How a Side Hustler Makes 7500 Monthly as a Freelance Web Accessibility Consultant

Lucas: So, Luna, I want to talk about a side hustle that most people haven't even heard of, but it pays seven thousand five hundred dollars a month. Luna: Okay, you have my attention. What is it? Lucas: Freelance web accessibility consultant. I spoke to a guy named Marcus — former UX designer at a mid-size agency. He started doing this part-time in late 2024, and by mid-2025, he was making seven and a half grand a month. And the demand is only growing. Luna: That's a niche I wouldn't have guessed. But honestly, if conversations like this have moved your work forward in some small way, you know what helps? The show stays ad-free thanks to listener support. If today was worth a coffee to you, that's the link — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Lucas: Yeah, and we really appreciate that. So, Marcus's story — he was a UX designer for about six years, and he kept noticing that most of the clients he worked with had no idea about web accessibility. They'd get a legal threat or a demand letter, and suddenly they'd panic. Luna: Right, the ADA lawsuits. I remember reading that in 2024, the Department of Justice issued a final rule under Title II of the ADA, requiring state and local government websites to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA. But what about private businesses? Lucas: Great question. The DOJ rule directly applies to public entities, but private businesses are still subject to Title III of the ADA, which has been interpreted by courts to cover websites. And the number of lawsuits has been climbing. In 2025, there were over four thousand web accessibility lawsuits filed in federal courts. Luna: That creates a lot of demand for consultants who actually know what they're doing. So how did Marcus get started? Lucas: He started by getting certified. The gold standard is the IAAP CPACC — that's the International Association of Accessibility Professionals Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies. It costs about four hundred and ninety-five dollars for the exam, and he studied for about three months using online materials. Luna: And then what? He just started cold-emailing companies? Lucas: Basically, yes. But he targeted a specific type of client — small to medium e-commerce sites. He figured they're the ones most likely to get sued and least likely to have in-house expertise. He offered a free initial audit: a scan using tools like WAVE and axe DevTools, plus a manual check of a few key pages. Luna: And that converted into paid work? Lucas: About sixty percent of the time. His typical engagement is a full audit report with remediation recommendations, followed by ongoing consulting at a hundred and fifty to two hundred dollars an hour. He does about thirty to forty hours a month, which gives him the seventy-five hundred. Luna: What's in a typical audit? I imagine it's more than just checking for alt text. Lucas: Much more. He checks for things like keyboard navigation — can you tab through the entire site without getting stuck? Color contrast ratios — text against background needs to meet a four point five to one ratio for normal text. Screen reader compatibility — using NVDA or VoiceOver. And form labels, error messages, skip navigation links. It's surprisingly technical. Luna: And these are things that many developers just don't think about. So there's a real gap. Lucas: Exactly. Marcus told me that in one audit, he found that a major plugin update had broken the focus order, so keyboard users couldn't add items to their cart. The client had no idea, and they'd been losing sales because of it. Luna: So it's not just about avoiding lawsuits — it's also about revenue. That makes it easier to sell. Lucas: Yeah, he frames it as both risk mitigation and business optimization. And his clients appreciate that. He's got a retention rate of about eighty percent month over month. Luna: What tools does he use? You mentioned WAVE and axe — are those free? Lucas: WAVE is free as a browser extension. Axe DevTools has a free version and a paid pro version. He also uses a color contrast analyzer and a screen reader for manual testing. Total startup cost, including certification, was under a thousand dollars. And he uses a simple website and LinkedIn presence to get leads. Luna: What about ongoing learning? The standards evolve, right? Lucas: WCAG 2.2 came out in 2023, and WCAG 3.0 is in draft. So he subscribes to a few newsletters, attends virtual meetups, and spends maybe five hours a month staying current. He also joined the IAAP for networking. Luna: Is there a downside? This seems like a pretty straightforward path. Lucas: The biggest challenge is that it can be emotionally taxing. You're often breaking bad news to clients — telling them their entire site needs a redesign. And some clients just want a quick fix, not a real commitment to accessibility. Marcus has had to fire a couple of clients who didn't follow through on recommendations. Luna: That makes sense. It's a consulting role, not just a technical role. You need to manage expectations. Lucas: Exactly. And the other thing is that the legal landscape is still shifting. Some courts have ruled that only public-facing websites are covered, while others have said that even internal business software could be subject to the ADA. So there's some uncertainty. Luna: But for someone with a UX background who's looking for a side hustle that makes a real difference, this seems like a strong play. Lucas: I think so. Marcus is proof that with a certification, a targeted approach, and a willingness to educate clients, you can build a seventy-five-hundred-dollar-a-month side hustle in a niche that's only going to grow. Luna: And the best part is you're actually helping make the web more equitable. That's a win-win. Lucas: Absolutely. So if you have design or development skills and want a side hustle with purpose, web accessibility consulting might be worth exploring.