diff --git a/src/app/shared/infrastructure/scenario.ts b/src/app/shared/infrastructure/scenario.ts
index 9bcd86b..33e78dc 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/infrastructure/scenario.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/infrastructure/scenario.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
-export type Scenario = 'default' | 'slow' | 'loading' | 'empty' | 'error';
+export type Scenario =
+  | 'default'
+  | 'slow'
+  | 'loading'
+  | 'empty'
+  | 'error'
+  // upload-only (the multipart POST is hand-written XHR, so it bypasses the HTTP
+  // interceptor — these are simulated in upload.adapter.ts instead):
+  | 'upload-slow'
+  | 'upload-fail';
 
-const VALID: Scenario[] = ['default', 'slow', 'loading', 'empty', 'error'];
+const VALID: Scenario[] = ['default', 'slow', 'loading', 'empty', 'error', 'upload-slow', 'upload-fail'];
 
 /** Reads ?scenario= from the URL so a demo can force each async state. */
 export function currentScenario(): Scenario {
diff --git a/src/app/shared/ui/upload/document-category/document-category.component.ts b/src/app/shared/ui/upload/document-category/document-category.component.ts
index 77473e3..56f5520 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/ui/upload/document-category/document-category.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/ui/upload/document-category/document-category.component.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Component, input, output } from '@angular/core';
+import { Component, computed, input, output } from '@angular/core';
 import type { DeliveryChannel, DocumentCategory, Upload } from '@shared/upload/upload.machine';
 import { DeliveryChannelToggleComponent } from '../delivery-channel-toggle/delivery-channel-toggle.component';
 import { FileInputComponent } from '../file-input/file-input.component';
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import { SingleUploadComponent } from '../single-upload/single-upload.component'
     @if (channel() === 'digital') {
       <app-file-input
         [inputId]="category().categoryId + '-file'"
+        [label]="fileInputLabel()"
         [accept]="category().acceptedTypes"
         [multiple]="category().multiple"
         (filesSelected)="fileSelected.emit($event)" />
@@ -67,6 +68,9 @@ export class DocumentCategoryComponent {
   channel = input.required<DeliveryChannel>();
   rejection = input<string>();
 
+  /** Accessible name for the file picker, e.g. "Bestand kiezen voor Diploma". */
+  protected fileInputLabel = computed(() => $localize`:@@upload.fileInput.labelFor:Bestand kiezen voor ${this.category().label}:category:`);
+
   fileSelected = output<File[]>();
   removeUpload = output<string>();
   retryUpload = output<string>();
diff --git a/src/app/shared/ui/upload/file-input/file-input.component.ts b/src/app/shared/ui/upload/file-input/file-input.component.ts
index 2e17aef..caebe5e 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/ui/upload/file-input/file-input.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/ui/upload/file-input/file-input.component.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import { Component, ElementRef, input, output, viewChild } from '@angular/core';
         #fileInput
         type="file"
         [id]="inputId()"
+        [attr.aria-label]="label()"
         [accept]="accept().join(',')"
         [multiple]="multiple()"
         [disabled]="disabled()"
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ import { Component, ElementRef, input, output, viewChild } from '@angular/core';
         class="utrecht-button rhc-button utrecht-button--secondary-action label"
         [class.utrecht-button--disabled]="disabled()">
         <span aria-hidden="true">↑</span>
-        <span i18n="@@upload.fileInput.label">Bestand kiezen</span>
+        <span>{{ label() }}</span>
       </span>
     </span>
   `,
@@ -48,6 +49,8 @@ export class FileInputComponent {
   multiple = input(false);
   disabled = input(false);
   inputId = input.required<string>();
+  /** Accessible name + button text; the domain caller supplies a per-category label. */
+  label = input($localize`:@@upload.fileInput.label:Bestand kiezen`);
 
   filesSelected = output<File[]>();
 
diff --git a/src/app/shared/upload/upload.adapter.ts b/src/app/shared/upload/upload.adapter.ts
index ef7ef85..9946ceb 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/upload/upload.adapter.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/upload/upload.adapter.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
   UploadStatusItemDto,
 } from '@shared/infrastructure/api-client';
 import { problemDetail } from '@shared/infrastructure/api-error';
+import { currentScenario } from '@shared/infrastructure/scenario';
 import { environment } from '../../../environments/environment';
 import { DocumentCategory } from './upload.machine';
 
@@ -63,6 +64,9 @@ export class UploadAdapter {
    * transport behind UploadTransport for true background sync.
    */
   xhrUpload(req: XhrUploadRequest, onProgress: (pct: number) => void): XhrUploadHandle {
+    const scenario = currentScenario();
+    if (scenario === 'upload-slow' || scenario === 'upload-fail') return simulateUpload(scenario, onProgress);
+
     const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
     const form = new FormData();
     form.append('file', req.file);
@@ -98,6 +102,34 @@ export class UploadAdapter {
 
 const UPLOAD_FAILED = $localize`:@@upload.failed:Uploaden is niet gelukt. Probeer het opnieuw.`;
 const genericError = (): string => UPLOAD_FAILED;
+
+/**
+ * Demo-only (dev): the real XHR POST finishes instantly for metadata, so progress
+ * and failure can't otherwise be shown. Drives the progress bar over ~2.5s, then
+ * succeeds (`upload-slow`) or fails (`upload-fail`). ponytail: timer-based, cancel
+ * via the returned handle; no network.
+ */
+function simulateUpload(scenario: 'upload-slow' | 'upload-fail', onProgress: (pct: number) => void): XhrUploadHandle {
+  let pct = 0;
+  let cancelled = false;
+  const done = new Promise<{ documentId: string }>((resolve, reject) => {
+    const tick = () => {
+      if (cancelled) {
+        reject(UPLOAD_ABORTED);
+      } else if (pct < 100) {
+        pct += 10;
+        onProgress(Math.min(pct, 100));
+        setTimeout(tick, 250);
+      } else if (scenario === 'upload-fail') {
+        reject(UPLOAD_FAILED);
+      } else {
+        resolve({ documentId: `demo-${crypto.randomUUID()}` });
+      }
+    };
+    setTimeout(tick, 250);
+  });
+  return { done, cancel: () => void (cancelled = true) };
+}
 const parseError = (body: string): string => {
   try {
     return problemDetail(JSON.parse(body), UPLOAD_FAILED);