Product Designer, Accessibility-Focused

Product Designer, Accessibility-Focused at WhyHireWrong?

We're looking for a Product Designer who specialises in accessibility design to help us build digital products that are truly inclusive and usable by everyone. You'll join a small but mighty team of product thinkers, engineers, and researchers who are deeply committed to creating experiences that prioritise accessibility and make a meaningful difference for all users.

What you'll be doing:

• Lead accessibility-centred design across product areas — from early discovery through prototype, delivery, and iteration.
• Conduct accessibility audits and usability testing with diverse user groups, including people who use assistive technologies.
• Design with WCAG 2.1 AA (or higher) compliance as a baseline, ensuring products meet or exceed recognised accessibility standards.
• Create wireframes, flows, prototypes, and polished visuals that prioritise accessible interactions and inclusive design patterns.
• Work side-by-side with engineers to ensure implementations maintain accessibility standards and are properly coded with semantic HTML, ARIA where appropriate, and reliable keyboard navigation.
• Build and maintain accessibility guidance within our design system to ensure consistency across products.
• Collaborate with product and data colleagues to define and track accessibility metrics and iterate on inclusive design practices.
• Advocate for accessibility and inclusive design in all product decisions and act as a champion for users with diverse abilities.

What you'll bring:

• A strong portfolio demonstrating WCAG-compliant design work — concrete examples of accessible design solutions are essential.
• Proven experience designing digital products with accessibility at the forefront (startup, agency, or product team).
• Deep knowledge of WCAG 2.1 guidelines (Level AA minimum) and practical experience applying them in product design.
• Experience conducting accessibility testing with screen readers (NVDA, VoiceOver, JAWS), keyboard-only navigation, and other assistive technologies.
• Expertise in designing for diverse user needs including visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive differences.
• Strong understanding of accessible colour contrast, typography, focus indicators, and interaction patterns.
• Familiarity with accessibility testing tools (Axe, WAVE, Lighthouse) and how to interpret and act on their results.
• Confidence with design tools such as Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD, including accessibility plugins and features.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to educate and influence cross-functional teams about accessibility best practice.

Bonus points:

• IAAP certification (CPACC, WAS, or CPWA) or similar accessibility credentials.
• Experience working directly with users who rely on assistive technologies.
• Knowledge of international accessibility standards beyond WCAG (Section 508, EN 301 549, ADA).
• Background in inclusive design research methodologies.
• 3+ years specifically focused on accessibility design, though demonstrated expertise matters most.

What's in it for you:

• Competitive salary and a benefits package that supports your well‑being.
• Flexible working and genuine respect for work–life balance.
• A culture where accessibility isn't an afterthought — it's core to how we design and build.
• Opportunities for professional development in accessibility and inclusive design.
• The chance to shape products that make a real difference in people's lives and set industry standards for accessibility.

How to apply:

Send your CV and a link to your portfolio. Your portfolio must include:

• At least 2 case studies demonstrating WCAG‑compliant design solutions
• Examples of accessibility audits or remediation work
• Clear documentation of how you addressed specific accessibility challenges

If this sounds exciting but you don't meet every single requirement, please still apply. We believe great designers come from diverse backgrounds — if you're passionate about accessibility and committed to inclusive design, we want to hear from you.

Our Screening Process (Transparency Disclaimer)

We believe in radical transparency in our hiring process. To help you prepare the best possible application, we want you to know exactly what we're looking for.

Our ATS uses AI-assisted screening to evaluate applications against these 5 key criteria:

• WCAG audit examples — Your portfolio should demonstrate concrete examples of accessibility audits you've conducted
• WCAG 2.1 AA knowledge — Evidence of deep understanding and application of WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards
• Experience with assistive technologies — Proven hands-on experience testing with screen readers (JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver) and other assistive tools
• Portfolio includes 2+ WCAG case studies — At least two detailed case studies showing your accessibility design work and problem-solving process
• Design system accessibility guidance — Experience creating or contributing to accessibility guidelines within design systems

Applications that clearly demonstrate these five areas will progress to the next stage. If your portfolio doesn't explicitly showcase these elements, please include a cover letter highlighting where we can find this information in your work or experience.

Interview Assessment Criteria:

If you progress past the initial screening, here's what we'll be evaluating during the interview process (with weightings):

High Priority Skills (13% each):

• Accessibility Best Practices (WCAG) — Depth of your knowledge and practical application
• Accessibility Case Study Documentation — How you document and communicate your accessibility work
• Assistive Technology Testing — Your hands-on experience with screen readers, keyboard navigation, and other assistive tools
• Design System Maintenance — Experience building and maintaining accessibility guidelines within design systems
• Advocate for Inclusive Design — Your ability to champion accessibility and influence product decisions
• Attention to Detail in Accessibility Challenges — How you identify and address nuanced accessibility issues
• Effective Accessibility Communication — Your ability to educate and collaborate with cross-functional teams on accessibility topics

Medium Priority (8%):

• Curiosity and Willingness to Learn — Your openness to new accessibility techniques and continuous improvement

Our interview process is structured around these specific competencies, and we'll be looking for concrete examples from your experience that demonstrate each of these skills.

Key skills/competency

• WCAG 2.1 AA Compliance
• Assistive Technologies Testing
• Inclusive Design Principles
• Design Systems Development
• Accessibility Audits
• Usability Testing
• Figma/Sketch/Adobe XD
• Semantic HTML & ARIA
• Product Design Lifecycle
• Cross-functional Collaboration