Accessibility – Training opportunities

Many accessibility training opportunities are available through Texas A&M University and The Texas A&M University System. Training is helpful to ensure access for everyone when creating emails and documents, developing websites and applications, designing courses, and procuring Electronic and Information Resources (EIR).  

Managers are encouraged to link training opportunities to annual performance goals and subsequent reviews. This helps to further advance our commitment to access for everyone.  

Training available for faculty and staff 

• TrainTraq 2114218: EIR Accessibility Awareness Training 
• Web courses:
  • TrainTraq 2111936: Web Accessibility – Essentials 
  • TrainTraq 2111937: Web Accessibility - Advanced 
• Role-based Level Access training and LinkedIn Learning 
• Open-source options like 3Play Media, YouTube, podcasts, listservs, etc. 
• Paid training like WebAIM, IAAP, AHEAD, etc. 
• Conferences/short courses like AHEAD, TxDLA, etc. 

Additional accessibility training and community groups 

• Accessibility Innovator Network (Texas A&M Community Group): Link allows faculty and staff to access our SharePoint site with news and updates as well as notifications about upcoming meetings and events
• Level Access: Faculty and staff can send your first name, last name, and State of Texas email address to support@levelaccess.com to access role-based training  
• LinkedIn Learning: on-demand searchable training opportunities
• WebAIM: accessibility industry leader with online access to tutorials and best practices; also hosts training sessions for a fee  
• 3Play Media: accessibility industry leader with blog, webinars, professional papers and industry studies, and how-to guides for captioning and other accessibility best practices
• Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD): membership allows access to professional resources, webinars, and training sessions; also hosts conferences annually  
• Coursera (offered by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign): this course introduces some of the fundamental principles of accessibility and prepares learners for further study in accessibility and inclusive design   
• EDUCAUSE Accessibility Community Group: Employees in higher education can access with login; serves to explore the scope of issues of IT accessibility, identify resources and initiatives, develop best practices on policy and assistive program and service development, and in general focus on how to approach campus-wide universal access to information available via technology by engaging in dialogue across boundaries within and beyond the campus environment    
• Texas Distance Learning Association (TxDLA) certification: provides an understanding of the current state of accessibility for people with disabilities; the latest legal enforcement actions including resolution agreements, court cases, and consent decrees, while equipping them with an understanding of Universal Design for Learning and practical skills in making digital content accessible   
• International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) certification: each IAAP Certification program has a Content Outline and Body of Knowledge; reviewing these materials and identifying your areas of strength and topics to research will help you plan your study program 

For more information or additional options, contact itaccessibility@tamu.edu.