Just as you must implement continuous improvement — or an ongoing effort to improve — to your website, you can’t forget to apply that same process to yourself in the form of professional development. Professional development allows you to grow your skills and knowledge surrounding digital accessibility and apply what you’ve learned to increase the accessibility of your workplace and website.
Let’s examine professional development and what kinds of development are available, how they can help your accessibility goals and other benefits they can have on your professional life.
Kinds of professional development
There are many kinds of professional development out there. It all depends on the outcome you are looking for — do you want to get certified? Simply grow your knowledge? What are your end goals when you seek out professional development? The answer to this question can inform what kind of professional development you should complete.
If you want to grow your knowledge, consider attending webinars like the ones offered by websites dedicated to digital accessibility, like Accessibility.com. Webinars can be free or cost money, but most offer valuable information that can inform your accessibility goals. Many are specialized, so you can pick the most relevant webinar to your industry. For example, if you are in e-commerce, you can attend webinars on how to increase the accessibility of your e-commerce store.
Another way to grow your knowledge is to read articles and blog posts on reputable accessibility sites, like the Bureau of Internet Accessibility (BOIA). Industry experts write these articles and contain valuable information that can help you expand your knowledge base in just a few minutes a day. This form of professional development is less time-consuming than an entire webinar but is just as valuable — but be sure you are vetting the sources you are reading from! You don’t want to accept information that is false or poorly researched.
Getting certified is another step for professional development. Many certifications are available, like the ones offered by the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP). Certifications significantly grow your knowledge base and give you the credibility of official documentation proving your understanding of the complex topics often accompanying certification. This step is extensive but can be a step for professionals for whom accessibility is a large part of their daily job.
How can it help your accessibility goals?
Professional development can help your goals by increasing the knowledge you have of accessibility. Growth happens when you learn, and as the field of accessibility is constantly innovating, so should your learning and your goals. One thing to keep in mind as you set your accessibility goals is that you should be constantly trying to improve, and professional development is a great way to help achieve that.
Professional development can also help you stay abreast of changing trends in accessibility, sometimes before they become common knowledge. For example, taking a webinar on the changes in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.2 before it releases would give you a baseline on what you may have needed to change for your website to comply with the guidelines. That’s a valuable head start that wouldn’t have been available without professional development.
If you’re unsure about what your accessibility goals should be, professional development can help you there, too. Learning about accessibility and the importance of it can help shape your digital accessibility goals. Taking webinars and reading articles may help you better understand what's important to you and your website.
Other benefits
Professional development benefits for digital accessibility don’t just end with accessibility. There are other benefits it can also have on your professional life, even if they’re not obvious. The first benefit is your leadership. Professional development courses can positively impact your leadership by encouraging you to learn and grow. It also signals your willingness to continually develop and learn, which is a good trait in leaders and often makes employees more confident in their management.
Aside from accessibility, you may also be more open to learning about other topics. There are many opportunities for professional development, not just in digital accessibility, and opening yourself up to as many as possible makes you a well-rounded professional. “Testing the waters,” so to speak, with one route can offer many good experiences that can lead to others.
Conclusion
Professional development for digital accessibility is a good idea all around. It helps sharpen your skills, increases your knowledge base in digital accessibility, and makes you more likely to achieve your digital accessibility goals. There are many opportunities for professional development, from reading articles to webinars to certifications. Pick the path that works for you and increase your accessibility skills.
Comments