Links by @yatil@yatil.social's Avatar

Links by @yatil@yatil.social

@links.yatil.social.ap.brid.gy

This is an automated poster for interesting links for Accessibility. [bridged from https://yatil.social/@links on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]

11 Followers  |  0 Following  |  96 Posts  |  Joined: 28.06.2024  |  1.9796

Latest posts by links.yatil.social.ap.brid.gy on Bluesky

⭐️ Simple One-Time Passcode Inputs

So simple and yet so powerful. HTML is great!

By @tylersticka

https://cloudfour.com/thinks/simple-one-time-passcode-inputs/

17.11.2025 15:28 — 👍 0    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
Toasts GitHub no longer uses toasts because of their accessibility and usability issues.

⭐️ Toasts | Primer

> GitHub no longer uses toasts because of their accessibility and usability issues.

A powerful rebuttal of the “Toast” paradigm.

https://primer.style/accessibility/toasts/

17.11.2025 08:28 — 👍 0    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
Common misconceptions about screen readers - TetraLogical Screen readers are familiar to many in digital, but how they work in practice can be less clear. In this post, we shed some light on the topic.

⭐️ Common misconceptions about screen readers

By TetraLogical’s Ela Gorla.

https://tetralogical.com/blog/2025/10/14/common-misconceptions-about-screen-readers/

15.10.2025 08:16 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Stop inviting overlay employees & bad actors into Accessibility spaces It hands them blueprints for exploitation, legitimacy and control

⭐️ Stop inviting overlay employees & bad actors into Accessibility spaces

By Chris Yoong.

100% agree!

https://chrisyoong.com/blog/inviting-harmful-actors-into-genuine-accessibility-spaces-is-dangerous

13.10.2025 14:16 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
A threat model for accessibility on the web - Alice A explanation of the primary threat to accessibility on the web, and a call to action for the web standards community

⭐️ A threat model for accessibility on the web

@sundress with an excellent article about accessibility and why and how it is so neglected.

https://alice.boxhall.au/articles/a-threat-model-for-accessibility-on-the-web/

02.10.2025 14:16 — 👍 1    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
WCAG’s Longevity · Eric Eggert It’s no secret: I like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Not only do they give us the four base principles of accessibility …

⭐️ WCAG’s Longevity · Eric Eggert

I, @yatil, wrote about WCAG’s longevity and audio descriptions.

https://yatil.net/blog/wcags-longevity

01.10.2025 12:16 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Original post on yatil.social

⭐️ How I, a non-developer, read the tutorial you, a developer, wrote for me, a beginner

By @annie – This must be like non-accessibility people read accessibility advice when things are not properly explained! […]

26.09.2025 06:46 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Original post on yatil.social

⭐️ Custom Carets and Users: When The Caret Is No Longer a Stick (Yes, That’s a Poor Attempt at a Pun)

@aardrian shining light on a new CSS property with accessibility implications […]

21.09.2025 20:15 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

⭐️ Taking a shot at the double focus ring problem using modern CSS

@eric with the goods regarding the double focus ring!

https://piccalil.li/blog/taking-a-shot-at-the-double-focus-ring-problem-using-modern-css/

19.09.2025 09:16 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
forced-color-adjust: none is an unavoidable foot gun | Sarah Higley A very long treatise on why text backplates were a bad idea. Most of the time.

⭐️ forced-color-adjust: none is an unavoidable foot gun | Sarah Higley

https://sarahmhigley.com/writing/forced-color-adjust-none/

18.09.2025 10:16 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
Screen readers do not need saved by AI Why LLMs should not be integrated with screen readers

⭐️ Screen readers do not need saved by AI

Great article by @craigabbott

https://www.craigabbott.co.uk/blog/screen-readers-do-not-need-saved-by-ai/

15.09.2025 07:16 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
"Best practice" is just your opinion Why we need a different term for best practice

⭐️ "Best practice" is just your opinion

@craigabbott about the term “best practice”

https://www.craigabbott.co.uk/blog/best-practice-is-just-your-opinion/

20.08.2025 14:44 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Original post on yatil.social

⭐️ Yellow, Purple and the Myth of “Accessibility Limits Color Palettes”

Terrific article by the wonderful @stephaniewalter who shows how accessibility is about how you combine colors rather than just what colors you use […]

18.08.2025 19:44 — 👍 0    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
Avoiding the word “help” · Eric Eggert I frequently see the word “help” used in accessibility, and I don’t like it. This is certainly a personal gripe, but I want to share my …

⭐️ Avoiding the word “help”

By me, @yatil

https://yatil.net/blog/avoiding-the-word-help

08.08.2025 16:14 — 👍 0    🔁 4    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
Intopia Accessibility Snapshot

🔗 Intopia Accessibility Maturity Snapshot

Test a company’s accessibility maturity.

