How To Become an Accessibility Tester: Step-by-Step Guide

Accessibility testers help to ensure that digital products and services are accessible to people with disabilities. This can include testing for issues such as visual impairments, hearing impairments, mobility impairments and more. If you are interested in helping to make digital products and services more accessible for all users, then becoming an accessibility tester may be the right career path for you. In this article, we discuss what accessibility testers do and how to become one.

What Does an Accessibility Tester Do?

An accessibility tester is responsible for ensuring that digital products are accessible to users with disabilities. This may include testing products for compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) set forth by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Accessibility testers use a variety of tools and methods to test products, which may include manual testing, automated testing or a combination of both.

Some common duties of an accessibility tester are as follows:

• Evaluating digital products for compliance with WCAG standards
• Identifying potential accessibility issues and recommending solutions
• Creating test cases and scenarios to test product functionality
• Executing tests and documenting results
• Reporting findings to project stakeholders
• Working with developers to resolve identified accessibility issues
• Retesting products after changes have been made to ensure accessibility has been improved

Accessibility Tester Salary and Job Outlook

The average salary for an accessibility tester is $78,795. However, salaries can vary depending on experience, education, qualifications and other factors.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the demand for accessibility testers will grow faster than average over the next decade. This is due to the increasing importance of making digital content accessible to people with disabilities. Many organizations now recognize the need for accessibility testing and are willing to pay for the expertise of these professionals.

How to Become an Accessibility Tester

Here are several steps you should take to become an accessibility tester.

1. Earn a bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field

A bachelor’s degree is the minimum education requirement for most employers of accessibility testers. Some schools offer a specialization in information technology or software engineering with an emphasis on testing that can help you prepare for this role. Courses in these programs may cover topics like programming, data structures and algorithms, computer systems and applications, artificial intelligence and machine learning, network security and web development.

If your school does not have an IT or software engineering program with an emphasis on testing, consider majoring in computer science or information systems. These programs teach students about coding, database management, system analysis and design, operating systems, networks and other skills that are relevant to this job.

2. Gain experience with software development and testing

To become an accessibility tester, you need to have experience in software development and testing. You can gain this experience by working as a developer or tester at a company that creates software applications. This will help you learn about the process of developing and testing software and give you opportunities to work with people who are blind or have other disabilities.

You may also consider interning at a software development or testing company. Internships provide valuable experience and allow you to network with professionals in the field.

3. Understand the needs of people with disabilities

People with disabilities may have different needs when using technology. For example, a person who is visually impaired might need to enlarge the text on a screen or use a screen reader that speaks the words on the screen. A deaf person may need closed captioning on videos and sign language interpretation at public events. Understanding these needs can help you create more inclusive products and services.

4. Be familiar with accessibility guidelines, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is a set of guidelines for making websites accessible to people with disabilities. Familiarizing yourself with these guidelines can help you identify areas where websites could be improved to make them more accessible. You can find the WCAG online at w3.org/TR/WCAG/.

5. Develop strong communication skills

Communication is an important part of the job, as you work with developers and other professionals to identify accessibility issues. You may need to explain how a certain feature or design affects people with disabilities, which requires strong communication skills.

You also interact with clients and report your findings to them in a clear manner. Clients often rely on testers’ expertise to understand what needs to be done to make their websites more accessible.

6. Have good problem-solving skills

Accessibility testers must be able to identify problems and find solutions. They may need to work with developers, designers and other stakeholders to address accessibility issues. Testers should have a good understanding of the software development process so they can provide helpful feedback that leads to improvements.

Testers also need to know when it’s not possible to make an application accessible. For example, if there is important information on one page of a website that cannot be made accessible for blind users, testers should explain this to stakeholders.

7. Stay up to date on changes in technology

Technology is constantly changing, so it’s important for accessibility testers to stay informed about new developments. For example, voice-activated assistants like the Amazon Echo and Google Home are becoming more common, which could affect how people with disabilities interact with technology.

As you advance in your career as an accessibility tester, you may need to take additional training or courses to keep up with these changes.