Just Web Accessibility?
I recently gave my 2 weeks notice to IBM -- I have been planning to quit for quite some and finally took the plunge. So, the master plan was to take a break for my dance performance in August and then join a new position (focused on accessibility). So, I updated my linkedIn profile and started meticulously looking up dice, indeed, simplyhired -- the works. But, it so happens that everyone wants a developer focused on a11y but no one wants a developer that is just focused on a11y :)
A designer who knows what wai-aria is? Great!
A UI architect with working knowledge of a11y? Resume please!
A web accessibility analyst? Hmm. I am afraid we don't have the budget...
Sure, there are a sprinkling of companies here and there that look for a web accessibility specialist or a web accessibility analyst but those are few and far between (and for mysterious reasons they get filled the day the jobs get posted, hmm).
I was trying to process this information two ways:
1. What does this mean for the industry? Accessibility is important but not crucial enough for it to be a skill set that you can allocate budget exclusively for. That's ok -- the software industry works like that. There is not that one magic skill that will get you a job but a combination of skills and experience that will nail a job interview. But, it's heartening to see that more and more jobs list "Web accessibility" as a desirable skill. I am waiting for the day when it makes the climb from "Desirable" to "Required"!
2. What does this mean for an accessibility engineer? Yes, it's great that you are an expert on WCAG 2.0 and Section 508 but if you have design skills in addition to that or front end engineering skills as well or you know the magic words -- Ruby on Rails, LAMP, JQuery&Dojo&MooTools&....that's the best route to go. Multiple skills with a focus on accessibility.
For now, I have interviews lined up for jobs that need front end engineering with accessibility skills. As long as I get to work on a11y for some of my time, am happy. That's good for now, I guess.