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I have decided to become a professional member of IAAP

Web accessibility is, by far, my favourite discipline in software engineering. 💕

That love started in 2015, when I joined Globant in Chile. I was then part of a small, newly formed team responsible for making the LATAM Airlines (opens in a new tab) website (and its legacy predecessor, LAN.com (opens in a new tab)) accessible to everyone.

The challenge was enormous

The site wasn’t a single-page application. Our team had to assess and fix dozens of core applications, from Perl to React. We were talking about approximately 60 million monthly users worldwide.

At the time, the company was facing legal action because some pages and experiences were simply not accessible. And even though it’s a private company, it provides an essential public transportation service in many countries where accessibility and inclusion are legal requirements.

I remember our team being coached by two experts sent directly from Argentina (Globant is an Argentine company). During the first months of the project, they both took the time to teach us what a screen reader is and how to use it (trust me, seeing how real users navigate with one is even more impressive!).

We were also taught that keyboard-only navigation is important, what a good contrast colour is, how to semantically structure an HTML document, that an image can’t live without an alt attribute, and how to manage content. They also gave us a quick overview of the main principles of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 (opens in a new tab).

I was struck by their perspective on how a product can present information accessibly and still provide a great experience for everyone.

We finally made it after an intense year of work. We were continuously iterating on the websites, and then we received good news and congrats from local organizations in Chile, including managers at LATAM Airlines. We demonstrated improvements over the months, making digital products (documents included) less obstructive. It was so rewarding!

That’s when I understood that accessibility isn’t just for some. It’s for everyone.

And the reason is simple. Every choice you make in its favour improves the experience for everyone. Even though accessibility is a legal requirement in many countries and regions, it’s also a mindset to embrace when you build a product or deliver a feature.

The path to recognition

I care deeply about user experience. I care about websites that are structured, semantic, and accessible. I care about human beings.

That’s why I quickly became a Web Accessibility Advocate at Globant, a role I held for years as an employee. I led custom webinars to share what I knew, spreading accessibility practices and concepts in line with WCAG. I talked to and worked with different kinds of people. I mentored product owners, designers, and developers. I did all of this as an advocate, and I genuinely loved it!

Then, later in my career, I joined other companies where accessibility was not my primary role, but I still brought it into every design and technical decision. I know how important it is, regardless of the field.

So, seeking formal recognition as a professional member was a natural choice. And the best part is that it’s relatively simple.

What is IAAP?

The International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) (opens in a new tab) is a US-based nonprofit focused on accessibility, aiming to make inclusivity easier for businesses to recognize and prioritize.

Membership costs an annual, renewable fee and gives you a Credly badge (opens in a new tab), access to courses and trainings (opens in a new tab) and resources (opens in a new tab) (many free or discounted for members), and a place to connect with other professionals and help shape the future of accessibility.

From a professional member to a certified individual

Just as a university awards degrees to students rather than companies, IAAP awards certifications (opens in a new tab) to individuals who demonstrate accessibility knowledge and expertise. There are currently five:

These certifications are globally recognized, and employers often look for them as a minimum requirement when hiring accessibility talent. They’re valid for three years, after which they must be renewed.

I’m pretty excited to earn both the CPACC and the WAS credentials in the coming weeks, which will grant me the CPWA credential. Let’s see how it goes. 💪🏼

In the meantime, you can read my accessibility statement for this site.