Dr. Ronny Andrade Parra

The designation of Certified Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA) is earned by individuals who successfully pass both the Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) exam and the Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS) exam from the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP). I am (technically) a CPWA.

I became CPACC certified in March 2022 and in April 2024 I passed the WAS Spanish Pilot exam. I have passed the hurdles to consider myself a Certified Professional in Web Accessibility. However, I’m unable to use the CPWA postnominal as the IAAP is still refining details about the exam translation.

Spanish Provisional Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS)

The Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS) is an IAAP technical Professional Certification that quantifies and represents a Candidate’s expression of their “current” hands-on technical digital accessibility proficiency.

Knowledge of HTML programming, JavaScript, and Front-end elements alone will not provide the background necessary to successfully obtain the WAS certification The WAS exam is designed to evaluate the candidate’s current real-world experience delivering truly accessible web products.

The exam covers, amongst other things, the following:

• Guidelines, principles and techniques for meeting success criteria (including WCAG 2.1, WAI-ARIA, ATAG) at different compliance levels (A, AA, AAA)
• Accessibility quality assurance i.e., assuring the quality of accessibility throughout the development life cycle
• Difference and overlap between user experience and accessibility
• Strategies of persons with disabilities in using web solutions
• Testing with assistive technologies (e.g., navigation of screen reader users, headings and landmarks, screen magnifiers, high contrast, using keyboard vs. mouse)
• Level of severity and prioritization of issues
• Recommending strategies and/or techniques for fixing issues

Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC)

The IAAP Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) credential is IAAP’s foundational professional certification.

Relevant domains for the CPACC credential include the web and other digital technologies, architecture and the built environment, consumer and industrial design, transportation systems, and any domain in which thoughtful design, policy, and management can improve disability access.

The exam covers, amongst others, the following topics:

• Characterise and differentiate between different theoretical models of disability (i.e. social model, medical model, identity model)
• Identify appropriate assistive technologies and associated strategies for different types of disabilities
• Understanding of disability trends and statistics
• Applying accessibility etiquette into practice
• Disability and universal design
• Identify and apply web accessibility principles
• Knowledge of disability legislation around the world