Training

Accessible PDFs Basics Class

Love them or hate them, PDFs are everywhere. 

Did you know that when you convert a file to PDF, it may not be accessible?

Get the knowledge, skills and practice to make sure your PDFs work for everyone.

Date: Coming soon!

The cost for the training is:
CAD $395.00 + Tax

Squarely Social Illustration - Social media and website content accessibility

PDFs that aren’t designed to be accessible leave people behind.

When you need to share a file and make sure it looks the way it’s supposed to, a PDF can be your go-to option. But it’s not a format that works for everyone.

Learn how to create an accessible PDF so it works for a wider audience.

PDF files are not accessible by default. It starts with a source file that’s written and formatted correctly, so you have a head start before converting to PDF. From there, there’s work to do in Acrobat to make sure your content can be accessed and understood by as many people as possible.

Want your message to go farther? Call people in by creating and sharing PDFs that include everyone.

Creating accessible PDF files takes knowledge, skills and practice.

Accessibility isn’t something you do at the end of the creative process, it’s the completion of it, and something to build in from the very start.

The Accessible PDF Basics Class is designed to help

You’ll learn practical ways to create accessible PDF files to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1 AA) in this 3.5-hour class.

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What you’ll get:

Illustration of a person standing in front of a large web browser window with a dark blue gear in the centre

Live, instructor-led online training

3.5 hours of online training to learn core concepts and apply your knowledge through practical exercises and small group activities.

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Pre-reading and homework to help you prep

Access to pre-reading and activities before the program starts to help you get the most out of the live classes.

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Resources and tools you can use after class

Part of the journey is learning as you go. You’ll get a reference guide and checklist you can use every day, plus real-time feedback on your PDF file.

What you’ll learn:

The principles of accessible PDFs – what they are and why they’re important


What accessibility levels, standards and guidelines are and the requirements for meeting them


How starting with a well-formatted source file is the key to creating an accessible PDF and what you can do to check them


How to use accessibility features like bookmarks, a table of contents, navigation, alternative text for images and tables, reading order, and the accessibility checker so your PDFs are compatible with screen readers and voice recognition software


How to incorporate converting regular PDFs into accessible PDFs into your workflow


The moral, legal and financial risks associated with creating inaccessible documents 

Dates & Times

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Classes are:

Coming soon!

Cost

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The cost for training is:


CAD $395.00 + Tax

Cost

The cost for the training is $395.00 + GST. Classes are on December 6 and 7, 2023 from 10:00am – 12:30pm Central each day.

About your instructor Kelly Thibodeau

If we haven’t met yet, my name is Kelly Thibodeau. I’m the daughter of a mom who had physical and cognitive disabilities and I witnessed first-hand the negative impacts of living in a world my mom felt excluded from. 

I bring together over 25 years of marketing and communications experience and have been involved in creating accessible online web content since 2007, first as a member of a corporate working group, then as a website editor and social media manager. I started Squarely Social in 2018 and have been incorporating accessible practices in my work and in my training programs. I’ve led and developed curriculum for universities, organizations and industry groups on digital and social media marketing.

Instructor Kelly Thibodeau

I believe that digital experiences are social, and that conversational content includes disabled people. 

Funding provided by the Manitoba Government through the Manitoba Accessibility Fund.

More training opportunities:

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Accessible Social Media and Website Content Writing

People want to do business with companies that believe in the same things they do.

Learn how to write accessible social media and website content in this 5-hour online class.

Course Cost:
CAD $395.00 + Tax

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Accessible Documents Class

Documents are where ideas come to life, where people collaborate and how ideas move forward. 

Get the knowledge, skills and practice to make sure your documents work for everyone.

Course Cost:
CAD $395.00 + Tax

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Accessible Presentations Class

Presentations are powerful and persuasive. Move your big ideas farther with accessible presentations in this 3-hour online class.

Course Cost:
CAD $395.00 + Tax