Learning paths
Learning paths
The Office of IT Accessibility (OITA) offers accessibility trainings to all members of the Rutgers community and the general public. Below are a list of prerecorded trainings, interviews, and other resources we recommend based on your individual learning path.
To access the following trainings, you will need to sign up for the resources below:
Join the Digital Accessibility Network (DAN) | Sign up for Deque University
To request accommodations for any of our trainings below, please email jkhurdan@rutgers.edu
Role-based trainings
Web developer/content creator
Deque Fast Track Courses
- Fast Track for PDF Creators
- Fast Track for Microsoft Office
- Fast Track for Web Developers, Part 1: Core Techniques
- Fast Track for Web Developers, Part 2: Advanced Techniques
- Fast Track for Designers
Accessible content guide
- Making accessible content (DAN) | Training on making accessible content. This training also includes best practices for accessible design and style choices.
- Accessible content and design manual
- Image guidelines (DAN) | Training on what makes a good alt-text, and what to do when the application doesn’t allow you to create an alt-text on images.
Social media accessibility
- Making your social media accessible (DAN) | Training on making how to make your content on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram accessible.
- Social media accessibility manual
- Auto captions tools
Checking content for accessibility
Deque Trainings
Web content audits
Level 1 – No website experience
Level 1 testing is meant for those who struggle understanding and using an automated testing tool like WAVE. It is below the minimum threshold of testing, but recognizes that there are high impact items you could evaluate with out needing to full automated/manual testing.
- Level 1 training (DAN) | How to use just browswer plug-ins to conduct automated testing on webpages
- Web audits for non‐technical staff
- Website testing ‐ Level 1 walk‐through
Level 2 – Minimum standards
This level is meant to provide the minimum testing standards you should use to evaluate your web content:
Basic Automated and Manual Testing:
- Level 2 training (DAN) | How to conduct automated and manual testing on your websites
- Web audits – minimum standards
- Website testing- Level 2 walk-through
Using a screen reader:
- How to use NVDA (DAN) | Overview on how to use NVDA, a free screen reader for Windows computers.
- How to use VoiceOver (DAN) | Overview on how to use VoiceOver, a free screen reader for MacOS computers
- How to use a screen reader
Checking PDFs/documents
- Document accessibility (DAN) | Validating documents and coming up with a plan for managing your documents
Customer service roles
Important laws and basic etiquette
- Serving Customers with Disabilities
- Disability Etiquette Basics
- Effective Communication, Part 1: Communicating in Person
- Effective Communication, Part 2: Remote Communication
- Accessibility Fundamentals – Disabilities, Guidelines, and Laws
Disability related trainings
Vision impairments
- Rebecca Rosenberg – Breaking the cycle (podcast)
- Multi-sensory learning (podcast)
d/Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- S1E1: Of Robots and Men – Closed Captioning (podcast)
- S1E5: Bridges to d/Deaf Culture (podcast)
- S2E4: Ethan Hart Cook – Deaf Firefighter (podcast)
- Sensitivity Training – Student stories (DAN)
- Identity & Culture (DAN)
- Facilitating Classroom Collaboration (DAN)
- Auto captioning tools
- Social media accessibility
Invisible disabilities
- Desiree White: Time is a sunk cost (podcast)
- Ken Basco: Understanding thyself (podcast)