Careers in Accessibility

Most of the time when I write or speak about accessibility, I focus on the how-to aspects, teaching the technical details of making documents accessible. But in this article, I’m going to take a step back for a higher-level view of the accessible document industry and the kind of careers you can find in it. If you’re interested in making accessible documents the focus of your work, this will help you find a specialty that best fits your interests and skills. And even if you’re not looking for career advice, a broader understanding of roles in the industry can benefit anyone who deals with accessible documents in their work.

The Job Market

Dedicated document accessibility roles are on the rise. Currently, we are seeing an increase in specific roles focused on ensuring documents are accessible. While I wish I could say that more companies are adopting accessibility best practices because it is the right thing to do, in reality, litigation seems to be a driving factor. A recent report by UsableNet showed that litigation between 2018 and 2022 nearly doubled, with a consistent increase of about 500 cases each year (Figure 1). One way or another, companies are quickly realizing that digital accessibility is important. They are getting the message loud and clear that people with disabilities expect to have equal access to information and opportunities.

Figure 1. The number of accessibility-related court cases continues to rise, motivating companies to take the issue seriously and create new positions to ensure compliance.

Finding the Right Role

There are several ways to specialize in one area of accessibility. You can be a remediator, trainer, manager, or web accessibility specialist. If you look on LinkedIn or A11yjobs.com, you will find a variety of job titles with an even more varied set of expected skill sets. Because this is an emerging role, companies often struggle to create clear and realistic guidelines. They know they need someone in the position but describing specific job duties can be a challenge. There are many different types of jobs related to document accessibility, ranging from technical roles that focus on creating and maintaining accessible documents, to education and training roles that help people understand the importance of accessibility and how to create accessible documents.

Job titles (from LinkedIn) include:

• Document Accessibility Specialist
• Document Accessibility Consultant
• Accessibility Trainer (Document Accessibility)
• Web Accessibility and Document Accessibility Specialist
• Document Accessibility and Usability Consultant
• Document Accessibility Coordinator
• Document Accessibility Analyst
• Document Accessibility Consultant (Remote)
• E-Learning Developer (Document Accessibility)
• Technical Writer (Document Accessibility)

Each of these titles can carry different responsibilities from one company to the next. So, if you are searching based on job titles, use caution. Read the descriptions carefully. Some titles come with the expectation that you know HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as PDF accessibility. Other roles include training other employees and creating training content in the form of videos. For those, the employer will expect that you can record, edit, and produce videos on your own. As with any job, asking questions during the interview process will help you get a better picture of the role you’re applying for and decide whether it is a good fit.

So, if you want to pursue a career in accessibility, one of the first questions you need to ask yourself is: What do I want to focus on? Start with these main areas of interest:

• Websites/mobile apps
• PDF documents
• Training
• Company culture

Web versus document accessibility

Let’s take a look at the first two items: web/mobile and PDFs. It’s true that not everyone picks a single area of focus, but being an expert in both web and document accessibility is unusual. ARIA, JavaScript, VPATs, mobile testing, and implementation are very different from PDFs and tags trees.

A web accessibility specialist is responsible for ensuring that websites and web-based applications are accessible to people with disabilities. This includes making sure that the website works for people who use assistive technologies, such as screen readers or text-to-speech software, and that the website is designed in a way that is easy for people with disabilities to navigate. The web accessibility specialist may also be responsible for conducting audits of websites to identify and address accessibility issues, as well as for working with developers to implement solutions to these issues.

On the other hand, a document accessibility specialist is responsible for ensuring that documents, such as PDFs, Word files, and PowerPoint presentations, are accessible. This includes making sure that the document is structured in a way that assistive technologies can easily interpret, and that the document is formatted in a way that is easy for people with disabilities to read and navigate. They may also be responsible for conducting accessibility audits of documents, making recommendations for improvements, and providing guidance on how to create accessible documents. Other duties can include working with content creators to ensure that new documents are created in an accessible manner. Document accessibility specialists can also be responsible for video content, captions, and transcripts, although this scenario is not typical.

Certifications are a good way to demonstrate your credentials to a prospective employer. The International Association of Accessibility Professionals offers both a Web Accessibility (WAS) and Accessible Document Specialist (ADS) certification.

Responsibilities of a document accessibility specialist

The following are basic responsibilities for a document accessibility specialist. They will vary depending on the organization and how the role fits within it. Again, it is important to carefully review the job description and requirements to determine the specific focus of the job you’re applying for.

• Knowledge of accessibility standards and guidelines, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and the PDF/UA standard for accessible PDFs
• Experience with assistive technologies, such as screen readers (NVDA and JAWS) and magnification software, and an understanding of how people with disabilities use these technologies to access content
• Ability to conduct automated and manual accessibility audits of documents and identify and address accessibility issues
• Ability to use automated checkers such as CommonLook, axesPDF, Equidox, pdfToolbox, and PAC 2021
• Experience with creating and formatting documents, including text documents, PDFs, and presentations, in an accessible manner
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, as well as the ability to educate and train others on the importance of document accessibility and how to create accessible documents
• Knowledge of content creation tools, such as Office and InDesign

The one thing to remember here is that document accessibility specialists should be able to rely on a well-rounded understanding of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and use a series of automated tools to speed up the compliance process. Relying on tools without understanding and knowledge often results in documents that pass the checkers but still contain significant barriers to content and errors in structural tags.

