EFE

The project aims to develop and implement a training programme that enables persons with disabilities to find work in advising public authorities on web accessibility.

The novel training approach will allow persons with disabilities to build on personal experiences to develop specialized skills and knowledge in web accessibility.

The project is a cross-border cooperation between the Åland Islands Disability Rights Federation and the Funka Foundation in Sweden. Common qualifications will be created to enable the training participants to use their web accessibility skills in both countries.

Results

In the jointly conducted training programme, 15 people with disabilities from Åland and the Stockholm region were trained to assess and provide feedback to public organisations on the accessibility of their websites and apps. The training course was conducted as a part-time training online in an accessible web environment. It covered both the theory and practice of web accessibility and included practical assignments that were completed both individually and in groups.

The training highlighted the benefits of sharing experiences between students with various disabilities, as the participants learned hands-on skills in testing concrete criteria of web accessibility at the same time as they gaining insights into the needs of users of varying abilities.

All of the participants were satisfied with the course and 70% thought that they had learned more about web accessibility than they had expected at the start of the course. All of the participants were interested in taking up work or assignments in web accessibility after completing the course.

After completing the course, the participants engaged in a workplace assignment to apply the web accessibility testing skills they had learned. During the assignment, the students collaborated to analyse the websites of 10 public sector bodies in Sweden and Åland. Working individually with testing and in small groups with analysis and determination of compliance, they tested the websites, documented findings, and reported the results to the organisations. The process included workshops where user experts presented their findings, allowing for direct dialogue with website owners. All of the pilot organisations found the feedback highly valuable, with many stating they had gained new insights into accessibility challenges and were willing to engage user experts on a consultancy basis.

All in all, the project demonstrated a clear mutual benefit: participants gained hands-on experience and increased employment opportunities, while public sector organisations improved their accessibility practices.

Overall, the project successfully showcased the value of expertise from lived experience in accessibility work. It provided a replicable model for enhancing digital inclusion, fostering employment for persons with disabilities, and improving public sector compliance with accessibility legislation.

Training material

The project “Expertise from experience” developed and implemented a training course on accessibility for people with disabilities. Through the training, participants gain expert knowledge in how to work with web accessibility professionals and web professionals, providing advice on accessibility on a consultancy basis.

Information event about the results of the project

On March 21, 2025, a webinar was held in English to present the project results.

If you missed the webinar, you access the recording from the website of Funka Foundation.

Background and Activities

Persons with disabilities have fewer opportunities on the employment market. Difficulties to find a suitable job are even higher in remote locations such as the archipelago that have a smaller employment market and challenges related to transportation. At the same time, public authorities in both Åland and the Stockholm region are struggling to fulfil their legal obligations to ensure that their websites and apps are accessible to everyone including persons with disabilities. The project tackles both of these challenges by developing and implementing a novel training program that will provide persons with disabilities key skills needed to support public authorities in their work with web accessibility in both of the regions involved in the project. The key concept of the training program is that the persons with disabilities will build on their own personal experience of inaccessibility to develop expertise in web accessibility that is highly sought-after by public authorities. The cross-border
cooperation between the two project partners stem from the necessity to develop a harmonised approach to the training so that it leads to common qualifications across the two regions of Stockholm region and Åland, enabling the persons with disabilities trained in the project to use their newly gained skills on the employment market in both countries. Since the web accessibility legislation is the same in the whole of the EU, there is also great potential to transfer the model of the training, the knowledge and the outputs produced to other parts of the EU.

Activities

  • Development of curriculum for the training course
  • Development of training material
  • Conducting the training course
  • Conducting workplace training
  • Dissemination and communication activities

The main focus of the project was to deliver a comprehensive training programme in web accessibility for individuals with disabilities. Supporting activities were carried out to ensure the effectiveness and reach of the training.

The training curriculum and material are both available as resources under “News and Materials”.

Expected results

In the jointly conducted training programme, 15 people with disabilities from Åland and the Stockholm region were trained to assess and provide feedback to public organisations on the accessibility of their websites and apps. The training course was conducted as a part-time training online in an accessible web environment. It covered both the theory and practice of web accessibility and included practical assignments that were completed both individually and in groups.

The training highlighted the benefits of sharing experiences between students with various disabilities, as the participants learned hands-on skills in testing concrete criteria of web accessibility at the same time as they gaining insights into the needs of users of varying abilities.

All of the participants were satisfied with the course and 70% thought that they had learned more about web accessibility than they had expected at the start of the course. All of the participants were interested in taking up work or assignments in web accessibility after completing the course.

After completing the course, the participants engaged in a workplace assignment to apply the web accessibility testing skills they had learned. During the assignment, the students collaborated to analyse the websites of 10 public sector bodies in Sweden and Åland. Working individually with testing and in small groups with analysis and determination of compliance, they tested the websites, documented findings, and reported the results to the organisations. The process included workshops where user experts presented their findings, allowing for direct dialogue with website owners. All of the pilot organisations found the feedback highly valuable, with many stating they had gained new insights into accessibility challenges and were willing to engage user experts on a consultancy basis.

All in all, the project demonstrated a clear mutual benefit: participants gained hands-on experience and increased employment opportunities, while public sector organisations improved their accessibility practices.

Overall, the project successfully showcased the value of expertise from lived experience in accessibility work. It provided a replicable model for enhancing digital inclusion, fostering employment for persons with disabilities, and improving public sector compliance with accessibility legislation.

Duration 01.11.2023 - 30.04.2025

Total budget

Programme priority

Improved employment opportunities

Programme objective

PO6 - Improved employment opportunities on labour market

Lead partner

The Åland Islands Disability Rights Federation

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