Browse through the courses available in our ADS Certification Exam Prep. These courses were created based on the IAAP Body of Knowledge. There are 15 courses, totaling over 8 hours of content, as well as a final practice exam, which is modeled after the official ADS exam format. This exam prep is eligible for 8 IAAP education credits.
Disclaimer: The practice exam is for preparation purposes only and is not an official IAAP product. The courses are designed to strengthen your knowledge and provide valuable preparation for the IAAP certification exams. While they cover key concepts and best practices, they are not intended to serve as a complete study resource. To be fully prepared, you'll need to review the official IAAP Accessible Document Specialist Body of Knowledge and Content Outlines. We encourage you to use the resources provided throughout these courses as a starting point, while also exploring additional study materials, practice guides, and reference documents made available by IAAP.
On this page:
- About the course series
- Introduction to the IAAP Accessible Document Specialist Certification
- Document Accessibility Foundations and Standards
- Plain Language, Readability and Text Formatting
- Headings, Structure, Semantics
- Reading Order and Navigation
- Images, Graphics, Alternative Text, and Descriptions
- Tables, Data and Spreadsheets
- Exporting, File Conversion, and Cross-Format Structure
- OCR, Scanned Documents, and Text Recognition
- PDF/UA, EPUB Tagging, Role Mapping, and Final Format Remediation
- Automated Testing
- Manual Testing with Assistive Technology
- Training, Instructional Design, and Skill Development
- Workflow Design, Templates, Quality Assurance, and Organizational Processes
- Policy, Standards, Regulations, and Advising
About the course series
This course series is designed to help you prepare for the IAAP Accessible Document Specialist (ADS) exam.
Each course covers a specific area of accessibility knowledge, from foundational document accessibility principles to advanced remediation, testing, and organizational strategy. Together, they help you build the knowledge and confidence you'll need to approach the certification exam successfully.
Wrap up your preparation with a final practice exam that reflects the pacing and question style of the real ADS exam. It's a strong way to test your confidence, identify gaps, and assess your readiness before certification.
Introduction to the IAAP Accessible Document Specialist Certification
This microlearning introduces the IAAP Accessible Document Specialist (ADS) certification, including its purpose, audience, and value. You'll explore the certification's structure, the ADS Body of Knowledge, and how this credential supports professional growth in document accessibility work.
Duration: 8 minutes
Document Accessibility Foundations and Standards
This microlearning explores the foundational concepts of document accessibility, including how assistive technologies interact with documents and how key standards such as WCAG, PDF/UA, EN 301 549, Section 508, and the Matterhorn Protocol shape accessibility practice.
Duration: 8 minutes
Plain Language, Readability and Text Formatting
This course explores how writing clarity, formatting decisions, and typography influence accessibility. You'll learn how plain language, reading levels, color contrast, alignment, and link understandability contribute to content that is easier to perceive and understand for all users.
Duration: 30 minutes
Headings, Structure, Semantics
This course focuses on how semantic elements such as headings, lists, tables, and slide titles create meaning, structure, and navigability in accessible documents. You'll learn how to apply these elements consistently across authoring tools and understand their impact on assistive technology users.
Duration: 40 minutes
Reading Order and Navigation
This course explores how reading order and navigation shape the experience of users relying on assistive technologies. You'll learn how to identify structural issues, verify reading order across word-processed documents, presentation documents, spreadsheets, PDFs, and EPUB, and support meaningful navigation throughout your documents.
Duration: 30 minutes
Images, Graphics, Alternative Text, and Descriptions
This course covers how to make visual content accessible through meaningful alternative text, decorative images, and long descriptions. You'll learn to apply accessibility standards across images, charts, diagrams, and complex visuals in PDFs, EPUBs, and other document formats.
Duration: 35 minutes
Tables, Data, and Spreadsheets
This course explores how to build accessible tables and spreadsheets that assistive technologies can interpret accurately. You'll learn how to define structural elements, handle simple and complex tables, and apply best practices across authoring tools, PDFs, and EPUBs.
Duration: 40 minutes
Exporting, File Conversion, and Cross-Format Structure
This course focuses on maintaining accessibility during export and conversion. You'll learn how to preserve structure when exporting from Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and desktop-publishing tools into formats such as PDF and EPUB while avoiding common workflow errors.
Duration: 30 minutes
OCR, Scanned Documents, and Text Recognition
This course explores how to identify scanned or image-only content and use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to make it accessible. You'll learn how to apply OCR at the right stage of the remediation workflow, verify results manually, and understand the limits of OCR tools.
Duration: 25 minutes
PDF/UA, EPUB Tagging, Role Mapping, and Final Format Remediation
This course explores advanced remediation techniques in PDF and EPUB, including tagging, role mapping, alternative text, decorative content, and embedded media. You'll gain the skills needed to correct final-format documents so assistive technologies can present content accurately.
Duration: 35 minutes
Automated Testing
This course introduces automated accessibility testing tools and how they fit into a broader review process. You'll learn what these tools can detect, where their limitations lie, how to configure document metadata, and how to interpret results responsibly.
Duration: 25 minutes
Manual Testing with Assistive Technology
This course focuses on manual accessibility testing using assistive technologies such as screen readers and keyboard navigation. You'll learn how to verify reading order, links, and structure, and understand the elements that automated tools cannot fully evaluate.
Duration: 35 minutes
Training, Instructional Design, and Skill Development
This course explores how to design effective accessibility training for others. You'll learn how to plan training, apply Universal Design for Learning principles, use plain language, develop accessible materials, and support long-term skill growth through evaluation and reinforcement.
Duration: 30 minutes
Workflow Design, Templates, Quality Assurance, and Organizational Processes
This course focuses on implementing accessibility at the organizational level through templates, workflows, quality assurance, and procurement practices. You'll learn how to design systems that build accessibility into everyday document production and reduce the need for later remediation.
Duration: 30 minutes
Policy, Standards, Regulations, and Advising
This course explores how policy, standards, and regulations shape accessibility work. You'll learn how to align organizational policies with WCAG, PDF/UA, Section 508, EN 301 549, and other standards, and gain skills to advise leadership and support policy review cycles.
Duration: 30 minutes
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