Accessibility specialist — 5 out of 5 stars

• What it is: Testing websites, apps, and documents for barriers, reporting what blocks screen-reader and keyboard users, and checking fixes. Companies hire specialists in-house and through accessibility firms; blind testers and auditors are actively sought because lived experience is the qualification.
• Certificate or training: IAAP Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) is the foundation credential; the Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS) is the technical follow-on. Exam prep courses run through IAAP and training providers.
• Cost to get qualified: $1,000–$2,500 for prep courses and exam fees combined
• Time to job-ready: 4–9 months of part-time study to the first credential
• Typical pay: $55,000–$90,000 a year full-time; senior auditors and consultants earn more
• Why it works for a blind person: You already navigate the web the hard way every day. Finding the barrier a sighted tester misses — the unlabeled button, the focus trap — is literally your daily experience turned into expertise, and the work itself is documents, tickets, and calls.

Job 1 of 100 · Tech and IT support

Start here, step by step

1. Learn the words first: accessibility means software that works with assistive technology like screen readers. WCAG is the international rulebook employers test against; an audit is a structured check of a product against those rules.
2. Start with the standard itself: read the WCAG quick-reference in small pieces and test real websites against one rule at a time with your own screen reader, taking notes on what you find.
3. Take a structured prep course for the IAAP CPACC exam. It covers disability models, accessibility law, and universal design — knowledge employers expect, tested by exam only, no degree required.
4. Build proof while you study: write up three short sample audits of public websites — the barriers, where they are, and how to fix them. This portfolio is what gets a first interview.
5. Pass the CPACC, then apply to accessibility firms and in-house roles; user-testing platforms and consultancies hire blind specialists specifically. Consider the WAS credential next if you want the deeper technical track.
6. Grow by specializing: documents, mobile apps, or procurement reviews. Specialists who also write clear fix instructions are the ones who get promoted.

How AI can help

Use AI to draft audit report language from your notes, summarize long standards documents into plain checklists, and track findings across a big site. AI cannot operate a screen reader through a workflow and feel where it breaks — your hands-on testing is the product being bought.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The single best fit on this list for a blind career-changer: the lived experience is the expertise, the credential is exam-only, pay is strong, and demand is driven by law, not fashion. It loses nothing — the only real barrier is the months of study before the first paycheck.

Pros and cons — the honest version

Pros

• Your blindness is a professional asset here, not an accommodation request
• Exam-based credential — no degree, no classroom requirement
• Remote-friendly with strong, growing demand

Cons

• Months of study before you earn anything
• Some audit tooling dashboards are themselves awkward with screen readers
• Consulting work can swing between feast and famine