March 2026 - Sheri Byrne-Haber's Blog

Two technology professionals standing at a large monitor, looking at user journeys

Getting Developers to Care about Accessibility: Carrots and Sticks

Most developers aren’t intentionally hostile to accessibility. They just weren’t taught about its importance. Plus, change is hard. Building accessibility into an inaccessible organization requires more than a style guide or a WCAG checklist. Successful change requires understanding what actually…

Why you shouldn’t trust the people who built your inaccessible site to fix it

You commissioned a website. The agency delivered. The site contains blood, sweat, tears, and no small amount of your organization’s money. And then, you find out about Title II. Alternatively, you may receive a demand letter. The agency that built…

Person carrying binders labeld Documents, Information, Skunkworks

Eight Skunkworks Projects That Advance Accessibility Without Approval

The term “skunkworks” comes from Lockheed Martin and originally referred to a secretive team building experimental aircraft during World War II. These days, it’s tech shorthand for small, scrappy groups that work independently and solve problems faster by skipping formal…

Four irregularly-shaped pieces of amber containing parts of bugs.

Embedding Accessibility SMEs in Remote Teams

The longer I work in accessibility, the more convinced I become that organizational structure is what determines whether accessibility efforts succeed or stall. Intent is merely a small component of success. Companies love centralizing accessibility teams, until time zones, handoffs,…

AI generated images of a red brain surrounded by teal and orange gears

The Many “Blindnesses” of Neurodivergence That Have Nothing To Do With Sight

When people hear the word “blindness,” they often think of vision loss. But for many neurodivergent people, the word describes something entirely different. Neurodivergent “blindness” is a functional gap characterized by difficulty processing certain types of information in real-time, even…

Car dashboard showing the car is in neutral.

When “Neutral” Isn’t Really Neutral: 12 Everyday Practices That Disproportionately Impact People with Disabilities

Policies don’t need to mention disability to be discriminatory and ableist. Many systems, requirements, and social norms present as “equal treatment” while quietly erecting barriers that disproportionately exclude people with disabilities. This exclusion isn’t always malicious or even intentional. However,…

Arrows pointing to a man sitting in office with a coffee and book at his desk

The Screen Reader Stutter: Why Your Content Repeats Itself and How to Fix It

Screen reader users hate it when things announce twice. Some people call this “WCAG Stuttering.” Repeated announcements are completely unnecessary and slow down assistive technology users. But one thing they hate more than slow is ambiguous. Clarity leads to screen…

A person in a checkered blazer interacts with a floating digital interface above a tablet

The Other Half of Accessibility: Why Soft Skills Determine Whether Programs Succeed

Introduction When it comes to accessibility management, success is not about ticking boxes or meeting minimum requirements. It’s about creating an environment where everyone, regardless of their abilities, can thrive and feel included through equitable treatment. This end-state requires a…

AI-generated image of four elevators with various signage about evacuation, one is out of service.

True Disability Inclusion Requires Planning for the Unexpected

When we talk about accessibility, people often focus on the thing: the ramp, the captioning, the hearing device, the accessible stall, the screen reader. But physical accessibility is only about the presence of a tool. It’s about what happens when…

Man sitting at table with laptop, being overwhelmed by different forms of data from people standing next to them.

Adapting ChatGPT to Meet Neurodivergent Communication Needs

ChatGPT can be challenging for some neurodiverse people because it often relies on implied meaning, figurative language, and rapid topic shifts that may not align with the way they process information. Responses can be too long, unstructured, or contain unnecessary…

Month: March 2026