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science. “I’m working with current Disabilities Studies students to create a broad rubric of assignment options, including written, artistic, and performative media, so that students can choose how to demonstrate their learning of the material.”

Learn more about the grant program and submit applications by visiting the Accessibility Professional Certification Grant Application web page. The deadline for applications is February 10, 2021, at 5 p.m.