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"Classes focus on improving digital access and compliance, aimed at web administrators in higher education institutions, nonprofits, and small businesses."

SANTA FE, NM –Accessible New Mexico, LLC and Santa Fe Community College’s Continuing Education and Workforce Development are offering a free training series, Digital Access Essentials, for New Mexico residents. The program, aimed at website administrators from higher education institutions, nonprofits, and small businesses, focuses on improving digital accessibility and ensuring compliance with digital platforms. Sessions begin on May 21. Any New Mexico resident may enroll at Accessible: Digital Access Essentials for Professionals (NM WF) - SFCC Continuing Education. For more information or assistance, call 505-428-1060.

With recent federal guidance and mounting legal pressures around web accessibility in education, New Mexico businesses must ensure their digital content is inclusive and compliant with standards such as ADA Title II & III, Section 508, and WCAG 2.1 AA.

“This training was created with higher ed administrators and small businesses in mind,” said Eli Fresquez, founder of Accessible New Mexico and the series instructor. “We know the digital front door to a business, college, or university is often its website, and we want to help institutions keep that door open to everyone.”

Training Series Highlights:

• May 21 Session 1: Introduction to Digital Accessibility – Understand accessibility principles and why they matter.
• May 28 Session 2: Legal & Policy Frameworks –Learn the requirements of ADA, Section 508, and upcoming DOJ regulations.
• June 4 Session 3: Web Accessibility for Websites & Apps – Get hands-on with tools like WAVE, Axe, and Lighthouse.
• June 11 Session 4: Document & Multimedia Accessibility – Ensure course content and PDFs meet compliance.
• June 18 Session 5: Accessibility for Small Teams & Budgets – Practical strategies for doing more with less.
• June 25 Session 6: Governance & Strategy – Build sustainable accessibility practices campus-wide.

Each session is 30 minutes (20 minutes of instruction + 10 minutes Q&A), delivered online via Canvas, and recorded for future reference. The series runs weekly on Wednesday at noon from May 21 through June 25. The course is free, but participants need to register by May 20. Once enrolled, participants will receive an email with a link and instructions from SFCC’s Continuing Education and Workforce Development on accessing the course.

Participants will gain access to tools, checklists, and real-world case studies from higher ed institutions, including lessons learned from recent accessibility lawsuits involving Harvard, MIT, and UC Berkeley.

For more information, please email Monique Anair at Monique.Anair1@sfcc.edu or call 505-428-1060. To request accessibility accommodations for the course, notify Anair by May 14, 2025.

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