Re: Seeking feedback on IAAP certification roadmap

University credit for accessibility courses is great, but I think I need to
reiterate what IAAP certification would actually be.

IAAP certification would not be a course or a curriculum. You wouldn't be
IAAP-certified by finishing a class or a program. IAAP certification would
come by demonstrating your skills and knowledge in an assessment. If you
pass the assessment, you receive certification. In fact, no course is
required. If you know your stuff, and if you are adequately prepared for
the assessment, you never have to enter a classroom or take a class. On the
flip side, if you take a course or finish a curriculum and you still don't
know your stuff, you won't pass the assessment, and you won't be certified,
no matter how many courses you have taken.

That being said, the IAAP does in fact intend to offer courses, webinars,
and other educational opportunities. The education side of IAAP is part of
IAAP's mission, but the education and certification are not the same thing.

Could IAAP partner with universities and offer university credit for the
classes? Absolutely. That's a somewhat different conversation, though,
since the courses and certification are two separate things.


Paul Bohman, PhD
Director of Training
Deque Systems, Inc
www.deque.com
703-225-0380, ext.121


On Wed, Apr 9, 2014 at 5:41 PM, George Kerscher <kerscher@montana.com>wrote:

> Hi,
>
> What about the possibility of university course credit either as an
> elective
> or as part of a degree program? I can envision several degree programs
> needing this skill set, e.g. software development, education, graphic
> design.
>
> Heck, I would even think that fundamental skill courses should require
> accessible document design.
>
> Best
> George
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Laura Carlson [mailto:lcarlson@d.umn.edu]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2014 3:06 PM
> To: Paul Bohman
> Cc: w3c-wai-ig
> Subject: Re: Seeking feedback on IAAP certification roadmap
>
> Hi Paul,
>
> Food for thought...
>
> As Richard already pointed out if IAAP partnered with higher education
> institutions  it would make IAAP certification much stronger.
> Partnerships with universities that have good accessibility
> departments would command a high level of respect as they do have
> accreditation, something that IAAP will lack.
>
> If that is not possible, I would suggest looking into IACET accreditation.
>
> http://www.iacet.org/accreditation/benefits-of-authorized-provider-accredita
> tion
>
> Best Regards,
> Laura
>
> On 4/9/14, Paul Bohman <paul.bohman@deque.com> wrote:
> > Good questions.
> >
> > *Accreditation vs "authorized provider" of CEUs: *
> >
> > Accreditation is a term usually reserved for educational bodies like
> > colleges and universities. The IAAP would not fall under the jurisdiction
> > of higher education accrediting bodies, and in fact would not be eligible
> > for accreditation from most accrediting bodies, because the IAAP is an
> > industry association, not a college or university.
> >
> > But the classes can still meet standards for continuing education units,
> as
> > defined by the International Association for Continuing Education and
> > Training (IACET) (http://www.iacet.org/). In fact, the certification
> > document references the IACET in the section near the bottom that
> addresses
> > CEUs. The IAAP won't be "accredited" by the IACET, but it could be
> > designated as an "authorized provider" of CEUs, according to IACET.
> >
> > *Certificate vs. Certification:*
> >
> > In terms of the program in Australia, they offer a certificate, meaning
> an
> > educational credential granted by a university after completing a
> > curriculum. This is different from industry certification, which is what
> > the IAAP will offer. IAAP certification is essentially an assessment that
> > people will take to evaluate their skills. If a person receives an
> > acceptable score on the IAAP assessment, that person will be
> > IAAP-certified. Unlike a university program, there are no required
> courses
> > for IAAP certification, and in fact no set curriculum. If you learn about
> > accessibility at home or on the job, or in a university, or through the
> > IAAP, you can take the assessment and be certified, as long as you pass
> the
> > test. The University of South Australia can continue to offer its program
> > with no interference and essentially no impact from IAAP. In fact,
> students
> > can use the program in the University of South Australia to prepare for
> > IAAP certification. If successful, students will have a certificate of
> > completion of the university course AND certification from IAAP.
> >
> > A university certificate and an industry certification represent two
> > different kinds of credentials.
> >
> >
> > Paul Bohman, PhD
> > Director of Training
> > Deque Systems, Inc
> > www.deque.com
> > 703-225-0380, ext.121
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Apr 9, 2014 at 2:29 PM, Laura Carlson <lcarlson@d.umn.edu>
> wrote:
> >
> >> Hi Paul,
> >>
> >> Just a couple of questions.
> >>
> >> Will the IAAP's educational program seek recognized accreditation from
> >> an authority for example CHEA [1]? Something like that would
> >> strengthen any certification.
> >>
> >> How does IAAP certification fit in with certification programs already
> >> in place such as the one at the University of South Australia [2]?
> >>
> >> Thanks.
> >>
> >> Best Regards,
> >> Laura
> >> [1] http://www.chea.org/
> >> [2]
> >>
>
> http://www.unisa.edu.au/Education-Arts-and-Social-Sciences/Communication-Int
> ernational-Studies-and-Languages/pcwa/
> >>
> >> --
> >> Laura L. Carlson
> >> Information Technology Systems and Services
> >> University of Minnesota Duluth
> >> Duluth, MN U.S.A. 55812-3009
> >> http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/
> >>
> >>
> >
>
>
> --
> Laura L. Carlson
> Information Technology Systems and Services
> University of Minnesota Duluth
> Duluth, MN U.S.A. 55812-3009
> http://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/
>
>
>
>