The next generation of accessibility experts?
Many people with disabilities have first-hand experiences of inaccessibility on the web. Can these experiences be used as a source of expertise? That’s the idea behind the innovative Training Expert Users project, which is now accepting applications for its first-ever training course in web accessibility tailored to people with disabilities.
Together with Furuboda folk high school, Funka is proud to present Sweden's first specialised course in web accessibility aimed specifically at people with disabilities. The course has been developed in collaboration with the disability rights movement and public sector bodies. As part of the course, participants will have the opportunity to put their skills to the test as interns with local governments. The long-term goal, of course, is for the students to become employed as accessibility experts.
Finally, we’re up and running, says Sara Kjellstrand, research strategist at Funka. It’s exciting to see something we’ve been working on for so long being put into practice at last.
The course consists of two parts. The first part gives participants the basics of web accessibility and connects personal experiences of inaccessibility to the rules and regulations in the field. In the second part, students are trained in testing and auditing digital interfaces. Students can choose to participate in only the first part of the course.
The project is getting a fair bit of attention, and we’re looking forward to seeing the results, says Emil Gejrot, researcher at Funka. If the project is successful, I see no reason why we couldn’t try the same concept in other countries as well.