off-the-stack
cd ~/careers
Specialist frontendaka "a11y Eng"

Accessibility Engineer

A frontend specialty with real meaning, legal teeth, and almost no qualified competition.

Entry
$85k
Mid
$120k
Senior
$165k+
Demand
Rising

Accessibility engineers make software usable by everyone, including people relying on screen readers, keyboard navigation, and other assistive tech. It blends deep frontend skill with WCAG standards and assistive-technology know-how — a specific, in-demand combination that's increasingly backed by law, and that very few engineers have actually mastered.

The myth

It's just adding alt text and ticking a box.

The reality

Real accessibility engineering means semantic HTML, ARIA done correctly, keyboard and focus management, screen-reader testing, and design-system-level fixes — genuinely hard frontend work.

cat ./what_you_actually_do.md

  • Audit and fix interfaces against WCAG, going far beyond automated checkers.
  • Test with real assistive technology — screen readers, keyboard-only, voice — the way users actually browse.
  • Build accessibility into the design system so components are correct by default.
  • Get ARIA, focus management, and semantics right where most developers get them wrong.
  • Coach product teams so accessibility stops being a last-minute scramble.

cat ./why_underrated.md

Most engineers treat accessibility as a checkbox and never go deep, so the people who truly understand it — semantics, ARIA, assistive tech, the standards — are genuinely rare. Meanwhile the pressure is only increasing: lawsuits, the ADA, and the European Accessibility Act are turning accessibility from optional polish into legal obligation, which means companies need real expertise, not a linter. That combination of scarce skill and rising, legally-backed demand makes it a specialty with unusual security and meaning — you can do well while doing something that visibly matters.

grep -i 'good fit' ./who.md

  • Frontend engineers who want a meaningful specialty with a moat.
  • People who care that software works for everyone, not just the median user.
  • Detail-oriented builders who enjoy getting the hard, invisible things right.

cat ./pay.md

Specialization plus scarcity plus legal pressure pushes pay above generalist frontend. Senior accessibility engineers and a11y leads reach $160k+, and demand is structurally rising as accessibility lawsuits and regulations (ADA, the European Accessibility Act) make it a requirement rather than a nice-to-have.

./break_in.sh

  1. Master semantic HTML and ARIA

    The foundation of accessibility is using the platform correctly. Learn when ARIA helps — and when it hurts.

  2. Actually use a screen reader

    Turn on VoiceOver or NVDA and navigate real sites. Nothing teaches accessibility faster than experiencing it.

  3. Learn WCAG and get certified

    Know the guidelines, and consider the IAAP CPACC/WAS certifications, which carry real weight for specialist roles.

  4. Make your current work accessible

    Already a frontend dev? Become the accessibility person on your team. That reputation is the cleanest path in.

tail -f ./a_day.log

  • 09:00Audit a new feature with a screen reader and find three blockers automated tools missed.
  • 11:00Rebuild a custom dropdown with correct keyboard and focus behavior.
  • 14:00Fix a design-system component so every team inherits the accessibility fix for free.
  • 16:00Run a short session teaching a product team how to test their own work.

ls ./toolbelt

  • Semantic HTML
  • ARIA
  • Screen readers (NVDA/VoiceOver)
  • WCAG
  • Keyboard & focus
  • Axe / testing tools