If you are looking for an accessibility contractor in the UK, there are a few practical things worth getting straight before you start: IR35 status, how to scope the work, and what day rates reflect genuine experience versus someone who learned the WCAG acronym recently.
I work as an independent accessibility contractor. Here is what that looks like in practice.
Outside IR35: what it means and why it matters
Most experienced accessibility contractors operate outside IR35. That means the engagement is a genuine business-to-business relationship. You are contracting a specialist to deliver a defined piece of work, not hiring a disguised employee.
For this to hold up under HMRC’s Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) tool, the arrangement should have clear markers:
- The contractor has genuine substitution rights
- There is no obligation to offer or accept ongoing work beyond the agreed scope
- The contractor uses their own tools and methods
- The client has no day-to-day control over how the work is done
Accessibility work maps well onto this model because the deliverables are specific: an audit report, fixing the code, a set of annotated wireframes, a VPAT document, a training workshop. These are outputs, not time-served employment.
If you are working under the off-payroll rules (IR35 reform, applying to medium and large organisations since 2021), you as the hirer are responsible for making the status determination. A good accessibility contractor will be familiar with this and can provide supporting documentation if needed.
Typical day rates for accessibility contractors in the UK
Day rates vary based on seniority, specialisation, and demand. As a rough guide in 2026:
- Junior accessibility testers: £300 to £450 per day
- Mid-level WCAG auditors: £500 to £700 per day
- Senior accessibility consultants with strategy and leadership experience: £700 to £1,000 per day
- Specialists covering legal compliance, VPAT, or native mobile: can exceed £1,000 per day
Rates on job boards often reflect permanent salary thinking converted to day rates, which undervalues experienced contractors. If someone is quoting you £200 per day for a WCAG 2.2 audit, that should prompt questions.
What you should scope before engaging a contractor
The most common mistake is hiring an accessibility contractor without defining what done looks like. Before you get to contract stage, be clear on four things.
What is being audited or built? A public-facing website, an internal tool, a mobile app, a PDF library, a design system? The scope determines the timeline and rate.
Which standard applies? WCAG 2.1 AA is the default for UK public sector (the 2018 regulations) and most EAA compliance work. WCAG 2.2 AA is increasingly expected. Some contracts reference EN 301 549, which incorporates WCAG but adds non-web requirements.
What is the deliverable? An audit report with findings and recommendations? A VPAT? Annotated design files? Developer-facing tickets? Developer training? Be specific.
Is there ongoing work or is this a fixed engagement? A fixed-scope remediation project is very different from an embedded specialist working alongside a product team for months. The contract structure looks different, and so does the day rate.
What I provide as a contractor
I work outside IR35 on fixed-term and project-based engagements. Typical contracts include:
- WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 AA audits with conformance reports
- Embedded accessibility review during agile sprints
- Design system and embedded Design accessibility reviews
- EAA readiness assessments for UK and EU-facing products
- Supplier or internal team training
If you have a specific scope in mind, get in touch and I will let you know whether it is a fit.
UK legislation in context
If your organisation is in scope for the UK public sector accessibility regulations, or your product falls under the European Accessibility Act (which applies to products sold in the EU), having a contractor who understands both the technical WCAG requirements and the legal context is important. Accessibility is not just about good practice. In many cases it is a legal obligation.