How to start a freelance business writing accessible (WCAG compliant) web content?

The 'Compliance & Inclusivity' Content Specialist ♿️🌐 This is an extremely high-value, niche skill, as global and Indian laws increasingly mandate accessibility (WCAG compliance). You are selling risk mitigation and legal compliance. 1. Master the Standard: Your first investment is time. Master the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 or 2.2 standards (specifically the AA level). Understand how to write descriptive image alt text, structure headings correctly, ensure link text is meaningful, and use simple language for readability. 2. Training & Certification: While not mandatory, obtaining a certification from an organization like the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) or completing a reputable online course (e.g., from W3C) adds instant credibility and allows you to charge premium rates. 3. Target Client Niche: Don't target small blogs. Target clients who face the highest legal/reputational risk: * Government/PSU Websites: Often mandated by law (e.g., India's Accessible India Campaign). * Banking/Finance/Insurance: High legal risk if their site is unusable by a subset of customers. * Large E-commerce Platforms: Looking to expand their customer base and mitigate lawsuits. 4. Service Offerings: * Audit & Remediation: Auditing a client's existing content for WCAG non-compliance and rewriting it. * Training: Offering workshops to the client's internal marketing/content team on how to write accessible content going forward. * New Content Creation: Writing new blog posts, service pages, and product descriptions that are WCAG-compliant by design. Use tools like WAVE or Axe for quick auditing, but your true value is the manual, human application of WCAG principles to the written word.