Barrier Slayer
the accessibility
programme for
product designers.
An 8-week live programme that teaches you how to include accessibility in your design process from the start. You will learn practical skills, apply them to real projects, and finish with a portfolio piece that demonstrates real expertise.
What is Barrier Slayer?
Barrier Slayer is a structured training programme for product designers and UX designers who want to make accessibility a real part of their work, not something they learn about but never apply.
Most accessibility training is too theoretical, too technical, or too disconnected from the daily work of a designer. Barrier Slayer is different. Every session is built around real design scenarios. Every week, you practise on your own projects. You do not just learn what accessibility is you learn how to do it, how to explain it to your team, and how to advocate for it in your organisation.
By the end of the programme, you will understand the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, know how to run an accessibility audit, and be ready to meet the requirements of the EU Accessibility Act (EAA).
Who is this
programme for?
Mid-level and senior product designers
You are competent in your craft and work in a product team. You have not had formal accessibility training, and that gap is starting to affect your work and your confidence.
Designers who want to create more impact
You want your work to matter beyond the product metrics of your current company. You believe design can make the world more inclusive, and you want the skills to prove it.
Busy designers with a full-time job
You do not have time for long, passive courses. You need practical training that fits into a working week and produces results you can use immediately.
Designers in EAA-regulated industries
Your company sells digital products in Europe and needs to meet EU Accessibility Act requirements. You want to understand what this means for your work and how to respond.
You are looking for a purely theoretical certification, you do not currently work in product or UX design, or you are already working as an accessibility specialist.
What you will
learn.
After completing Barrier Slayer, you will have concrete skills you can apply immediately in your work.
Read and apply WCAG 2.2 criteria to your design decisions — without needing a developer to interpret them for you.
Run a structured accessibility audit on any digital product and create a prioritised list of issues to fix.
Include accessibility at the start of the design process — in your wireframes, your components, and your specifications.
Explain the business case and the legal requirements for accessibility to product managers and company leadership.
Design for users with permanent, temporary, and situational disabilities — and understand why this makes products better for everyone.
Write clear accessibility annotations in your design files so developers can implement your intentions correctly.
Programme content
week by week.
Each week combines a live group session with independent practice on your own projects. Sessions are recorded so you can review them at any time.
Week 1 Why accessibility starts with designers
An introduction to the legal and business context for accessibility, and a clear explanation of why most accessibility problems begin in the design phase — before any code is written.
- Introduction to WCAG 2.2 what it is and how to read it
- The EU Accessibility Act what it requires and who it affects
- The cost of late accessibility fixes vs. early design decisions
- How to explain accessibility to your team and your manager
Week 2 Perceivable: vision, colour, and contrast
The visual criteria that fail most often in live products. You will learn to evaluate and fix them before your designs reach development.
- Colour contrast requirements and how to check them in Figma
- Text alternatives for images, icons, and decorative elements
- Using colour with meaning — and designing for colour blindness
- Text size, spacing, and readability criteria
Week 3 Perceivable — motion, audio, and video
The accessibility criteria that are often missed in static design files — animations, auto-playing content, and media controls.
- Animation and motion — when it helps and when it harms
- Designing pause, stop, and hide controls for moving content
- Audio description, captions, and transcripts for video content
- How to specify these requirements in design handoffs
Week 4 Operable — keyboard navigation and focus
How to design interfaces that work for users who do not use a mouse — including keyboard users and people who use assistive technology.
- Understanding keyboard navigation and focus order
- Designing visible and clear focus states
- Touch target size requirements for mobile
- Skip navigation links and how to design for them
Week 5 Understandable — forms, errors, and language
The small design decisions in forms, error messages, and interface text that have a large impact on whether users can understand and complete tasks.
- Form labels, input instructions, and placeholder text
- Error messages — how to write and design them accessibly
- Reading level and plain language for interface copy
- Consistent navigation and predictable interactions
Week 6 Robust — semantic structure and ARIA for designers
The minimum technical knowledge a designer needs to write clear specifications and work effectively with developers on accessibility.
- What semantic HTML means and why it matters for accessibility
- An introduction to ARIA labels and roles for designers
- How to annotate your Figma files for accessibility
- What to include in a developer handoff to ensure correct implementation
Week 7 Accessibility audits and workflow integration
How to evaluate a product for accessibility problems, prioritise what to fix, and build accessibility into your regular design process.
- Audit methodology — manual review, automated tools, and user testing
- How to write an accessibility report and prioritise issues
- Integrating accessibility checks into design reviews and sprint planning
- Tools and resources for ongoing accessibility practice
Week 8 Capstone — full audit and group showcase
You complete a full accessibility audit of a real product, present your findings to the group, and receive feedback from the Accessibilia team and your cohort peers.
- Complete audit of a real product using everything you have learned
- Written report with prioritised recommendations
- Live presentation to the cohort with group feedback
- A finished portfolio piece you can share with employers or colleagues
How the
programme works.
📹 Weekly live sessions
One 60-minute live session per week with the full cohort. Sessions are interactive — not lectures. You work through real examples and ask questions in real time.
📝 Independent practice
Approximately one hour of independent work between sessions. You apply what you have learned to your own projects — not artificial exercises.
👥 Cohort community
You learn alongside other designers at a similar level. You share work, give feedback, and build a professional network of people who understand accessibility.
🎬 Session recordings
Every live session is recorded. If you miss a session or want to review the content, you can watch it at any time. Access continues after the programme ends.
Skills and knowledge
covered.
Barrier Slayer covers the full range of skills a designer needs to work with accessibility confidently and independently.
Why accessibility
matters now.
Accessibility is not a trend. It is a legal requirement, a design quality standard, and a significant market opportunity.
The EU Accessibility Act came into force in June 2025. For most digital products sold in Europe, compliance is now a legal obligation. Designers who understand accessibility are more valuable to their teams, their companies, and the people who use their products.
Frequently
asked.
Do I need experience with accessibility before I start?
How much time do I need each week?
What happens if I miss a live session?
Is this programme relevant if I work outside of Europe?
Can my company pay for this programme?
I am not a developer. Will I understand the technical content?
What is the difference between the three pricing tiers?
Join the waitlist
for the next cohort.
Barrier Slayer opens for enrolment in Autumn 2026. Join the waitlist to be the first to know — and to receive the founding member price when registration opens.