What carries over
| What you did as a UI developer | Where it shows up now |
|---|---|
| Wrote semantic HTML | Check headings, landmarks and labels |
| Fixed browser bugs | Fix keyboard and focus bugs |
| Checked layouts on many screens | Check zoom, contrast and small screens |
| Explained fixes to designers | Write clear fix notes for teams |
What is new
- Testing with a keyboard only and a free screen reader.
- Mapping each issue to a WCAG success criterion.
- Writing fix notes that a busy developer can act on.
Try it: Can Everyone Use It
A short exercise you can do on this page.
Can Everyone Use It
Your first proof in 30 days
Audit one real public page against WCAG and write a ranked fix list with code examples. Share it as a short report with screenshots.
Your 30/60/90 quests
XP: learning 20 · proof 60 · outreach 40. Ranks: Wayfinder → Builder → Pathmaker. Progress stays in your browser only.
Worries, answered
Accessibility sounds legal. The work is technical testing and fixing; legal advice is someone else's job.
I have never used a screen reader. Free ones come with most computers; a week of practice gets you started.
Pay, honestly
We haven't verified pay data for this move. Accessibility work is often salaried in product teams and per audit in consultancies, so ask which you are being offered.
Your realistic 90 days
You worked as a UI developer. This plan moves you toward accessibility work in 90 days, using what you already do.
Assumes 2–3 hours a day alongside job applications, a laptop and a phone, and free plans only. Every step has a smaller version and a way to pause. Use them. It runs in three blocks of 30 days, each ending with a signal that you're on track. A signal is not a promise of a job or income.
Your first 7 days
| Day | Task | Done when |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pick one public page you use often | Page picked |
| 2 | Use it with only the keyboard | Notes |
| 3 | Turn on a free screen reader and try again | Notes |
| 4 | Read the WAI evaluation overview | 3 notes |
| 5 | List five issues you found | 5 issues |
| 6 | Map each one to a WCAG rule | Mapped |
| 7 | Save 10 postings | 10 links |
Days 1–30: WCAG fix list
| Step | Time | Done when | Smaller version | If you need to pause |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publish a WCAG audit of one public page with a ranked fix list | about 8 hours over 3 weeks | report + fixes | Five issues only. | Stop at the end of the step you're on and write two lines about where you stopped. Pick it up from those notes later. |
| Show your proof to 5 people who hire for this role | about 1 hour | 5 messages | Show it to 2 people who hire for this role. | Optional. If reaching out feels like too much this week, skip it and put the time into your proof. |
Signal by day 30: Each issue in your audit is mapped to a WCAG rule with a fix, and one of the 5 people you showed it to replies.
Days 31–60: Applications
| Step | Time | Done when | Smaller version | If you need to pause |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turn your proof into a one-page case and CV line | about 8 hours | case + CV | CV line only. | Put it on hold while interviews take up your time, then come back to it. |
| Apply to 10 accessibility roles | about 5 hours | 10 logged | Apply to 5 roles. | Stop sending for now. Keep a list of who you've contacted so you can follow up later without doubling up. |
Signal by day 60: A screening call.
Days 61–90: Interviews for accessibility roles
| Step | Time | Done when | Smaller version | If you need to pause |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practise a 2-minute story of why you are moving | about 2 hours | 2 practice runs | 1 run. | Optional. Skip it if the week is full; nothing later depends on it. |
| Ask 3 former colleagues for referrals | about 2 hours | 3 asks | Just one instead of 3. | Stop sending for now. Keep a list of who you've contacted so you can follow up later without doubling up. |
Signal by day 90: A second round or a paid trial.
Other worries
Age, a career gap, no degree, English, family pressure and savings are covered on the route page and the role page.
One search that fits your background
The full set of search strings for this move is on the route page. These strings work on LinkedIn, Naukri and foundit; Instahyre and Cutshort are worth a weekly look too. Add your old job title to any of them with AND, so your searches surface roles that want both skills.
Job-hunt moves that matter for this route
- Show your audit with WCAG references and code fixes.
- Tell one story of a layout bug you caught for a real user.
- Look at product companies and consultancies that test against WCAG.
Fake-job traps
Watch for 'developer internships' or 'live project training' that charge a registration, laptop or certificate fee, 'test tasks' that ask you to build a full product for free, and anyone asking for an OTP, UPI PIN, a deposit or remote access to your bank before you start. Real employers never charge you to hire you. Use official domains only. Report in India at cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930; in the US, ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Back to UI Developer · About the Accessibility Specialist route · Development hub
Quick quiz: does this path fit?
Answer each, then press Check. Every answer explains itself.
Make your Path Card
A shareable reminder of where you're heading. The day count starts the first time you open this page; quest XP comes from your log above.
Scam check before you apply anywhere
- Real job and gig platforms are free to join. Never pay a "joining" or "training" fee.
- Never share an OTP or UPI PIN — no genuine employer needs them.
- Use official domains only; type the address yourself.
- India: report at cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930.
- US: report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Small steps, every day.
Each quest has a smaller version for hard weeks, and a pause button. Nothing is lost.