Training

Suited for staff at all levels across the organization, this session explores general accessibility principles, including universal design and demonstrations of how people with disabilities use computers (including screen reader demo), and the conceptual basics of how design and development can support a successful experience. The goal of this training session is to provide an overview of accessibility, how people with disabilities use Assistive Technology (AT), how AT interacts with digital assets, and how designers, developers, and content creators/editors can make a difference from the outset, and how a deeper understanding of all of these issues can help to minimize risk and inform decisions at all levels of the organization (procurement and vendor evaluation, tech development, communications and outreach, etc.) This session will include examples of accessible HTML basics such as alt text, headings, and color contrast. (60-90 minutes)

Focused training on key technical activities and aspects which are used to create accessible experiences/implementation, using specific examples and challenges. The goal of this training session is to help designers/developers build an accessibility skillset which would include standard accessibility solutions and proven approaches for common issues in the field (date-pickers, tab panels, etc.). These tools/approaches could then become “baked in” to develop culture and workflows. Therefore, customized solutions could be reserved only for non-standard issues, items, new functionality, etc. (60-90 minutes)

NCAM will present best practices for team members who add and edit website content via a content management system (CMS). NCAM will work with team members to determine current workflows and CMS functionality re: accessibility. Topics may include alt text, video captions and descriptions, programmatic tools, color contrast, navigation, and accessible documents. (30-60 minutes)

NCAM will present basic principles of creating accessible social media, including Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram. In addition, the presenter(s) will walk through specific steps of creating accessible posts in each of the above platforms, while discussing the built-in tools and limitations of each platform. (60 minutes)

NCAM will discuss tools, workflows, and best practices for creating accessible PDFs. Areas of discussion will include workflows for including accessibility with Word, InDesign, and Adobe Acrobat to create accessible PDFs as well as tags, structure, tables, and alternative text. (60-90 minutes)

NCAM will present basic principles of presenting to inclusive audiences and interacting with people with disabilities. Areas of discussion and recommended practices will include preparation, acoustics and audio, visibility and visuals, handouts and archives (20-30 minutes)

 NCAM will present research-based best practices for adding image description to images via alt text, for example. Presenters who are expert in image description will walk through image description guidelines, resources, and potential workflows. In this extended session, following formal training, NCAM will provide attendees with opportunities to practice and refine their image description approach with feedback from the presenters. Following the training, NCAM recommends ongoing image description training and editing support. (90-120 minutes)

The goal of this training session is to share information and tips which facilitate serving and responding to visitors and callers with disabilities, and to discuss how a deeper understanding of these issues can minimize risk and inform decision-making across the organization. The session is appropriate for front-line staff across the organization and will include general introductory information for a wide audience with the remainder spent on specific examples and representative interactions for front-line staff. (60 minutes)