Digital accessibility and document management across PDF, Word and InDesign — build documents that are professional, findable and genuinely usable.
A document specialist owns the whole route from source file to publication: clear Word and InDesign documents, accessible PDFs, correct structure and reading order, and a workflow that keeps versions, templates and publishing under control. This hands-on course works on real reports, brochures, policy documents and other material drawn from actual practice.
Sound familiar?
This is where design, technique and document management come together into one workflow you can trust.
Two questions first
No. Solid digital skills and an eye for precision matter more. We build the workflow up step by step, from a well-structured Word source file to a fully checked PDF.
No. You become a specialist in creating, managing and practically checking documents — able to fix the errors that come up again and again, and to recognise when a situation calls for a formal audit or specialist review.
The programme
You won't just learn to format documents correctly — you'll learn to organise them so they last. The course combines digital accessibility, Word, InDesign, Acrobat Pro, quality control and document management into one practical learning path.
The key principle: an accessible PDF almost always starts in the source file. So rather than just teaching repairs in Acrobat Pro, this course focuses on building the right structure in Word and InDesign from the start.
Where this leads
Job titles vary by organisation. What matters is being able to structure documents, publish them accessibly, manage versions, and guard quality from source file to final product. This combination is especially relevant in government, education, healthcare, culture and other semi-public organisations.
Who it's for
The group stays small and practice-based. A communications officer brings an annual report, a designer brings an InDesign publication, a document manager brings an entire folder of versions. It's exactly that mix of real cases that makes the craft click.
In their own words
The Document Specialist course is new, building on our existing courses in InDesign, digital publishing and hands-on design practice. The quotes below are from those related programmes, and speak to how participants experience the structure, the guidance and how directly it applies to real work.
"Well-structured, with a lot of genuinely useful tips."
Debby Nijhuis Private InDesign course
"The pace was exactly right."
Jascha Jongeneel Illustrator, Photoshop & InDesign
"The classes are hands-on and the groups stay small."
Lysette Rindertsma UI/UX course
Price, exam and diploma
Every course is priced the same way. Tuition and exam fees are split deliberately, so you can see exactly what you're paying for — and so the exam can be listed as its own line item in an application to UWV or an employer.
Tuition
Exam and diploma
The exam is more than a formality: an examiner is scheduled, your work is assessed independently, and the result is formally recorded. UWV wants that cost itemised on its own, which is why it isn't folded into tuition. Raise both figures with your UWV advisor so they land in the application together. Combined, the course comes to € 5,230.
Exam and diploma
Over the course, you build a portfolio: an accessible Word document, a structured InDesign publication, a fully checked PDF, a document inventory, and a practical management and publishing workflow.
At the exam, you present your choices and show that you can build, check, repair and manage documents independently. Pass, and you receive the Document Specialist: Digital Accessibility and Document Management diploma. Without the exam, you receive a certificate of participation.
Also included
Wherever possible, you work with documents from your own organisation or a realistic practice case — so you finish with a usable system, not a folder of exercises that gathers dust.
Choose your route
Six months of classes, practical assignments, feedback and exam preparation
VAT-exempt · payment plans available
Not sure about your level, the software, timing or funding?
about 20 minutes
Discuss funding through your employer, UWV, or a personal development budget
we'll supply the course information
FAQ
You have one fixed class on Mondays, plus practical assignments alongside it. Budget roughly three to five hours of independent work. There are no classes during scheduled holiday weeks, which is why the programme runs from 7 September 2026 through 22 February 2027.
You don't need to be a document specialist already. Solid digital skills, precision, and degree-level work and thinking — or relevant practical experience — matter most. Prior experience with Word or InDesign helps, but the accessible workflow is built up step by step.
You'll work with Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign and Adobe Acrobat Pro. You'll need access to these programs for exercises throughout the course. Before the start, you'll receive an overview of the versions and settings you'll need.
Among other things: a logical document structure, correct tags, a sound reading order, clear headings and links, alt text, accessible tables, the right document language, and usable metadata. An automated check helps, but it doesn't replace a manual, content-aware review.
Yes. You'll learn to diagnose common problems and repair them in Acrobat Pro where possible. At the same time, you'll learn why fixing the original Word or InDesign file is usually more reliable and efficient than patching the PDF itself.
The need is especially high there, since websites, apps and many documents from government organisations have to meet digital accessibility requirements. Exceptions exist, and exact responsibility varies by organisation. The skills are just as relevant in education, healthcare, culture and commercial organisations. Read the official information on office files (Dutch).
No. You'll learn to produce accessible documents, check them practically, and fix common errors. A full formal audit requires additional specialist knowledge and a broader research methodology.
Yes. After the practical exam and portfolio presentation, a passing result earns you a diploma. If you don't take the exam, you'll receive a certificate of participation instead.
The course runs in Amsterdam or The Hague. The final location and class time are confirmed once you're placed in a group.
In some cases, yes. UWV, your employer, or another fund makes the final funding decision. Art and the City can provide the quote, programme, learning goals, schedule and workload needed for the application.
Start Monday 7 September 2026 with the Document Specialist course. Request a place directly, or book a no-obligation call first to talk through your experience, learning goal, software and funding options.