Community of Practice, EquitableDocs

01 Why this exists

Document remediation in the Global South is informal work. The people doing it deserve better.

The industry has not invested in training. Most remediators learn through trial and error. There are no structured programmes, mentors, or curriculum in most of the Global South.

There is no credential for this work. You can remediate hundreds of documents and have nothing to show for it. No certificate, no portfolio, no professional recognition.

There is no career path. No progression from beginner to expert. No specialisation. No professional identity. The industry depends on this work but does not invest in the people who do it.

Practitioners work alone. Knowledge is hoarded, not shared. People who could learn from each other never meet. The Community of Practice exists to change that.

02 What you will learn

Practical skills in a field where practitioners are urgently needed.

You learn by doing. You work on real documents, receive structured training, and build practical skills the industry will pay for.

i

PDF remediation

Tag PDFs for screen readers: headings, reading order, lists, figures, and metadata. PDF/UA compliance and how to validate your work.

ii

Word and PowerPoint accessibility

Create accessible documents from source: heading structures, alt text, table markup, slide design that works with assistive technology.

iii

Alt text and image descriptions

Write meaningful descriptions for images, charts, diagrams, and complex figures. The skill that most directly helps students using screen readers.

iv

STEM and equation accessibility

Make mathematical equations, scientific notation, and data tables accessible using MathML and plain-language descriptions.

v

OCR and scanned documents

How optical character recognition converts scanned pages into searchable text, and how to handle multi-language and complex layouts.

vi

Easy Read content creation

Simplify complex academic content into Easy Read format: clear language, short sentences, meaningful images, for students with learning and intellectual disabilities.

vii

EPUB accessibility

Accessible digital publishing: semantic structure, navigation, media overlays, and how EPUB works with reading apps and assistive technology.

viii

Quality assurance and validation

Industry-standard tools (veraPDF, PAC) to validate documents against international accessibility standards, and how to do screen-reader spot-tests.

03 How the Community of Practice works

Four principles.

The Community of Practice is hosted by EquitableDocs. Members join because they share the mission. They are not working for EquitableDocs; they contribute to a shared goal alongside it. This is volunteer, mission-driven work.

i

Collaboration over competition

Members share knowledge and skills openly. The Community of Practice exists to build accessibility capacity across the Global South, not to create a proprietary workforce.

ii

The work speaks for itself

No tiers, no promotions, no rank. Readiness for different types of contribution is demonstrated through the work, assessed against public criteria anyone can read.

iii

Students shape the work

Students with print disabilities are part of the Community of Practice as Student Advocates, shaping how accessibility work is done.

04 Ways to contribute

Four contribution types. Public criteria.

Members contribute where their skills match. The criteria are public. You can see exactly what is expected for each type of contribution. No gatekeeping, no hidden requirements.

01
Document remediation

What you do: Fix documents so they work with screen readers. Add image descriptions, correct headings, mark up tables, fix reading order.

What you need: Complete the training programme. Remediate three practice documents. Pass peer review on all three.
02
Quality review

What you do: Check other members' remediation work against accessibility standards. Test with screen readers. Provide constructive feedback.

What you need: Fifteen or more documents remediated with consistent quality. Demonstrate screen-reader testing with NVDA or VoiceOver.
03
University pipeline support

What you do: Help universities set up and configure accessibility tools. Work with their staff to build permanent, in-house capacity.

What you need: Understand the full remediation pipeline end to end. Have participated in at least one university engagement as an observer.
04
Training delivery

What you do: Run training sessions for university staff and new members. Teach document accessibility to people who have never done it.

What you need: All of the above, plus deliver a practice session to other members first.

You choose what to work toward. A member who is excellent at image descriptions but has never used a screen reader contributes to remediation but not to quality review. That is not a rank. It is matching skills to needs.

05 Student Advocates

Students contribute their lived experience.

Students with disabilities and allied students contribute to the mission. Student Advocates show universities why accessible documents matter. They can also work on making documents accessible alongside other members.

i

Mobilisation

"This is what my textbook looks like to me. This is why it matters." No sighted professional can make that case as powerfully as a student who lives it.

ii

Training partners

Sitting in a university training session and showing staff what an inaccessible document does when a screen reader encounters it. That is proof, not a presentation.

iii

University advocacy

When a student says "I cannot read this" directly to disability services, it carries more weight than when EquitableDocs says it.

Student Advocates are defined by what they do, not what they have. The programme is open to students with disabilities and to allied students who share the mission.

06 What you earn

Real credentials, issued for demonstrated work.

i

Community of Practice Certificate

For any member who has remediated ten or more documents and passed peer review. Demonstrates real, verified skill in document accessibility.
ii

Trainer Credential

For members who have delivered training sessions through the Community of Practice. Demonstrates the ability to teach accessibility, not just practise it.
iii

Portfolio of completed work

Every document you contribute to is part of your professional record. Reference letters are available for members with consistent contributions.
iv

Community Convener

Recognition for members who, over twelve months or more, have contributed across three or more of the four contribution types, mentored new members through their first remediation, and helped facilitate at least one Community of Practice gathering or training session. Conveners are recognised by peer nomination, not appointed. Breadth of contribution, not a rank.

Members also receive:

Listed on the EquitableDocs website as an active member of the Community of Practice.
Invitation to community learning sessions, knowledge-sharing events, and collaborative projects.
Opportunity to co-author accessibility guides and best practice resources.
Every document you help make accessible is a tangible, credited contribution to a student's education.

See a sample certificate or see a sample letter of recognition.

EquitableDocs is also open to formal certification partnerships with accessibility and professional bodies. No specific partnerships are confirmed yet; they will be announced here when they are.

07 Register your interest

Joining takes two minutes.

Add your name. We email you when training begins or when a document needing your skills comes in. No commitment at this stage; early registrants get priority onboarding.

Join the Community of Practice Email us instead

08 Questions

Frequently asked.

Do I need experience in document accessibility?: No. The Community of Practice provides free training. You start by learning, practise on real documents, and build skills through doing. Many members are new to this field.
Is this paid work?: This is volunteer, mission-driven work. We make no promises about compensation. If that ever changes, we will be transparent about how it works.
How much time does it take?: That is up to you. Some members may contribute a few hours a month. Others work on documents regularly. There is no minimum commitment.
I am a student. Can I join?: Yes. Students join as Student Advocates, contributing through mobilisation, training partnerships, university advocacy, and working on accessible documents. You do not need technical skills to start. Your lived experience is valuable, and you can build technical skills through the training.
I already do remediation work. Is this for me?: Yes. Experienced practitioners can contribute to quality review, university pipeline support, or training delivery. The Community of Practice is a place to share what you know, not just learn.
What tools or software do I need?: A computer and a web browser. That is all. The Community of Practice works through a browser-based portal. No software to install. It works on any device: desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone.
Can I join from anywhere in the world?: Yes. The Community of Practice is open to anyone, anywhere. Members who speak regional languages are especially valuable; our work covers documents in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, and many other languages. All work is remote and browser-based.

The Document Accessibility Community of Practice.