Fall Training 2025
Digital Accessibility 101
Wednesday, September 24 | Noon
Not sure where to start with digital accessibility? This webinar will go over the top 10 things you can do today to make your digital content more accessible to everyone.
REGISTER FOR DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY
Grackle Workspace (Google Docs and Slides)
Wednesday, October 1 | Noon
Join us for a virtual workshop exploring the accessibility features of Grackle Workspace for Google Docs and Slides. This hands-on session will guide you through how Grackle helps create accessible documents directly within Google Workspace. You'll learn how to check color contrast, heading structure, table formatting, and more. We'll also cover how to export to PDF/UA-compliant PDFs.
REGISTER FOR THE GRACKLE WEBINAR
Accessible Spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets)
Wednesday, Oct 8, 2025 | 12:00 PM
Learn how to create spreadsheets that are usable by everyone in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. This hands-on webinar will walk you through best practices for organizing data, using built-in accessibility checkers, writing meaningful labels, and avoiding common barriers. Get practical strategies to make your spreadsheets more inclusive and effective.
Advanced Training
2025 CMU Digital Accessibility Allies Program (formerly known as the IAAP Cohort)
Now entering its fourth year, the CMU Digital Accessibility Allies Program is our university-wide initiative to build a network of allies who can represent digital accessibility in their respective departments. This advanced training program—offered by the Digital Accessibility Office—equips participants with a deep understanding of accessibility principles and best practices, helping to foster a more inclusive digital environment across campus. The program is open to CMU employees only.
Select training topics:
- Disability etiquette, language, and mental models
- Assistive technology and testing methods
- Deep dive into the WCAG criteria as applied to the web and documents
- Time-based media, multimedia players, audio descriptions, sign language, animations
- Seizures, distractions, and users with cognitive disabilities
- ARIA and ATAG
- Solutions for math and science content and data visualizations
Included with enrollment:
- A one-year membership to the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP)
- Access to high-quality webinars, training materials, and curated resources
- The opportunity to connect with a growing community of accessibility advocates at CMU
- A digital badge issued by credly.com (for those who complete the program)
Program commitment:
- One virtual session (1 hour) every other week from September to May
- One or two optional on-campus networking events
- Participation in our annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day
- Additional self-paced study time if you choose to pursue an IAAP certification (optional)
Participants may choose to sit for one of three IAAP certification exams. While exam fees are not covered by the program, a discounted member rate is available.
Previous On-Demand Workshop Recordings
Mini-workshop series
A series of six 15-minute lessons on the following digital accessibility topics:
- Creating Accessible Videos/Media
- Understanding Color Use
- Creating Accessible Documents
- Working with Infographics and Complicated Images
- Website Accessibility
- Data Visualization Best Practices
Giving Accessible Presentations
Review important considerations for virtual, hybrid, and in-person presentations for audiences with disabilities. Learn about virtual captioning tools, tips for making accessible slides, and best practices for engaging a diverse audience.
Overview of Digital Accessibility
Hear from members of the CMU Digital Accessibility Committee about how digital accessibility impacts our community. This video includes a screen reader demonstration, some of the legal background, and some tips for improving website accessibility.
Perkins Access Trainings (CMU login required)
View this series of comprehensive training sessions from Perkins Access.
Understanding Digital Accessibility Documentation
Digital accessibility documentation is a vital part of the software procurement process for buyers and sellers of digital products. Learn how to create and evaluate a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT®), a standard document used to gauge the accessibility of a software solution, and hear from the University Contracts Office about how this documentation is used in contract negotiations.