Accessibility SME

Job Title

Accessibility SME (Web & UX) — Digital Channels

Location

Hybrid / Onsite (Customize as needed)

Employment Type

Full-time (Customize: Contract / Consulting / Part-time)

About the Role

We are seeking an Accessibility SME to lead and elevate the accessibility of our digital products (websites, web apps, customer portals). The ideal candidate combines deep technical audit expertise (WCAG conformance, automated scans, manual checks) with hands-on assistive technology testing (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver/TalkBack) to drive measurable improvements in compliance, usability, and inclusive experience—with particular focus on high-stakes customer journeys (e.g., onboarding, payments, statements, support).

Key Responsibilities

1) Accessibility Audits & Technical Assessments

• Conduct comprehensive audits of web properties against WCAG 2.2 AA (and 2.1/2.0 where applicable), Section 508, and EN 301 549 (as relevant by geography).
• Use Lighthouse, Accessibility DevTools (Chrome/Firefox), axe DevTools, WAVE, and Siteimprove/Deque/Pa11y (as available) for automated and semi-automated testing.
• Perform manual testing of critical flows: keyboard-only navigation, focus management, bypass mechanisms, forms validation, error handling, modal/dialog behaviors, timeouts, and dynamic content.
• Review semantic HTML and ARIA usage (roles, states, properties), landmark structure, headings, color contrast, and responsive behaviors.

2) Assistive Technology & UX Validation

• Execute end-to-end screen reader testing using NVDA and JAWS (Windows), VoiceOver (macOS/iOS), and TalkBack (Android).
• Validate reading order, labeling, name/role/value, live regions, status updates, and announcements for interactive components (menus, carousels, accordions, tabs, modals).
• Assess cognitive load and plain language adherence; evaluate error prevention, recovery, and help mechanisms.
• Run task-based user validation with users of assistive tech (where feasible), synthesize findings into actionable UX improvements.

3) Remediation Guidance & Developer Enablement

• Produce clear defect reports with WCAG mappings, severity, repro steps, component references, and code-level recommendations.
• Partner with engineering to define fix strategies, including semantic markup patterns, ARIA updates, keyboard support, and accessible component libraries.
• Create and maintain Accessibility Guidelines, coding standards, and pattern documentation (e.g., accessible forms, tables, charts, dialogs).
• Coach devs, designers, and content authors via workshops, office hours, and pull request reviews.

4) Design & Content Accessibility

• Collaborate with UX/UI to embed accessibility in design systems (tokens, color palettes, spacing, motion).
• Run color contrast checks, focus styles validation, and interactive states across components.
• Support content teams with plain language, alt text, headings, and link strategy best practices.

5) Governance, Compliance & Reporting

• Define and track accessibility KPIs: defect density, % WCAG AA conformance, time-to-remediation, % coverage by automated tests, keyboard-compatibility rate.
• Contribute to risk assessments and attestation for regulatory requirements in BFSI (e.g., customer disclosures, statements, authentication steps).
• Establish continuous monitoring via CI/CD hooks (axe/Lighthouse) and periodic audits. Maintain audit trail for compliance.

6) Accessibility in the SDLC

• Integrate checks into requirements, design, code review, and QA/UAT stages.
• Champion shift-left practices, accessible components, and inclusive research.

Required Qualifications

• 5–8+ years (adjust seniority) in digital accessibility for web and/or native apps.
• Expert knowledge of WCAG 2.2 AA success criteria, techniques, and common failure patterns.
• Strong hands-on experience with Lighthouse, Accessibility DevTools, axe DevTools, WAVE (and similar).
• Proficiency testing with NVDA and JAWS; working knowledge of VoiceOver and TalkBack.
• Solid understanding of HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, and common SPA frameworks (React/Angular/Vue) from an accessibility perspective.
• Demonstrated ability to create remediation guidance and collaborate effectively with dev/UX/content teams.
• Experience with keyboard-only testing, focus management, ARIA, and semantic structure.
• Excellent documentation skills; ability to translate audit findings into roadmaps, playbooks, and training materials.

Preferred Qualifications

• IAAP WAS or CPACC certification.
• Familiarity with Section 508, EN 301 549, ADA implications; BFSI domain experience.
• Exposure to design systems and component libraries (e.g., building accessible React components).
• Experience with automated checks in CI/CD (e.g., axe-core, Playwright + accessibility assertions).
• Knowledge of accessible PDFs (tags, reading order, form fields) and document workflows (useful for statements and notices).
• Experience with usability testing involving participants who use assistive technologies.