Certificate in Web Accessibility

UNIT 1: Web Accessibility Fundamentals

Theory

1. Introduction to web accessibility
2. Importance of accessible websites
3. Understanding disability and accessibility barriers
4. Types of disabilities and assistive technologies
5. Accessibility vs. usability
6. Universal and inclusive design principles
7. Introduction to WCAG
8. WCAG principles: POUR
9. Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust
10. Accessibility laws and standards overview
11. Accessibility requirements in website planning
12. Common accessibility problems
13. Accessibility and responsive design
14. Ethical and inclusive web development

Practical

1. Evaluate a sample website for accessibility
2. Identify common accessibility barriers
3. Understand accessibility using browser Developer Tools
4. Check website text readability
5. Identify missing alternative text
6. Review keyboard accessibility
7. Check heading structure
8. Review link and button accessibility
9. Identify colour and contrast issues
10. Create a basic accessibility checklist
11. Document accessibility problems
12. Prepare recommendations for improvement

UNIT 2: Semantic HTML & Accessible Page Structure

Theory

1. Introduction to semantic HTML
2. HTML document structure
3. Headings and heading hierarchy
4. Paragraphs and lists
5. Semantic landmarks
6. Header, navigation, main and footer
7. Links vs. buttons
8. Accessible images
9. Alternative text principles
10. Decorative images
11. Audio and video accessibility
12. Tables and accessible data
13. Accessible page titles
14. Language attributes
15. Document structure and screen readers

Practical

1. Create a semantic HTML page
2. Build proper heading hierarchy
3. Create accessible navigation
4. Create descriptive links
5. Build accessible buttons
6. Add meaningful alt text
7. Mark decorative images correctly
8. Create an accessible table
9. Add page language information
10. Create accessible multimedia content
11. Test the page using a screen reader
12. Fix semantic HTML errors

UNIT 3: Keyboard, Forms, Colour & Visual Accessibility

Theory

1. Keyboard accessibility fundamentals
2. Keyboard navigation
3. Focus management
4. Focus indicators
5. Tab order
6. Skip links
7. Accessible forms
8. Form labels
9. Instructions and error messages
10. Required fields
11. Error identification and recovery
12. Colour contrast
13. Colour blindness considerations
14. Text resizing and zoom
15. Responsive accessibility
16. Touch and pointer accessibility

Practical

1. Navigate a website using only the keyboard
2. Test tab order
3. Create visible focus indicators
4. Add a skip-navigation link
5. Create accessible form labels
6. Add form instructions
7. Create accessible error messages
8. Test required form fields
9. Check colour contrast
10. Improve low-contrast content
11. Test website at increased zoom
12. Test keyboard accessibility on desktop and mobile layouts

UNIT 4: Screen Readers, ARIA & Accessibility Testing

Theory

1. Introduction to screen readers
2. How screen readers interpret webpages
3. Screen reader navigation
4. Accessibility tree concepts
5. Introduction to ARIA
6. ARIA roles
7. ARIA states and properties
8. When to use ARIA
9. Common ARIA mistakes
10. Accessible dynamic content
11. Live regions
12. Accessible menus and dialogs
13. Accessible accordions and tabs
14. Accessibility testing tools
15. Automated vs. manual testing
16. Accessibility issue reporting

Practical

1. Install or use a screen reader
2. Navigate webpages using a screen reader
3. Test headings and landmarks
4. Test links and buttons
5. Test form accessibility
6. Test images and alternative text
7. Create an accessible modal/dialog
8. Create an accessible accordion
9. Create accessible tabs
10. Use ARIA where necessary
11. Run an automated accessibility audit
12. Compare automated and manual test results
13. Document accessibility issues
14. Fix and retest identified problems

UNIT 5: WCAG Compliance, Auditing & Final Project

Theory

1. WCAG structure and conformance
2. WCAG levels: A, AA and AAA
3. Understanding accessibility success criteria
4. Accessibility audit methodology
5. Manual accessibility testing
6. Automated accessibility testing
7. Browser accessibility tools
8. Screen-reader testing
9. Keyboard testing
10. Colour and contrast testing
11. Mobile accessibility testing
12. Accessibility documentation
13. Accessibility statement fundamentals
14. Remediation planning
15. Accessibility quality assurance
16. Maintaining accessibility during updates
17. Inclusive design workflow
18. Professional accessibility consulting basics

