Grace Snow, CPACC - #A11y

Hello, sudden wave of new followers! 👋

Just so you're aware, I don't really post here. Or many places.

Myths:
1. Automated testing is all you need
2. A framework will guarantee accessibility
3. Designers and developers know about accessibility
4. Specifying “accessibility” as a project requirement means it’s covered
5. Great accessibility just means fixing the issues you find

5 common accessibility fallacies.

Do you agree these are the big 5? Any other a11y myths that need debunking in your opinion?

www.nomensa.com/blog/web-acc...

Why —on my day OFF— does MY body (or brain) decide to wake me up at 5am?!

A decade of working remotely Some random thoughts about remote work.

I loved this blog post about remote working. You might too.

lynnandtonic.com/thoughts/ent...

For example:
Header and footer information in Word/Excel documents is NOT exposed to assistive tech, so repeat it on the first page or cell.

2/2

Halfway through Section508 Authoring Accessible Documents training and I am really enjoying it.

Most has been reinforcing what I already know, but there's been a few new helpful nuggets of information that I'll be implementing at work immediately!

1/2

A toilet door sign with the words "Not every disability is visible". Above it are three common silhouette symbols - a person using a wheelchair, a person wearing a dress, and a person wearing trousers.

Spotted this sign on a toilet at Gatwick yesterday.

I like seeing these words in public spaces. A great reminder and educator.

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P.s. It would be good to see this phrase in supermarket car parks where people using the disabled spaces are sadly often harassed.

BREAKING - Breakfast TV has just told me that the transport network will be "very busy" this week, especially on Friday as it's the last Friday before Christmas 😱

OMG. Thank goodness i tuned in.

I can relate!

Make sure you (and team) take some time to recover from the emotional turmoil!

I've been left extremely drained.

Worse obviously for those made redundant, especially those with visa requirements. But don't forget that it's traumatic for everyone including you.

(A poem) - The Summer Day Who made the world? Who made the swan, and the black bear? Who made the grasshopper? This grasshopper, I mean— the one who has flung herself out of the grass, the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down— who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes. Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face. Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away. I don't know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, which is what I have been doing all day. Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? —Mary Oliver

I've been reminded of one of my favourite poems today, The Summer Day by Mary Oliver.

...And breathe...

Got my first tattoo exactly 8 years ago today.

It reflects what I care deeply about.

And I don't regret it for even a second.

After a redundancy process workplaces should give even safe colleagues a week or two paid leave to recuperate emotionally.

We are all wrecked. Shadows of our former selves. Yet expected to "hit the ground running".

It's hard!

Add to that, you're likely overlooking
- people with disabilities
- people in rural areas
- people who have caring commitments

All these companies missing out on amazing talent because they're insistent on "hybrid" or "in office" roles.

It's a darn shame. For you, for your clients/customers, and for those talented people you're overlooking.

Was just reminded it's thanksgiving in the states.

I'm thankful for
- my cats,
- my partner and best friend in life,
- where I live,
- my wonderful parents and godmother
- and for the team I've been able to work with over the last few years

Why are our politicians using social media to make statements these days?!
Especially one as toxic as Twitter (x)

You wanna say something, speak to a journalist or get in front of a microphone

I blame Donald Trump (hardly a person I want setting precedents for politicians)

Same on mine!

Might be worth contacting the @rnib.bsky.social to see if they can suggest improvements available to that system

Two ragdoll cats curled up in their beds in front of a cozy glowing wood burning stove.

In heaven. Pies are in the oven, the fire is lit, the cats are relaxed, favourite CD is on, my love is playing along on guitar next to me, and I'm supping a beautiful Kraken and coke.

Perfect relaxing Sunday evening

Touchscreen card devices may prevent blind customers paying Businesses could be breaking the law by failing to make payment machines accessible.

Touch screen card reader devices prevent blind people from paying

www.bbc.co.uk/news/disabil...

Image alt: A touch screen card reader with no tactile overlay on the screen.

When I was a teenager in the 90s my brother (also my lift to the gym) got me after 2 minutes once saying "They've cancelled Neighbours coz of the bloody tennis. I can't run watching that! We're leaving"

Another great article!
I'll be referencing this in CMS content editor training I think

p.s. If money is your only motivation for getting into frontend or tech in general, please walk on. The industry won't want to work with you (or at least, I won't!)

Grifters be like "hey learn tailwind and react in my 1 day course to land a 6-figure salary" and poor young people get sucked into the hype

What a load of BS

Don't believe anyone who promises easy riches. You can't skip hard work, focus and dedication

I stayed in a hotel once where the sink taps and towel hooks were unreachable for me.

I'm not even THAT short, pretty average.

But I'll never forget having to stand on some books to be able to wash my face

I love the laundrette! Its so fast!! And gives me time to sit quietly and read my book.

That's key: turn off phone, no doom-scrolling, just a novel and a drink, nothing else

Tried Chat GPT again at the weekend. They've introduced a captcha of a 3D mouse in a maze.

Totally unusable let alone inaccessible

I hope this is not a sign of future things to come!

Another senior accessibility specialist job opportunity here at Home Office.
It's not in my team but I'm sure we'd work closely together and you'd be part of the community we're building here. (Revised link)
www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi...

This is super helpful.

I recently raised with Adrian that the pseudo technique reads out the start and end **at the same point** on Voiceover too rendering it useless now.

It's great that support is coming