apprenticeship
What this programme is for
Digital accessibility is no longer optional. The UK’s Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations, the European Accessibility Act and the Equality Act 2010 create legal obligations for organisations to make their digital products and services accessible. But beyond compliance, accessibility is about building products that work for everyone.
This programme is for professionals working in or moving into accessibility roles, whether embedded in product and development teams, working in a dedicated accessibility function, or responsible for accessibility governance and strategy. It’s suitable across the public sector, financial services, technology, retail, healthcare and any organisation with a significant digital presence.
You’ll develop the technical skills to test, audit and remediate accessibility issues, the standards knowledge to assess compliance, and the communication and leadership skills to embed accessibility into the culture and processes of your organisation, not just its code.
What you'll cover
The programme covers all the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for the End-Point Assessment, built around real challenges in your organisation.
Technical accessibility practice
- Accessibility foundations: disability types, user impact and inclusive design principles
- Standards and compliance: WCAG, legal frameworks and conformance levels
- Accessible design and development using HTML, CSS and ARIA
- Assistive technologies: screen readers, speech tools and compatibility testing
- Accessibility testing, audit methods and evaluation techniques
Strategy, governance and culture
- Communication, stakeholder engagement and accessibility training delivery
- Security, live system operations and accessibility incident management
- Accessibility strategy, governance, policy development and continuous improvement
- Procurement and supplier accessibility requirements
- Accessibility in the software development lifecycle: design to deployment
Testing and technical tools
- NVDA, JAWS and VoiceOver screen readers
- Axe, WAVE and Deque tools for automated scanning
- Colour Contrast Analyser
- Browser DevTools for accessibility inspection
- HTML, CSS and ARIA implementation
Standards and legal frameworks
- WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 (AA and AAA)
- EN 301 549 and European Accessibility Act
- UK Public Sector Accessibility Regulations
- Equality Act 2010 and reasonable adjustments
- GDS Accessibility Audit methodology
AI-enhanced capabilities
- AI simulation of user accessibility needs and barrier identification
- Automated WCAG scanning, compliance checking and audit report generation
- AI-powered UI accessibility recommendations during design and development
- Screen reader compatibility testing and colour contrast issue detection
- Personalised training content and knowledge gap identification
Programme specification
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Accessibility is experienced, not just studied. Every session uses real digital products (websites, apps, documents) tested with real assistive technologies. You’ll audit systems, write reports and communicate findings to real stakeholders throughout the programme.
Monthly workshops: live, interactive sessions. Accessibility standards, testing techniques and audit practice. Assistive technology demonstrations and real product walkthroughs built in from day one.
1:1 coaching: your Technical Coach has accessibility expertise across technical testing, standards and organisational change. They’ll support your audit work, your stakeholder engagement and your portfolio development throughout.
Workplace accessibility projects: accessibility audits, remediation plans, WCAG assessments, training delivery, policy development and strategy work. Evidence from your real accessibility practice.
Independent study: WCAG deep dives, assistive technology exploration, reading accessibility research and engaging with the broader accessibility professional community.
Your Individual Learning Plan (ILP) is built with your Technical Coach at the start of the programme and sets out all the work you need to complete across the 16 months.
One dedicated accessibility specialist across the full programme. They’ll know your organisational context, your digital estate and the accessibility challenges you’re working through. They will:
- Conduct formal three-way progress reviews every 12 weeks with you and your line manager
- Mark all work and return written feedback within 10 working days of submission
- Support your technical testing, standards knowledge and stakeholder engagement work
- Build and review your Smart Assessor portfolio against the Digital Accessibility Specialist KSBs
- Prepare you for your End-Point Assessment with mock sessions and targeted coaching
Accessibility audit reports, WCAG assessments, remediation plans, training materials, policy documents, OTJ logs and reflective accounts, all in Smart Assessor. Your coach feeds back in the platform. Your line manager contributes employer observations and confirms the impact of your accessibility work.
Skills England requires a minimum of off-the-job training hours for this apprenticeship. Your coach plans and records this with you from the start. OTJ activities include workshops, coaching, accessibility projects, assistive technology practice, standards study and EPA preparation.
Level 2 English and maths required before your End-Point Assessment. Identified at induction and planned from the start.
The EPA is conducted by an independent EPAO. For Digital Accessibility Specialist it typically includes a work-based project report and presentation, usually an accessibility audit or improvement programme you’ve led, and a professional discussion. Your coach prepares you with at least one full mock.
Where this takes you
A Level 4 qualification. Demonstrated expertise in accessibility testing, standards and strategy. A specialism that is increasingly essential and still significantly under-resourced in most organisations.
Typical progression routes
Senior Accessibility Specialist or Lead Accessibility Engineer
Head of Accessibility or Accessibility Director
Inclusive Design Lead or UX Accessibility Lead
Accessibility governance, policy and compliance roles
Consulting and advisory roles in digital accessibility
Your onboarding journey
Here's what to expect before your learning begins.
1
Pre-enrolment
Expression of interest
Application form
2
Initial assessment
Online maths and English check
Diagnostic skills review
3
Enrolment
Sign Commitment Statement
Submit documents
4
Induction
Attend induction workshop
Set up Smart Assessor
5
Final onboarding
Compliance check
Programme begins
Ready to build digital products that work for everyone?
Talk to the La Fosse Academy team.
Enquire now