03 / ACCESSIBILITY
Accessibility & Inclusive Technology
Rafat's professional development is centered on digital accessibility testing and screen-reader-based computer operation — skills built through hands-on training and everyday, real-world use of assistive technology, not just classroom study. This combination of formal training and lived experience is the core of his professional identity.
Digital Accessibility Testing
Trained in professional digital accessibility testing through a dedicated three-day capacity-building program run by CBM & VIPS specifically for youth with disabilities, and through the a2i (Aspire to Innovate) Accessibility Auditors program. This training covers how to identify and evaluate accessibility issues in digital products from a hands-on testing perspective.
Screen Reader Experience
Direct, practical experience using screen-reader-based computer operation, built up steadily since 2020 — from an initial Screen Reader Software with Bangla course, through a full Computer Course for the Blind, to competing and placing first in a screen-reader computer competition in 2023.
Inclusive Digital Experiences
A genuine, first-hand interest in making websites and digital products more accessible and usable for everyone — informed by daily reliance on assistive technology rather than an abstract interest in the subject.
Practical Perspective
Approaches accessibility from lived experience with assistive technology first, and formal testing methodology second — meaning issues are evaluated the way a real screen-reader user would actually encounter them, not only against a checklist.
Accessibility Philosophy
Accessible by Design
Accessibility should be considered from the very beginning of a project — in the planning and design stage — rather than bolted on afterward as a fix.
Test With Real Technology
Accessibility should be evaluated using real assistive technology and genuine keyboard-only interaction, not just automated scanners or visual inspection alone.
Clear Structure
Headings, navigation, controls, forms, and content should communicate meaningful, logical structure that both sighted and non-sighted users can follow with confidence.
Inclusion
Digital products should be built so that more people — regardless of ability — can use them independently, without needing help from someone else.