Accessibility Training & Certification

The Siteimprove Academy is UC’s e-learning resource for web accessibility onboarding and training. UCSC’s Risk Services office provides Siteimprove Academy’s courses on accessibility free for staff and faculty.

This resource is available to all staff and faculty and is focused on those that are building and maintaining online resources. The courses target multiple roles, including web developers, designers and marketers, content contributors, people who make documents and PDFs, and procurement staff. Read why everyone needs to get trained – not just web developers – in the UC IT Blog article, “What Can You Do for Accessibility? Take the New Online Training.”

Access Siteimprove Academy 

Select UC Santa Cruz and login in using your CruzID Gold Credentials. After logging in select Help Center and Academy then Academy.

Once you’ve logged into Siteimprove Academy, click the “Content Library” tab to see available courses arranged in Learning Paths.

Course Offerings

Explore the complete course guide to select the learning paths and courses  (Link to the PDF)

Getting Started

Accessibility is a large topic and it takes time to grow into it. Starting with a few basic courses on what is accessibility, the law, and why it matters is a great way to get started on becoming an accessibility evangelist. Start with courses in Accessibility Fundamentals for the Web and then move to Accessibility for Content Contributors.  After all, we are all content creators in some capacity whether it be for documents for staff, students, or course materials.  These courses are practical application tips and principles in creating accessible content. 

Getting Help

For issues with Siteimprove Academy, SiteImprove's Help page provides information, product tutorials, and access to their community site. From SiteImprove’s contact page, you have the ability to submit help tickets or call their Minneapolis based support number at 855 748 3467.

If you have questions about learning opportunities or additional resources please contact Learning & Development.

Continuing Educations Credits

All accessibility courses included in the Content Contributors, Web Developers, Leadership, and Microsoft Office course tracks have been approved to provide Continuing Accessibility Education Credits (CAECs) through the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP). These credits can be used to maintain accessibility certifications obtained through the IAAP.

Related Resources 

• UCOP’s Electronic Accessibility Training page
• Accessible Technology at UCSC
• Disability Resource Center
• Faculty Instructor Handbook