This is me shuffling over in front of you and firmly planting my soapbox before stepping into it with my megaphone.
The UX Industry Is Shifting—and Accessibility Is the Secret Weapon
If you’re a UX designer wondering how to futureproof your career, you’re asking the right question. And if no one’s told you this yet, let me be the first:
Accessibility skills are about to become one of the most in-demand UX specialties out there.
You don’t have to take my word for it. Let’s walk through why accessibility (or “a11y” if you’re fancy) is your career’s best-kept secret—and why you should be doubling down right now.
The Big Picture: Why Accessibility Is Gaining Serious Traction
1. Lawsuits Are on the Rise
ADA website lawsuits have exploded over the last five years. Businesses are scrambling to catch up—and they’re realizing they can’t just bolt on accessibility at the end. They need designers (and developers) who know how to build accessibility in from the start.
2. Inclusive Design Is Smart Design
Accessibility doesn’t just help disabled users (though that’s reason enough for me). It improves the experience for everyone by giving us:
- Better mobile usability
- Clearer navigation
- Faster loading
- Cleaner layouts
Great accessibility is great UX. Full stop.
3. AI Is Good—But It’s Not That Good
AI can churn out mockups, content, and wireframes. But guess what it sucks at?
Understanding human nuance, disability experiences, and empathy-driven design decisions. Accessibility requires critical thinking and real-world judgment—skills AI can’t replace.
4. It’s About To Get Elderly Up In Here
Since 2010, older adults in the Baby Boomer Generation have been turning 65 at the rate of about 10,000 people PER DAY. According to Pew Research, by 2030, all of the people of this generation will have turned 65. Currently, the trajectory is about 11,000 people per day hitting that milestone birthday.
And, if you have an older adult in your life, you can confirm: they’re not getting better at technology. In fact, the advancements happening daily are starting to leave more and more of them behind. These people are still living, though. They’re still interacting with the world around them, shopping, clicking and swiping.
Why Accessibility Skills Futureproof You
Imagine being the person in the room who can:
- Spot legal risks before a product ships
- Build designs that automatically meet (or exceed) WCAG standards
- Champion inclusion and back it up with revenue impact
- Educate teammates, devs, and leadership on accessible UX best practices
You’re no longer “just another designer.”
You’re an irreplaceable business asset. Leverage that!
Practical Career Benefits of Mastering Accessibility
There are a lot of practical benefits to being the Accessibility Expert in your network, not just keywords you can add to your resume.
- More Job Offers: Companies are increasingly listing accessibility knowledge as a preferred or required skill.
- Higher Salaries: Specialists in accessibility often command higher rates—especially in agencies, healthcare, government, and finance.
- More Freelance Gigs: Many businesses need quick accessibility audits and UX improvements but can’t afford massive overhauls.
- Stronger Portfolios: Showing real-world accessibility case studies can instantly differentiate you.
- Ethical Pride: You’ll sleep better knowing your work actually helps people access the web.
“But I’m Not a Developer—Can I Really Specialize in Accessibility?”
YES.
In fact, we need more non-developer accessibility specialists.
Designers, writers, strategists, SEO folks—you all have crucial roles to play. Accessibility isn’t a “dev-only” problem. It’s a design and content and user experience opportunity.
And honestly? Non-developers often make the best accessibility advocates because you see the whole user journey—not just the code.
What Accessibility Skills Should You Start Building?
You don’t need to learn everything overnight. Start with these:
- How to structure headings for screen readers
- How to write accessible alt text
- How to design with color contrast in mind
- How to make forms and buttons usable by keyboard
- How to advocate for accessibility in design reviews
These are all skills you can build with no coding required.
The Bottom Line: Accessibility Is a Career Multiplier
Accessibility isn’t “extra credit.”
It’s core UX design.
It’s future UX design.
And it’s good-for-your-career UX design.
The designers who master this now are going to be the ones companies fight over later. Don’t you want to be the one turning down opportunities when the job market turns into an employee market again?
Ready to Get Your Accessibility Advantage?
Inside my Practical UX book, I teach you how to:
- Audit real websites for accessibility
- Fix the highest-impact barriers
- Build real, portfolio-worthy accessibility projects
- Advocate for accessibility (and prove the business case)
No jargon, no judgment, no gatekeeping.
Learn more about Practical UX: https://practicaluxbook.com/
If you want to be the designer companies need (and users deserve), now’s the time to start.
Photo by Rohann Agalawatte from Burst
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