People always ask me where to start with an accessibility review when they can’t afford an external auditor. I always tell them start with these two things: keyboard access and color. Why those two? Well for starters they require different…
Accessibility Meme: Organizations that claim to care about disability inclusion
If you or your organization: 1) Sell accessibility audit, remediation, or training services 2) Provide DEIA services or training 3) Claim to be inclusive, regardless of the type of product or service your organization provides 4) Receive *ANY* public money…
Accessibility Meme: Many companies just getting started at accessibility focus only on critical bugs and lose momentum and drive to complete fixing the remainder of the bugs.
Many companies just getting started at accessibility focus only on critical bugs and lose momentum and drive to complete fixing the remainder of the bugs. My research testing shows that approach is problematic for two reasons: One: It is more…
Accessibility Meme: You can memorize accessibility rote facts
You can memorize accessibility rote facts, like WCAG 1.4.3 is about color, and that the color ratio for small text has to be 3:1. That explains to you the “how” of accessibility Or you can understand why accessibility rules about…
Accessibility Meme: DEI Celebrations should be about more than merely “awareness”
DEI Celebrations should be about more than merely “awareness” Awareness doesn’t last. Change lasts, but change is hard. To celebrate DEI days authentically, you need to: 1) Have benchmarks on the DEI topic at hand to see if you are…
Accessibility Meme: The Worst Way to Do Accessibility is to Ignore It
The worst way to do accessibility is to ignore it. The second worst way to make something accessible is to do it after the product has been coded 1) An already-coded product might have features or integrations with third-party vendors…
Accessibility Meme: Putting accessibility in the Definition of Done or the MVP
Putting accessibility in the Definition of Done or the MVP (minimum viable product) makes it harder for it to end up on the cutting room floor when budgets are cut and products are pushed out before they are ready. It’s…
Accessibility Meme: Accessibility Defect and Functional Defect
Companies with immature accessibility practices categorize accessibility and functional defects separately. They typically don’t start fixing accessibility defects until most of the functional defects are completed. This means that, in practice, very few accessibility bugs are fixed prior to release.…
Accessibility Meme: The worst response that an organization can deliver to a disabled person (or someone advocating for disabled people) is that their request is annoying
The worst response that an organization can deliver to a disabled person (or someone advocating for disabled people) is that their request is annoying. Any response that contains an element of dismissal, minimization of the problem, or outright ignoring the…
Accessibility Meme: he intersection of “Ouch, that hurts” and “Damn, that’s so true.”
This week’s accessibility meme is at the intersection of “Ouch, that hurts” and “Damn, that’s so true.” If you ask me to point at one single problem behind the 97% rate of inaccessible websites is as simple as this: developers…