Accessible Event Champion Certificate Program
Accepting Applications Oct 1, 2025 through Oct 31, 2025
Submit your application today!
Sponsored by the Office of Disability Access and Inclusion in the Office of Opportunity & Outreach, the Accessible Event Champion Certificate Program is a training course designed to equip UCSF students, staff, and faculty with skills to plan accessible in-person, virtual, and hybrid events at UCSF.
The Accessible Event Champion Certificate Program introduces participants to foundational concepts for accessible event planning through lectures, guest presenters, independent learning, and a unique capstone project.
This training course was developed in conjunction with the UCSF Toolkit for Planning Accessible Events created by the Office of Disability Access and Inclusion in partnership with the Committee on Disability Inclusion at UCSF.
Program Overview
Application Criteria
- The Accessible Event Champion Certificate Program is open to all UCSF staff, students, and faculty with experience managing events at UCSF (i.e., conferences, meetings, events, and outreach activities, etc.).
- Participants must have a demonstrated commitment to UCSF’s PRIDE values and Principles of Community.
- Participants must have the ability to commit the time required to participate in the program.
- UCSF does not use race, gender, sex, or other protected categories or proxies for protected categories in the selection process.
- Applications are open Oct 1, 2025 - Oct 31, 2025.
Program Format and Length
- Five (5) 1.5-hour virtual training sessions spread across four months January - May 2026 (7.5 hours).
- Approximately 3-4 hours of independent learning in between sessions (i.e., required readings)
- A capstone project aimed to leverage knowledge and skills to further an accessible and inclusive campus climate.
- Trainings will be facilitated once a month on Zoom from 12:00-1:30pm January - May 2026.
- Attendance is mandatory; participants who are unable to attend the required sessions may be dropped from the program.
Dates: (all class will be scheduled from 12:00 - 1:30 PM, online/Zoom)
- Thurs, January 15, 2026
- Thurs, February 19, 2026
- Thurs, March 19, 2026
- Thurs, April 16, 2026
- Thurs, May 21, 2026
Accessibility: UCSF welcomes all participants to our events. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event because of a disability, please contact Cecile Puretz at [email protected] as soon as possible.
Learning goals
- Understand and apply key concepts from the UCSF Toolkit for Planning Accessible Events to design and produce in-person, virtual, and hybrid events to be accessible for all audiences.
- Understand the roles and responsibilities of an Accessible Event Champion.
- Learn to apply key concepts from the WCAG (Website Content Accessibility Guidelines) to all digital content, including websites, presentations, registration forms, emails, and marketing materials.
- Know how to respond when a participant makes a request for a reasonable accommodation, and how to schedule accessibility vendors.
- Leverage skills and knowledge learned to improve the climate for people with disabilities at UCSF.
- Gain insight into personal perspectives from disabled accessibility consultants and community leaders.
Schedule At a Glance
Module 1: Foundations of accessible event planning
Module 2: Practical guidance for accessible event planning
Module 3: Effective communication and communication access for audiences with disabilities
Module 4: Digital accessibility: Accessible presentations, websites, and documents
Module 5: Building a community of practice & capstone project presentations
Facilitator
Cecile Puretz
Assistant Director, Disability Access and Inclusion
UCSF Office of Opportunity and Outreach
Disclaimer
Guest Speakers: UCSF endeavors to create greater understanding and supports the exchange of diverse ideas. Views and opinions of guest speakers on campus are their own and may not reflect the perspective of the University.