Unity’s passion for expertise is the engine that drives us. We wear our dedication on our sleeves and take immense pride in honing our knowledge and skills. Why, you might ask? Because we’re on a mission to build a web that’s radically inclusive for everyone, and we don’t just want to be good at it; we want to be the best.
That’s why we sponsored our creative experts’ certifications in web accessibility through the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP). IAAP is a respected global hub for accessibility leaders whose certifications are recognized industry-wide. They offer the kind of training that equips professionals with not just knowledge but the practical skills to make the digital world more accessible.
But why go the extra mile, you might wonder? Well, that’s because we believe in a tailored approach. A one-size-fits-all strategy just doesn’t align with our values. We know every client and every user is unique, each with their distinct needs and goals, and we’re committed to meeting those challenges head-on.
At Unity, radical inclusivity and expert knowledge aren’t fancy buzzwords; they’re the foundation of everything we do, and these certifications are just another step in our journey to create a digital world that truly belongs to everyone.
Meet Our Certified Experts: Andy and Bud
After a little over a year of coursework and preparation, our creative leads both earned their certifications in web accessibility this summer.
Our Lead Developer, Andy Marino, earned the Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS) professional certification. This certification quantifies and represents a candidate’s hands-on technical digital accessibility proficiency. Andy is one of the 1,200 professionals worldwide who currently hold this prestigious certification.
In Andy’s words, “If you think about how many people around the world work on and contribute to the web each day, this is a very small number, and there’s a lot to be proud of in that.”
Bud Northern, our Lead Designer, earned the Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) credential, IAAP’s foundational professional certification. Bud sees this as a means to support Unity Web Agency’s mission to build accessible websites that are usable by all users, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. With this certification, he brings a new perspective to the design phase of our projects, rooted in a deeper understanding of the needs of disabled people.
By ensuring our creative team holds these specialized certificates, we’re not only positioning ourselves as industry leaders but also setting the stage for our clients to have the best possible experience. In unity, there is strength — and by investing in education and expertise, we’re reinforcing our commitment to a radically inclusive internet.
Our Commitment in Action: Crafting a Better Web
Our dedication to expertise isn’t just a tagline. It’s a guiding principle that fuels our mission to create sustainable and accessible websites that capture and amplify our client’s visions.
Unity Web Agency proudly joined hands with Tilting The Lens, an Ireland-based accessibility consultancy, in their mission to encourage companies to embrace accessible practices across all facets of their business. Our partnership with Tilting The Lens led to the creation of a truly accessible WordPress website, designed to be inclusive of diverse abilities.
Our shared vision was clear: to craft a clean, WCAG-aligned website that not only mirrored the essence of Tilting The Lens but also served as a benchmark for digital accessibility best practices. We aimed to showcase their remarkable work, offer free resources, and, most importantly, exemplify what it means to be digitally inclusive.
To realize this vision, we took a multi-faceted approach. We designed the website with minimal pages and a user-friendly navigation system, featured Tilting The Lens’ extensive media coverage and glowing client testimonials right on their homepage, and incorporated a searchable resource library into the website, making valuable information readily available. We also added dark mode functionality to the website, offering an option that caters to various user preferences and needs.
The collaboration between Tilting The Lens and Unity Web Agency resulted in an exceptional achievement and earned us two prestigious Web Excellence Awards in the categories of Accessibility and Consulting.
Bud reflects, “I have a better understanding of a broader group of people, how their needs should be addressed and how our work can make accessing information on the web easier. The CPACC Certification and comparable programs can equip website teams to be early adopters of accessible best practices. Early planning is key to making accessible websites more affordable. This training allows this thinking to be baked into our process.”
A Commitment to the Greater Good
As a certified B Corp, we’re here to implement practices and promote policies that benefit people and the planet. “By earning this certification, we’re making an active commitment towards our mission of making the web more accessible and it supports our core value of investing in the greater good,” says Andy. If you’re a nonprofit or small business owner looking for a web agency that lives and breathes these values, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Our journey towards radical web inclusivity is only beginning. With certifications, expertise, and a fierce dedication to our vision, Unity is all set to redefine the boundaries of what’s possible in the digital world.
