IAAP Certification Update

Cross posted information:

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=328)
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=2364&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