Document accessibility trainer

Another document accessibility role is an accessibility trainer (or educator). These professionals focus on educating others about the importance of document accessibility and how to create accessible documents. As a trainer, you might conduct training sessions or workshops for organizations or individuals or develop training materials, such as online courses or guides. Trainers may also be responsible for educating content creators about the importance of accessibility and how to create accessible content (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Speaking and training can be very rewarding but this career path requires constant awareness of accessibility guidelines, techniques, and principles.

In addition to these specific roles, many organizations have accessibility committees or teams that are responsible for promoting document accessibility throughout the organization. These committees or teams may be made up of a variety of professionals with expertise in accessibility, including web developers, document accessibility specialists, and trainers.

Accessibility and disability inclusion manager

As an accessibility and disability inclusion manager your responsibilities are focused on implementing the organization’s accessibility and disability inclusion initiatives, including developing and implementing policies, procedures, and training programs to ensure that the organization is fully accessible. Your role includes working with cross-functional teams, including design, development, and marketing, to ensure that accessibility and disability inclusion is considered in all aspects of an organization’s operations. You will be expected to stay up to date with developments in accessibility and disability inclusion regulations and standards and ensure that the organization is compliant with these requirements. Part of your role may be to collaborate with external organizations and stakeholders to promote accessibility and disability inclusion within your industry. A good certification for this role is the CPACC or Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies by the International Association of Accessibility Professionals.

Certifications and Certificates

There are many companies that offer Certificates of Completion (including Chax Training and Consulting, the company that I co-founded with Chad Chelius). However, these are not the same as certifications. Certificates simply act as proof that an individual has successfully completed a course, training program, or educational program.

A certification, on the other hand, is a professional designation that you earn by demonstrating a certain level of knowledge, skills, and experience in a particular field or profession. Certification is often granted by professional organizations or industry associations and is generally recognized as a sign of expertise or competence in a specific area. Certification programs typically involve a more rigorous process of assessment and may require ongoing continuing education in order to maintain the certification.

The International Association of Accessi­bility Professionals (IAAP) is the only recognized certification program that deals with accessibility. This organization offers three related certifications (Figure 3):

• CPACC: Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies
• WAS: Web Accessibility Specialist
• ADS: Accessible Document Specialist

Figure 3. Certification badges are proof of your knowledge and skills to a prospective employer.

Each certification has its own requirements, curriculum, and test. Each test requires at least an intermediate level of knowledge plus real-world experience. Simply memorizing facts is not enough to pass these tests and get certified.

CPACC is an overall certification for anyone who serves in an accessibility role. It focuses on understanding accessibility as a whole and how it relates to communities, companies, and individuals.

WAS is geared toward specialists who focus on website accessibility and requires that you have three to five years of experience before taking the test.

The ADS is designed to certify knowledge for those in the document accessibility field. The IAAP requires one to two years of experience before taking the test.

I am seeing more and more job descriptions requiring at least one of these qualifications. So, if you are already doing the work and are looking for proof of credibility to back it up, these certifications offer real proof of success.

Salary Ranges: What Can I Hope to Make?

Like most jobs, the salary of an accessibility specialist can vary depending on a number of factors, including the specific role, the level of experience and education required, the industry and location, and the size and resources of the organization. Higher education typically offers lower salaries than companies do.

Based on my research there are two main salary tiers. The first is senior accessibility consultant/specialist. This role typically requires five or more years of experience and comes with the expectation that you know both web and document accessibility. Typical salaries range from $80k to $150k, depending on geographic location and company size. Citi’s New York office posted a role recently with a range of $120k to $180k but requires 8 to 11 years of front-end development experience. So do not expect to negotiate a higher salary unless you have been at this a long time.

The second tier is entry- to mid-level accessibility specialist. According to data from ZipRecruiter, the average hourly rate for an accessibility specialist is approximately $33.51 per hour ($69k/year). However, accessibility specialists in larger cities or in industries with a higher demand often have higher salaries (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Salaries for accessibility specialists vary widely, depending on location and industry.

Of course, salary is just one item to consider when evaluating job opportunities. Other factors, such as the opportunity for professional growth and development, the work environment and culture of the organization, and the overall benefits package, can also be important considerations.

Accessible Opportunities

As an aspiring accessibility professional, your first step is to figure out what role fits your goals and motivations best. Once you have identified the role, take your time to search for a company that will support your efforts and not constantly be in reaction mode. Seek out certifications that support your experience and help you grow professionally. And finally, be a proactive voice in the accessibility community. Be an advocate and a practitioner, and join me in the cause to promote digital equity for everyone, regardless of their abilities. This is important work, and as such it’s both demanding and rewarding in ways that go well beyond a paycheck.