A web accessibility specialist reflects on how the same accessibility challenges look different depending on one's role — developer, auditor, or standards organization member. As a developer, advocating for accessibility is hardest: you must juggle competing priorities, build business cases, and navigate gaps in official documentation. The post identifies systemic problems in accessibility standards docs (outdated examples, unclear guidance, lack of user-tested patterns) and argues that improving developer experience around accessibility tooling and documentation would ultimately lead to better outcomes for users with disabilities. The author calls for better documentation, more engineering budget for browser/AT compatibility, and legal requirements that treat accessibility like security.
