Digital Accessibility Specialist
A Digital Accessibility Specialist provides training and assistance to professionals to design and develop accessible solutions. They test and audit digital content to ensure that it complies with accessibility standards and guidelines. They provide technical support for digital assistive technology (software and hardware) and facilitate end-user testing specifically with disabled user groups to ensure usability for people with disabilities and users of assistive technology. They procure and provide digital assistive technologies, content and services to meet accessibility requirements of individuals on behalf of both their own employer and clients.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a range of professionals including, but not limited to, software engineers, managers and product owners (either internal or external) to ensure that end-user experiences meet the accessibility needs of individuals with disabilities and comply with national and international accessibility standards. They would form part of a wider multi-disciplinary team encompassing a variety of roles, depending on the organisation, which could include assistive technology trainers, accessibility testers, accessibility support specialists, developers etc.
The occupation would include communication with assistive technology providers and external bodies to troubleshoot existing products and assist in the development of future products, solutions, and services. The occupation will also include interaction with assistive technology users both to provide support for their assistive technology, and as part of consultations with end-users as part of focus groups and disabled end-user testing.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for the analysis of solutions regarding accessibility. A Digital Accessibility Specialist could find themselves working in a variety of environments both internally within their organisation or on client facing duties and locations. Digital Accessibility Specialists additionally play a key role in advocating, supporting and presenting to the broader disability community. They are primarily desk-based, working on a mixture of client-facing and internal projects, however, the role may also involve travel to client sites, conferences, workshops, and seminars.
A Digital Accessibility Specialist isn’t required to supervise staff directly; however, they would be involved in overseeing complex project deliverables, such as directing developers, testers etc. in relation to accessibility considerations and the procurement of relevant technologies internally and externally. They would be responsible for the sign off of technical designs and project requirements relating to accessibility.
Typical Job Roles:
Accessibility Consultant / Accessibility Specialist / Accessibility Subject Matter Expert (SME) / Accessibility Tester / Digital Accessibility Specialist.
This occupation is found in multiple industries, regardless of the specific industry sector accessibility will always be a consideration. The main sectors and industries this standard would be present in are:
Entry Requirements:
Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the End-Point Assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship’s English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. A British Sign Language (BSL) qualification is an alternative to the English qualification for those whose primary language is BSL. No prior experience in IT is required, however, it would be advantageous if the candidate had completed relevant previous studies (in such subjects as IT, computer science etc.)
Duration:
The duration of this apprenticeship is typically 18-24 months.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a range of professionals including, but not limited to, software engineers, managers and product owners (either internal or external) to ensure that end-user experiences meet the accessibility needs of individuals with disabilities and comply with national and international accessibility standards. They would form part of a wider multi-disciplinary team encompassing a variety of roles, depending on the organisation, which could include assistive technology trainers, accessibility testers, accessibility support specialists, developers etc.
The occupation would include communication with assistive technology providers and external bodies to troubleshoot existing products and assist in the development of future products, solutions, and services. The occupation will also include interaction with assistive technology users both to provide support for their assistive technology, and as part of consultations with end-users as part of focus groups and disabled end-user testing.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for the analysis of solutions regarding accessibility. A Digital Accessibility Specialist could find themselves working in a variety of environments both internally within their organisation or on client facing duties and locations. Digital Accessibility Specialists additionally play a key role in advocating, supporting and presenting to the broader disability community. They are primarily desk-based, working on a mixture of client-facing and internal projects, however, the role may also involve travel to client sites, conferences, workshops, and seminars.
A Digital Accessibility Specialist isn’t required to supervise staff directly; however, they would be involved in overseeing complex project deliverables, such as directing developers, testers etc. in relation to accessibility considerations and the procurement of relevant technologies internally and externally. They would be responsible for the sign off of technical designs and project requirements relating to accessibility.
Typical Job Roles:
Accessibility Consultant / Accessibility Specialist / Accessibility Subject Matter Expert (SME) / Accessibility Tester / Digital Accessibility Specialist.
This occupation is found in multiple industries, regardless of the specific industry sector accessibility will always be a consideration. The main sectors and industries this standard would be present in are:
- Commerce
- Education
- Financial services; professional services
- Health services
- Media; culture; graphical
- Public services
- Information Technology (IT) Services
- Energy
- Charities
Entry Requirements:
Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the End-Point Assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship’s English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. A British Sign Language (BSL) qualification is an alternative to the English qualification for those whose primary language is BSL. No prior experience in IT is required, however, it would be advantageous if the candidate had completed relevant previous studies (in such subjects as IT, computer science etc.)
Duration:
The duration of this apprenticeship is typically 18-24 months.
Standard Code |
Apprenticeship Level |
Standard Components |
LARS No. |
Standard ID |
643 |
Higher (Level 4) |
61005800 |
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Z0001947 |
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Functional Skills Maths Level 2 |
60342687 |
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Functional Skills English Level 2 |
60342900 |
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n/a |