The economic conditions in the world - especially in the U.S., where I’m based - have people facing deep uncertainty. Things that once gave us a sense of stability, like steady jobs or a predictable cost of living, now feel totally fragile. AI threatens entire industries and seemingly every job. Living costs keep going unchecked while political instability looms over our heads. Every day, it feels like something else is hanging in the balance, and we are victims caught in the middle of the madness.
If your safety net hasn’t been ripped away yet, your livelihood might feel like a ticking time bomb - less a question of 'if', and more a matter of 'when'.
Here's a hard question: When that moment comes, do you have a backup plan?
If not, don’t beat yourself up - over 50% of Americans don’t even have $500 in savings. But that’s exactly why this difficult conversation topic matters. A backup plan, even a small one, can make all the difference when the carpet is pulled from underneath you.
So today, I want to introduce something people often overlook - 3 ways that accessibility can be used as a pathway to financial resilience (number 2 and 3 are nearly guaranteed paths to success!). Whether you’re disabled or not, accessibility can be a powerful vehicle for career growth, side income, and even building a full-blown online business. Let me share how I've done this a solo business owner and managed to stay afloat during these uncertain times.
1. Turn Accessibility Into a Career (No Degree Required)
Accessibility is no longer optional for public institutions and tech organizations. Companies are being forced to comply with global laws like the ADA, EAA, and ACA. That means that accessibility professionals are in demand - especially those with lived experience or who possess the empathy needed to make an impact.
If you are disabled and want to break into tech, global certifications like CPACC (Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies) can give you the knowledge necessary to become an accessibility tester, consultant, accommodations specialist, coordinator, and so much more — some of these remote, no degree needed, and many jobs start at $30/hr+.
Don’t get caught up in thinking you have to get an expensive cert like the CPACC to succeed. That’s a myth. What you need is knowledge - and you can get that through free or affordable materials, or simply diving into the community and resources. Start learning now with the (free) Body of Knowledge, or in a quicker condensed way with these CPACC cards available in digital, physical, or audio formats.
After you study the material, you're going to want to update your professional social medias, mainly your LinkedIn. Start making connections so you can see new roles for hire. Also, get familiar with job search boards like HigherEdjobs.com, this board posts roles all over the USA for professionals with little to no experience.
2. Sell Digital Products in the Accessibility Space
Now on to something you should strongly consider as additional income regardless of the career path you choose - passive income. Passive income is very real - if you’re solving real problems. And accessibility is full of unsolved problems.
Whether you’re creating screen reader-friendly planners, trackers, sensory-friendly coloring books, or CPACC study guides (like I did!), you can build a digital store that sells ' while you sleep'. And yes, people are paying $10, $50, even $100+ for accessible products that help them solve their problems, study, or thrive. I've been able to make hundreds in a couple months.
It's important that I also make clear that all of my sales have been from 100% organic traffic - I have not paid for ads. My sales have been pure profit, with no overhead, because it's all digital. These are the sales I've made within a month (and this doesn't include my Etsy store sales or consultation/services revenue!)
With less than 7,000 visitors and a nearly 1% conversion rate, my store proves there's real demand for accessible digital products - even without paid ads. It's been very nice to watch my savings account slowly grow these past few months- and as it grows, so does my peace of mind. This isn't entirely easy, but it's not hard either; you can do this too.
This is how I built my business. And you don’t need to go viral or have a big following at all - you just need to be useful.
The amount of effort and resources needed discourages so many from building their online store. If you want to skip the setup, I get that.
I wrote an eBook specifically for aspiring entrepreneurs who have big ideas, but little to no resources.
How to Start Your Accessibility Business in 7 Days with $0.
This guide is packed with real-world insights, hard-won lessons, and step-by-step direction to help you launch faster, smarter, and with impact.
Whether you’re starting with no followers, no website, or no clue where to begin- this eBook gives you the exact blueprint I used (and wish I had when I started).
Download now and start building your business the accessible way.
3. License or Affiliate Accessibility Tools for Recurring Income
Why sell one product at a time when you can license it once to a government, school, or nonprofit for thousands every month?
Organizations need help staying compliant and inclusive, and most don’t have the time to create tools from scratch. Whether it’s training decks, digital courses, or printable resources - you can build it once, license it to many. This is how you will turn this side hustle into a full blown full-time income business.
All it takes is to get 1 of your products to sell well, then it is likely that you can license it to a large organization. This is how you scale. This takes more time, but the sooner you build your store and discover your flagship product, you find your product that can scale and bring you true financial freedom. I can also help you achieve this by helping you position your product to the right audience that are likely to license your product.
Final Thoughts
Accessibility is a $13 trillion global industry that most people know nothing about. And now you know how to
start building a backup plan today using 3 different avenues:
- Turn accessibility into a career (CPACC)
- Build passive income with digital products
- Scale with licensing & affiliate models
With the passage of government bills that may be detrimental to us all, it's important that you are steadfast in protecting your family and all that you have built. Start with an approach that puts you in control of your destiny. Make your future accessible.
