My path: from working with people with disabilities to accessible design

My path isn't linear, and that's probably where its value lies. Before designing interfaces, I spent several years in the field, in direct contact with people with disabilities. That experience, more than any theoretical course, shaped how I approach accessibility today.

The field, first

I worked as a support worker, including night shifts, at Papillons Blancs 76, an organization supporting people with disabilities. I took part in more than seven adapted trips, living on-site day and night, and I held a group-leader role — responsible for a route, a group of thirty people with disabilities, and a team of colleagues, as part of a holiday camp.

That's not just another résumé line: it's the experience that put me, concretely, face to face with the real needs of the people digital accessibility is meant to serve. Not checkboxes in a compliance document — people.

The turn toward design

In parallel, I taught myself graphic and web design — Photoshop, Illustrator, then gradually front-end development. The earliest projects are visible in this site's Projects section: event posters, brand identities, business cards, up to my first full websites.

The shift happened naturally: I was looking for a creative field where my attention to others could keep serving something concrete. Accessible design was the logical meeting point between the two worlds.

Why WCAG became central

Once that direction was set, getting certified on WCAG standards became the obvious next step: it was the most credible way to turn a personal sensitivity into a verifiable professional skill. Today, that combination — hands-on human experience and technical mastery — is what sets my profile apart.

Where I'm headed now

I keep growing this portfolio as a living showcase of what I can do (like the accessible voice assistant covered in another article), while looking for work — in France and internationally — where this mix of design, development and accessibility genuinely matters. If this path resonates with you, feel free to reach out.