Practical

Project 1 – Accessible Business Website

1. Select a website concept
2. Identify target users
3. Create accessible sitemap
4. Plan semantic page structure
5. Build accessible navigation
6. Create accessible homepage
7. Add accessible images
8. Create accessible forms
9. Apply proper heading structure
10. Test keyboard navigation
11. Test colour contrast
12. Conduct an accessibility audit

Project 2 – Accessibility Audit & Remediation

1. Select an existing website
2. Perform automated accessibility testing
3. Perform keyboard testing
4. Test with a screen reader
5. Check headings and landmarks
6. Check image alternative text
7. Check forms
8. Check colour contrast
9. Identify WCAG-related issues
10. Prioritize accessibility problems
11. Fix identified issues
12. Retest the website
13. Prepare an accessibility audit report

FINAL PROJECT – Complete Accessible Website

Step 1: Planning

1. Select a real-world website project
2. Identify accessibility requirements
3. Define target users
4. Create an accessibility-focused design brief
5. Prepare sitemap and page structure

Step 2: Accessible Design

1. Create accessible colour palette
2. Select readable typography
3. Plan visual hierarchy
4. Create accessible navigation
5. Design responsive layouts

Step 3: Development

1. Use semantic HTML
2. Create proper heading structure
3. Add accessible images
4. Create accessible links and buttons
5. Build accessible forms
6. Add appropriate labels and instructions

Step 4: Interaction & Assistive Technology

1. Implement keyboard navigation
2. Add visible focus states
3. Create skip links
4. Implement accessible interactive components
5. Use ARIA only where necessary
6. Test with a screen reader

Step 5: Testing & Remediation

1. Perform automated accessibility audit
2. Perform manual keyboard testing
3. Test screen-reader compatibility
4. Check colour contrast
5. Test zoom and text resizing
6. Test responsive accessibility
7. Identify and fix accessibility issues

Step 6: Compliance & Presentation

1. Review applicable WCAG criteria
2. Prepare accessibility checklist
3. Create accessibility audit report
4. Document fixes and improvements
5. Conduct final quality assurance
6. Present the accessible website
7. Prepare portfolio documentation

3-Month Course Progression

MONTH 1 – Accessibility & Semantic Web Foundations

Unit 1: Web Accessibility Fundamentals

Unit 2: Semantic HTML & Accessible Page Structure

Students learn:

• Accessibility concepts
• WCAG fundamentals
• POUR principles
• Assistive technologies
• Semantic HTML
• Accessible images
• Headings
• Links
• Buttons
• Page structure

Practical Project: Build an accessible multi-page business website.

MONTH 2 – Interactive Accessibility & Testing

Unit 3: Keyboard, Forms, Colour & Visual Accessibility

Unit 4: Screen Readers, ARIA & Accessibility Testing

Students learn:

• Keyboard navigation
• Focus management
• Accessible forms
• Error handling
• Colour contrast
• Screen readers
• ARIA
• Accessibility testing
• Manual and automated audits

Practical Project: Perform an accessibility audit and remediation of a website.

MONTH 3 – WCAG Auditing & Final Project

Unit 5: WCAG Compliance, Auditing & Final Project

Students follow the professional workflow:

Plan → Design → Develop → Test → Audit → Identify Issues → Remediate → Retest → Document → Present

Final Assessment

Theory Examination

Students will be assessed on:

• Web accessibility fundamentals
• WCAG and POUR
• Semantic HTML
• Accessible navigation
• Alternative text
• Forms
• Keyboard accessibility
• Colour contrast
• Screen readers
• ARIA
• Accessibility testing
• Accessibility audits
• Inclusive design

Practical Examination

Students should demonstrate:

1. Create a semantic webpage
2. Build accessible navigation
3. Add accessible images
4. Create an accessible form
5. Test keyboard navigation
6. Check colour contrast
7. Test with a screen reader
8. Use accessibility testing tools
9. Identify accessibility issues
10. Fix and retest accessibility problems

Final Project

Create a WCAG-aligned accessible website containing:

• Semantic HTML
• Logical heading structure
• Accessible navigation
• Alternative text
• Keyboard accessibility
• Visible focus indicators
• Accessible forms
• Error identification and recovery
• Sufficient colour contrast
• Responsive design
• Screen-reader compatibility
• Appropriate ARIA
• Accessibility testing report

Student Portfolio

Students can showcase:

• Accessible website
• Accessibility audit report
• Before-and-after remediation
• Keyboard testing results
• Screen-reader testing
• Colour contrast analysis
• Accessible form project
• ARIA component project
• WCAG checklist
• Final accessibility project