Case Study: Accessibility Curriculum Development & Training

Juno (Formerly HackerYou)
  • Client: Juno College of Technology
  • Role: Lead Accessibility Educator & Curriculum Author
  • Timeline: 2018–2019
  • Focus: Technical Training, Design Strategy, and Workforce Development

Overview

Juno College is one of Canada’s leading institutions for career-changing technology education. I partnered with their leadership team to bridge the "accessibility gap" in modern tech education, developing and delivering high-impact workshops for both their internal student body and external corporate partners across Toronto.

The Challenge

As digital accessibility became a legal and ethical requirement for Canadian businesses, there was a growing demand for practitioners who could move beyond theory into practical, hands-on implementation. Juno needed a curriculum that could teach developers how to write inclusive code and designers how to architect accessible experiences from the first wireframe.

The Solution

I authored two distinct, comprehensive workshops designed to meet the specific needs of different product disciplines:

1. Web Accessibility for Developers (Full-Day)

A deep-dive engineering workshop focused on the technical "how-to" of inclusive coding.

  • Key Topics: Semantic HTML5, ARIA implementation, keyboard focus management, automated testing tools, and manual testing with screen readers.
  • Impact: Provided engineers with the tools to treat accessibility as a core feature of their development workflow.

2. Web Accessibility for Designers (Half-Day)

A strategy-focused workshop created for UX and Design professionals to "shift accessibility left."

  • Key Topics: Color contrast ratios, typography, inclusive navigation patterns, and documenting accessibility requirements within design files (e.g., Figma).
  • Impact: Taught designers how to catch and prevent accessibility barriers before they ever reach the development stage.

The Impact

In addition to training Juno’s internal cohorts, these workshops were delivered externally to prominent organizations, including The Globe and Mail and Deloitte . By training both the next generation of talent and established enterprise teams, this curriculum helped set a higher standard for digital inclusivity within the Toronto tech community.

Educational References: