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Strengthening Campus Safety Through Accessible Verbal De-escalation Training

Screenshot of the Introduction slide introducing federal anti-discrimination laws, featuring labeled categories such as National origin, Sex, Color, Retaliation, Genetics, Age, Religion, Disability, and Race. The layout includes a grid of diverse faces in the background with three people sitting on a bench in the foreground, emphasizing inclusivity and protection against discrimination.

An accessibility-focused conversion of instructor-led NO FEAR Act training into a fully Section 508–compliant eLearning course, ensuring inclusive access to mandatory federal training.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (OEOCR)

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Through its Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights, CMS delivers mandatory training to ensure compliance with federal civil rights laws, including the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation (NO FEAR) Act.

Opportunity

CMS OEOCR needed to modernize its NO FEAR Act training by converting an instructor-led, slide-based course into an online format that met Section 508 accessibility requirements.

The training needed to be accessible to all learners, including individuals using assistive technologies, while preserving the integrity and intent of the original instructor-led content. CMS required a training development partner with deep expertise in accessibility testing and remediation to ensure compliance with federal standards.

Solution

Microassist partnered with CMS OEOCR to convert and remediate the NO FEAR Act training into an accessible eLearning course complete with module summaries, learning checks, and a course quiz.

The work included:

  • Converting instructor-led PowerPoint content into an online eLearning module
  • Conducting comprehensive Section 508 accessibility testing
  • Identifying and prioritizing accessibility issues by restructuring content, adjusting layouts, and creating accessible alternatives, where needed
  • Ensuring all audio content was properly captioned
  • Verifying accessibility using keyboard navigation, color contrast analysis, and screen reader testing

The resulting course preserved the original instructional intent while ensuring it could be accessed and navigated by all learners.

Success Drivers

Successful delivery required careful alignment with multiple accessibility-driven design criteria, including:

  • Text alternatives for all non-text elements
  • Full keyboard accessibility with visible focus indicators
  • Readable content independent of visual styling
  • Equivalent alternatives for multimedia and animated content
  • Consideration of accessibility limitations within tools

Microassist addressed these criteria through structured design, detailed testing, and clear communication of any tool-related constraints to ensure transparency and compliance.migration, and close collaboration with OAG stakeholders to ensure continuity, reliability, and long-term value.

Results

The NO FEAR Act training was successfully converted and remediated within the defined scope and timeframe:

  • Instructor-led content transformed into a fully accessible eLearning course
  • Section 508 compliance validated through testing and remediation
  • Improved accessibility for learners using assistive technologies
  • A compliant training asset supporting mandatory federal requirements

The project enabled CMS OEOCR to confidently deliver accessible NO FEAR Act training to its workforce.

Does Your Organization Encounter Similar Issues?

Many organizations rely on legacy or instructor-led training that does not meet current accessibility standards. If your organization needs to convert, remediate, or validate training for Section 508 compliance, Microassist can help.

Contact Microassist today to learn how our accessibility-focused training solutions support compliant learning.