Certification renewal is required every three (3) years due to the rate of change in the profession, professional practices and standards affected by technological changes, and the need to stay current in accessibility practices and maintain knowledge. To remain active, the renewal application must be submitted prior to the current certification expiration date. If the certification lapses, then an additional fee will be assessed to reinstate the certification within six months. Lapses of certification after six months will not be renewed; candidates must reapply and retake the exam.
All of the following steps must be completed in order to receive successful renewal:
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Completion of required CEUs and/or professional development activities
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Ongoing adherence to professional conduct requirements
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Submission of completed renewal documents
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Review and approval by APAC
As outlined below, the renewal application documents 1) ongoing adherence to professional conduct requirements and 2) completion of professional development activities or a combination of professional development activities and contributions to the profession. Renewal applicants must again agree in writing that they will adhere to the APA Code of Professional Conduct.
Required Continuing Education Units for Renewal
Renewing certificants must have completed a minimum of twenty-four (24) continuing education units (CEUs) of accessibility-related continuing education (CE), which may consist of 1) receiving accessibility-related continuing education, 2) presenting accessibility-related courses, 3) making contributions to the profession, or 4) any combination of these.
When renewing, applicants may include qualifying APAC credits not previously submitted for APAC credit, provided they have been completed less than three (3) years prior to the certification expiration date.
1. One (1) credit is equal to one (1) hour of continuing education. A minimum of one (1) credit focused on ethics is suggested.
Twelve (12) credits must be courses that are specifically approved by APAC, either by being pre-approved and offered by an Approved Provider or by being submitted to the APAC Board by the certificant where approval will be determined on a case-by-case basis.
The twelve (12) remaining units are acceptable if they fall into one of the categories listed in the Study Resources section of the APAC website or have a focus on business practices, ethics, life safety code, state-specific accessibility codes, and universal design.
Certificants requesting approval of a specific course should do so by sending the course name, official length (e.g., 2.25 hours), topic, description, learning objectives, provider, and course number to APACinfo@AccessibilityProfessionals.org or by filling out this form:
CEU Submission Form
2. A maximum of six (6) CUEs may be from presenting accessibility-related courses. Qualifying credits may include:
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Presenting at a national or regional conference including, but not limited to, APA National Conference, CASI Summit, or ADA Symposium
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Presenting in-person courses or webinars that have been approved for CEUs by APAC
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Presenting or co-presenting on behalf of a national accessibility agency, such as the ADA Centers
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Other presenting opportunities, to be submitted to APAC for approval