Tips & Resources To Find a Job in Digital Accessibility Space

The digital accessibility space is a huge but a niche space in itself. Choosing this as a career is what one could call ‘The Road Not Taken’. This realm offers quite a lot to learn like WCAG2.0, WCAG2.1, WAI-ARIA concepts, understanding of HTML, CSS & JavaScript. But never forget, to land in a job in the accessibility space one must have understanding of different disability groups & the assistive technologies they use. In my experience, a lot of people read the stripped down versions of WCAG and a bit about screen readers when they start as accessibility testers. On the other hand, a number of passionate professionals who understand the need for accessibility read WCAG itself and understand assistive technology like screen readers; above all they understand the key to success which is “Empathy”. However, the people who start by chance eventually learn WCAG and other traits of the trade to transition into different role in the digital accessibility space.

Well! Whether you came into this unique world by chance or by choice, Here are some of the resources that might come in handy if you are looking for a job in digital accessibility canvas:

• Accessibility Interview Questions
  These questions try to stay away from directly asking candidates to recite specifications, or rattle off screen reader hot keys. Those can easily be looked up on the job. Instead these questions try to act as conversation starters, to gain insight into how someone solves problems, and interprets accessible, inclusive user experiences.
• Accessibility Interview Questions – Sheri Byrne-Haber
  So, you got permission to bring an accessibility subject matter expert on board. What accessibility-related questions do you ask candidates to figure out if they actually know what they are doing, especially if you are not an accessibility subject matter expert yourself?
• Digital Accessibility Jobs, Employment | A11yjobs.com
  A Digital Accessibility Job Board.
  Need someone who knows digital accessibility? You have come to the right place. This is a job board that is focused on people who know Assistive Technology, Section 504, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and more.
• Digital A11y Jobs (@a11yjobs) on Twitter
  Tweeting digital accessibility job opportunities
• IAAP Career Center
  The IAAP Career Center hosts the latest open positions for careers in accessibility. It is a resource available for both career seekers and recruiting organizations.

Tips

• Use #A11Y hashtag on twitter & reach out to wider community… I know few folks who landed full time & part time jobs using this method.
• Use web-a11y slack channel & let the world know you are looking for work. With more than 4000 members on the channel there is always someone listening.
• Connect with influential people in accessibility space on LinkedIn, twitter & other social platforms. When the time is right you can always send a message & land a gig.
• Be active in meetups & conferences. You can speak or make your presence known as a speaker & the world will notice you. I landed few gigs this way.
• Try contributing to few open source projects; this will give you the edge over others.
• Have a solid LinkedIn profile along with some recommendations & you will hear from potential recruiters.
• Try having a blog or website detailing your work & you can showcase this to your potential employers.

There are number of strategies to land in a job or a freelance project. While traditional job portals do work in landing you in a job, it is best to separate yourself from the crowd… the digital accessibility space is niche & growing & it is the best time to make a footprint in this industry.