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João Araujo

Digital Accessibility Specialist and Front-End Developer

Summary

I’m a Digital Accessibility Specialist based in São Carlos, Brazil. I run manual and automated audits, test with NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, and TalkBack, and turn what I find into remediation specs and acceptance criteria that development teams can act on.

I’m also a front-end developer. I work in React, TypeScript, HTML, and CSS, so my recommendations come with the semantic markup, ARIA, and focus management needed to implement them.

My background is in research with Deaf communities. I hold a master’s degree in Special Education, I’m fluent in Brazilian Sign Language (Libras), and I’ve supported accessibility work for Lenovo, Duolingo, and a Brazilian bank.

Skills

Accessibility standards and audits:
WCAG 2.2 AA, ARIA, Semantic HTML, Keyboard navigation, Focus management, Color contrast, Remediation specs, Acceptance criteria
Assistive technology and testing:
NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, TalkBack, axe, Lighthouse, Accessibility Scanner
Front-end development:
React, TypeScript, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Tailwind CSS, Jest, Git
Inclusive design and research:
Usability testing with people with disabilities, UX research, Accessibility training, Diversity and inclusion
Data:
Python, R, SQL, Power BI

Experience

  1. Accessibility Testing Specialist, Keeggo, for Caixa

    • Run manual and automated accessibility audits against WCAG 2.2 AA on web and mobile apps for a Brazilian bank.
    • Test with NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, TalkBack, and keyboard-only navigation, documenting each issue with reproduction steps and severity.
    • Write remediation specs and code-level recommendations covering semantic HTML, ARIA, focus management, and contrast.
    • Train cross-functional teams on inclusive design practices and accessibility acceptance criteria.

  2. Course Instructor, Specialization in Deaf Education, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), SEaD

    • Teach Mathematics Teaching for the Deaf in the bilingual-approach specialization.
    • Teach Libras and Portuguese translation and interpretation for STEM.

  3. Quantitative UX Researcher and Digital Accessibility Consultant, FIPT, for Lenovo

    • Led UX research and defined specifications for 20+ accessible features with development, AI, and QA teams in a Scrum environment.
    • Co-invented an assistive technology for Deaf signers, patented in Brazil, the USA, the EU, China, and Japan.
    • Co-created bilingual Libras and Portuguese surveys with 200+ Deaf participants, and ran 50+ usability tests and interviews.
    • Built 5+ data-driven proto-personas from 190M+ Brazilian census records to guide inclusive product design.
    • Delivered 50+ trilingual presentations and trainings on digital accessibility and D&I.

  4. Full Stack Developer, LUZ Soluções Financeiras

    • Automated a multi-step financial process, cutting processing time from 2 hours to 15 minutes.
    • Improved database query performance by 75% and reached 90%+ unit-test coverage.

  5. Math Content QA Consultant and Dashboard Specialist, Duolingo

    • Ran accessibility testing in 5+ courses on web and mobile with NVDA, TalkBack, VoiceOver, Lighthouse, and Accessibility Scanner.
    • Wrote reports with WCAG considerations to improve user flows and component accessibility.
    • Localized 40+ Math units and 50+ accessibility-related strings for the launch of Duolingo Math in Portuguese, a product with 100M+ monthly active users.

  6. Quantitative UX Researcher and Product Analyst, Avenue Code, for Braskem

    • Ran 10+ B2B usability tests and user interviews to identify critical pain points.
    • Built 20+ UX metrics dashboards and led an NPS analysis that identified 5+ improvements.

  7. Researcher, Deaf Education, FAPESP

    • Adapted a math anxiety scale for visual and linguistic accessibility for Libras users, ran 100+ accessible questionnaire sessions with Deaf students, and analyzed the results in R.

Volunteering

  1. Data Science Volunteer, Mapa Autismo Brasil

    • Member of the data science team building a national dashboard on autism data in Brazil.

  2. Digital Accessibility Volunteer, Movimento Web Para Todos

    • Promote digital accessibility and a more inclusive web ecosystem in Brazil.

  3. Volunteer Math Tutor, Associação dos Surdos de São Carlos

    • Tutored Deaf students in math and helped organize the first Fórum de Direitos Humanos Surdos.

Education

  • Bachelor of Technology in Data Science

    UNIVESP · Jul 2025 to present

  • Master’s degree in Special Education

    Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) · Feb 2020 to Jun 2023

    Dissertation: Reflections and possibilities on the quantification of signing deaf people in Brazilian census surveys.

  • Bachelor’s degree in Physics

    University of São Paulo (USP) · Feb 2016 to Dec 2019

Courses and certificates

  • CSS for JavaScript Developers, Josh W. Comeau (2026)
  • The Joy of React, Josh W. Comeau (2025)
  • Full Stack Development, DevQuest (2025)
  • Google Cloud Digital Leader, Google (2024)
  • Accessibility in Museums, Enap (2020)

Languages

Portuguese, native · English, advanced · Brazilian Sign Language (Libras), advanced