Accessibility Engineer

An accessibility engineer is a specialist who focuses on ensuring that digital products, such as websites, applications, and software, are designed and developed to be usable by people with a wide range of abilities. This includes individuals with disabilities such as visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological disabilities.

Responsibilities

An accessibility engineer's duties are diverse, aiming to bridge the gap between digital content and users with disabilities. Their responsibilities include:

• Assessment: Evaluate current digital assets for accessibility issues using various tools and techniques.
• Implementation: Develop and implement strategies to address and fix accessibility barriers.
• Guidance: Provide guidelines and best practices to designers and developers to integrate accessibility into the development lifecycle.
• Compliance: Ensure digital products comply with legal standards and guidelines such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Training: Educate team members about the importance of accessibility and how to achieve it.
• Testing: Conduct regular accessibility audits and user testing with individuals with disabilities.

Skills and Tools

To effectively ensure accessibility, an accessibility engineer must possess a specific set of skills and utilize a variety of tools. These include:

• Proficiency in accessibility standards (WCAG, ADA, Section 508).
• Familiarity with assistive technologies (screen readers, keyboard-only navigation).
• Understanding of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and WAI-ARIA for web accessibility.
• Ability to conduct and interpret accessibility evaluations and audits.

Objective

The primary goal of an accessibility engineer is to create inclusive and accessible digital environments that provide equal access and opportunities to all users, regardless of their abilities or disabilities.