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The A11y Path

This blog aims to cover: W3C Guidelines, Assistive Technologies (AT), European Accessibility (EN 301 549), and more.

So I am definitely doing this!

Published

#journal #was

Welcome to the WAS section of my blog! This space is dedicated to my journey studying for the IAAP Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS) exam, based on the official Body of Knowledge v2.3 (2024).

Unlike my tutorials, this isn't a deep dive, Instead, I'm journaling what I've learned, what made sense, what confused me at first, and how I made progress. If you're also preparing for the WAS exam (or just want a peek into accessibility in practice), this might help you too.

WAS Content Overview

The exam is divided into three domains, each with a specific percentage weight. I'll be writing posts aligned with this structure.

Domain One: Creating Accessible Web Solutions (40%)

This part covers theory and techniques for building accessible content.

  • WCAG, ATAG, WAI-ARIA, EN 301 549
  • Semantic HTML and JavaScript
  • Focus management and state handling
  • Accessibility-supported technologies
  • Single Page Applications (SPA) considerations
  • Understanding strategies used by people with disabilities

Domain Two: Identifying Accessibility Issues (40%)

This part focuses on accessibility testing and evaluation.

  • Testing with assistive technologies (AT)
  • Identifying WCAG failures and assigning SC
  • Using testing tools (automated + manual)
  • WCAG-EM methodology
  • Real-world impact testing (cognitive, low vision, touch, etc.)

Domain Three: Remediating Accessibility Issues (20%)

This part centers on fixing accessibility issues and recommending solutions.

  • Prioritizing based on severity
  • Communicating findings
  • Integrating accessibility into procurement and QA processes

P.S. I'm not teaching, I'm learning out loud. Check out the tutorials section for some of my deep dives!

You can follow along as I update this blog with insights, learnings, and challenges. Maybe you’ll learn something new or maybe you’ll just enjoy the journey with me!

You could also check out my past articles on dev.to where I’ve written about specific web accessibility topics.

The idea for this blog was inspired by Amy Carney’s 100 Days of A11y

Let’s go!