Hello, I am

Akhilesh Malani

Senior Accessibility Architect & Digital Inclusion Strategist

16+ years championing inclusive digital experiences for global enterprises

Get in Touch View My Work

About Me

I am an Accessibility Architect and Digital Inclusion Strategist based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. With over 16 years of experience, I define and deliver enterprise-grade accessibility programmes across web, mobile, and document platforms.

As a blind professional who lost sight at age 12, I navigate the digital world daily using JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and a Braille display. This gives me lived, first-hand insight that no sighted consultant can replicate — making me uniquely qualified to evaluate, architect, and champion truly inclusive digital experiences.

I have a proven record leading large-scale accessibility transformations for global clients including Google, Bank of Montreal, and Dun & Bradstreet. I build institutional capability — not just audit reports.

What Sets Me Apart

Lived Experience

I test accessibility as an actual end user — not by simulating disability. This gives my audits, recommendations, and strategic guidance a depth and accuracy that is unmatched.

Google as a Client

Sustained delivery for Google India across two organisations spanning over a decade — covering Google Play, Google Search, and a wide range of products.

Capability Builder

I establish Accessibility Champions networks, deliver training programmes, and mentor developers, designers, and QA engineers across organisations.

India Regulatory Expert

Deep knowledge of India's RPwD Act 2016, GIGW 3.0, and SEBI's digital accessibility mandate — bridging both the technical and regulatory dimensions.

Professional Experience

Accessibility Test Architect

Virtusa Systems India Pvt. Ltd., Chennai

– Present

Bank of Montreal (OLBB) — March 2025 – Present

  • Lead Accessibility Architect for customer-facing web applications, native mobile apps, and digital documents across WCAG 2.2 Level AA.
  • Architected automated + manual validation pipeline for large-scale digital statements and PDFs, achieving PDF/UA and WCAG 2.2 compliance.
  • Standardised Accessibility Conformance Reports (ACR) using VPAT 2.5 for regulatory reporting.
  • Led training programmes for engineering and QA teams, increasing in-sprint accessibility defect detection.

Dun & Bradstreet — April 2024 – February 2025

  • Led accessibility architecture for the Risk Analytics web application ensuring WCAG 2.2 Level AA compliance.
  • Delivered WAI-ARIA strategies for complex data visualisation and interactive dashboard components.
  • Established an Accessibility Champions programme, shifting compliance left into design and development.

Accessibility Test Lead & SME

Tech Mahindra

–

Client: Google India

  • Led a team of 15 accessibility testers — including persons with disabilities — across Google's product portfolio.
  • Managed end-to-end project delivery: resource planning, technical escalation, and stakeholder coordination with Google's global teams.
  • Recognised with the ACE Award 2023 — Tech Mahindra's highest performance recognition.

Accessibility Technical Lead

HCL Technologies

–

Client: Google India (Google Play)

  • Served as the dedicated end-user accessibility tester for the Google Play team — providing real-user feedback on screen reader compatibility and keyboard navigation.
  • Authored accessibility audit reports and documentation standards adopted as the baseline for Google Play.

Accessibility Tester

Prakat Solutions, Bengaluru

–

Client: Oracle Financial Services

  • Evaluated accessibility compliance across 250+ websites, internal tools, PDFs, and Flash-based solutions.
  • Formulated accessibility statements and supported VPAT creation for Oracle's product compliance.

Technical Support Engineer (L2)

Mphasis (an HP Company)

–

  • Managed complex customer queries for HP hardware, software, and operating systems.

Skills & Expertise

Standards & Compliance

  • WCAG 2.0 / 2.1 / 2.2
  • WAI-ARIA 1.1 / 1.2
  • PDF/UA
  • VPAT 2.5 / ACR
  • Section 508
  • ADA
  • AODA
  • EN 301 549

India Regulations

  • RPwD Act 2016
  • GIGW 3.0
  • SEBI Accessibility Mandate

Assistive Technology

  • JAWS
  • NVDA
  • VoiceOver (iOS/macOS)
  • TalkBack (Android)
  • Orca (Linux)
  • Narrator
  • ChromeVox
  • Braille Display

Tools & Platforms

  • Axe DevTools / axe-core
  • WAVE
  • ANDI
  • Deque Auditing
  • Windows
  • macOS
  • Linux
  • iOS
  • Android

Leadership & Strategy

  • Accessibility Strategy
  • Shift-Left Practices
  • Champions Programmes
  • Team Leadership
  • Executive Stakeholder Mgmt
  • Inclusive UX Consulting
  • Design Reviews

Recognition & Education

Awards & Speaking

  • ACE Award 2023 — Highest performance recognition at Tech Mahindra, for exceptional delivery on the Google India accessibility programme.
  • Youngest Web Researcher at WWW2011 Conference — Recognised at the world's foremost web standards conference.
  • Speaker, NASSCOM BPO Summit 2010 — Addressed industry leaders on accessibility and digital inclusion.

Education

  • B.A. English Literature — Loyola College, Madras University, Chennai (2008)
  • Higher Secondary (Arts) — Netraheen Vikas Sansthan, Jodhpur (2005)

Languages

  • English (Professional)
  • Hindi (Native)
  • Tamil (Professional)
  • Marwari (Native)

Resource Library

Exclusive accessibility resources — training materials, audit templates, ARIA patterns, research, and more. Available to approved members only.

Members-Only Access

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Get in Touch

Interested in working together on accessibility? I'd love to hear from you.

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
akhilesh.malani@gmail.com
+91-900-053-1333
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