Building accessibility skills across your team doesn’t have to mean expensive workshops or certifications. With the right strategy, free tools, and practical learning loops, you can train your designers and developers to think access-first - without draining your budget or slowing production.
Here’s how to make accessibility training sustainable, hands-on, and cost-effective.
1. Start With Awareness, Not Perfection
Most accessibility gaps stem from lack of awareness, not lack of skill. Begin by introducing the “why” behind accessibility.
Share short, impactful videos showing how screen readers or keyboard navigation work.
Host 15-minute “accessibility moments” during sprint reviews - pick one issue (like color contrast or alt text) and show how it affects real users.
Let designers and developers experience their own product using just a keyboard or a screen reader.
A little empathy-driven exposure goes a long way toward habit change.
2. Use Free Accessibility Resources
There’s a wealth of no-cost learning material available:
W3C’s WCAG Quick Reference: A simple, non-technical breakdown of core accessibility standards.
YouTube Tutorials: Great for bite-sized training on keyboard access, headings, and labeling.
Wally’s Accessibility Blog: Regular, example-based posts that help teams apply concepts directly to real design and development tasks.
These can be used in short “lunch-and-learn” sessions or shared via Slack for self-paced micro-learning.
3. Embed Accessibility Into Daily Workflows
Accessibility sticks when it’s part of how teams work, not an afterthought.
Add contrast checking to your design system (e.g., via Figma plugins).
Include a simple accessibility checklist in pull request templates.
Make automated checks part of your CI/CD using tools like Wally’s audit integrations, or Lighthouse.
This approach reinforces learning by doing - without needing separate training sessions.
4. Run Internal “Mini Audits”
Turn training into practice. Pick one small feature (like a login form) and do a group accessibility review:
Designers inspect visuals for color contrast and text hierarchy.
Developers test keyboard navigation and ARIA attributes.
Together, document fixes and review them next sprint.
It’s informal, free, and helps everyone learn from the same example.
5. Encourage Peer Learning
Accessibility grows faster when it spreads horizontally.
Nominate Accessibility Champions from design and dev teams who share small wins and best practices.
Create a shared “Accessibility Library” of common patterns - accessible buttons, forms, and modals - so new team members learn by example.
Celebrate accessibility improvements in team demos and retros.
Recognition reinforces culture change without financial incentives.
6. Use Tools That Teach While They Test
Choose tools that don’t just report issues but explain why something fails.
Wally’s WAX Accessibility Chrome Extension and VS Code WAX Linter for Developers show issue explanations alongside real code fixes, turning every test into a mini-training session.
This kind of contextual learning helps designers and developers gain skills through direct application instead of lectures.
7. Partner for Expert Guidance (Strategically)
When budgets are tight, you don’t need a full-time consultant - just smart guidance.
Wally’s Accessibility Consultancy offers:
Affordable team training sessions tailored for design and dev workflows
Mini audits with live feedback
Templates, checklists, and reusable code snippets for ongoing learning
A short onboarding engagement can set your team up for self-sufficient, long-term accessibility success.
Final Thoughts
Training your team on accessibility doesn’t require big spending - it requires consistency, curiosity, and the right tools. Start small, build habits, and use your existing workflows as training grounds. Over time, accessibility becomes second nature - and your products become more inclusive by design.