https://accessibility-snapshot.intopia.digital/

04.08.2025 06:14 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
Inclusive Design 24 (#id24) A free 24-hour online community event on accessibility and inclusion

⭐️ Inclusive Design 24 (#id24)

By @inclusivedesign24

https://inclusivedesign24.org/2025/schedule/

28.07.2025 07:44 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
The 'Accessibility' link is a Lie: My Adventures in Weaponizing Corporate Virtue Signaling In the corporate world, there's a special kind of lie. It's not a loud, brazen falsehood; it's a quiet, self-congratulatory link. It lives in the footer of websites, usually next to the copyright notice, a tidy little link that says “Accessibility Statement.” This statement is a company's way of patting itself on the back, assuring the world that it cares deeply about inclusion. It is, in my experience, often the most cynical lie on the entire internet. Last week, I decided to buy a new noise canceling headset. This was the most important task I’d do all week. Not because I actually had enough money to buy something, a catastrophically rare occurrence, but this was a chance for me to deepen my profound relationship with all the audiobook narrators that don't know I exist but change my life on a daily basis. Regarding the company, let's call the company "Audiocorp." Their website was a minimalist dream, I'm sure. It also had a glowing Accessibility Statement, full of passionate prose about their commitment to WCAG 2.1 AA compliance. I was impressed. The admiration lasted until I tried to check out. The "Add to Cart" button? Unlabeled to my screen reader. It was just "Button." The form fields for my address? A chaotic mess of unlabeled edit boxes. The final "Confirm Purchase" button? It was an image, with no alternative text. It wasn't even a link or button, either. To my screen reader, the most crucial part of their entire e-commerce platform was the digital equivalent of a silent shrug. I, a person with miraculously rare money in hand, was physically incapable of giving it to them because their beautiful, accessible-in-name-only website was a broken maze. My first instinct was the usual hot surge of anger and resignation. But then I looked at their Accessibility Statement again. And I had an idea. I wasn't going to complain to customer service—that's a black hole. I was going to help them live up to their own glorious promises. I spent the next ten minutes documenting every single failure. Then, I drafted an email. Not to support@audiocorp.com, but to legal@audiocorp.com. It went something like this: > Subject: A Question Regarding Your Inspiring Accessibility Statement > > Dear Audiocorp Legal Team, > > I am writing to express my profound admiration for your company's detailed and forward-thinking Accessibility Statement. Your commitment to ensuring all users, regardless of ability, can access your services is a model for the industry. > > As a blind individual who uses a screen reader, I was particularly excited to engage with your platform. In the spirit of helping you fully realize your stated goals, I wanted to provide some feedback on a few minor areas where the current user experience doesn't yet align with your excellent policy. For example, the checkout button currently presents as an unlabeled graphic, which may inadvertently create a barrier for customers using assistive technology—a potential point of concern under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. > > I have attached a short document detailing these small opportunities for improvement. I am, of course, eager to become a paying customer and support a company that so clearly values inclusion. > > Sincerely, Robert Kingett I was polite. I was complimentary. And I was aiming a very precisely worded legal bazooka right at their heads. I weaponized their virtue signaling. I didn't get a form reply from customer service. Twenty-four hours later, I got an email directly from a Vice President of Digital Strategy. He was deeply apologetic. He cc'd their head of web development. He asked if I would be willing to test the fixes they were implementing immediately. He gave me a discount code for my trouble. Three days later, their checkout was fully accessible. And I bought my noise canceling headset. The lesson is this: never fight a corporation's customer service department. Fight its legal department or its PR department. They don't care about your inconvenience, but they are terrified of a broken promise. And their Accessibility Statement is the biggest, most legally binding promise of all.

🔗 The 'Accessibility' link is a Lie: My Adventures in Weaponizing Corporate Virtue Signaling

https://sightlessscribbles.com/posts/20250724/

24.07.2025 12:14 — 👍 3    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

⭐️ 5 Hidden Costs in Your WCAG Audits

https://tab-able.co.uk/5-hidden-costs-in-your-wcag-audits/

23.07.2025 12:14 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
Robert Jolly

⭐️ Five Accessibility Opportunities for Design Systems | a11y.is

By @jolly

https://a11y.is/articles/five-accessibility-opportunities-for-design-systems/

22.07.2025 20:14 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
Check / Uncheck all in a Table TL;DR: Unless you have user testing results saying otherwise, maybe put a check-all checkbox outside the table. The rest of this post is an awkward mash-up of my posts Don’t Turn a Table into an ARIA Grid Just for a Clickable Row and Check-All / Expand-All Controls with a little…

⭐️ Check / Uncheck all in a Table

By @aardrian

https://adrianroselli.com/2025/07/check-uncheck-all-in-a-table.html

20.07.2025 22:14 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
Robert Jolly

⭐️ Fast, Simple, High Impact: DIY Accessibility Testing for Any Team

By @jolly

https://a11y.is/articles/fast-simple-high-impact-diy-accessibility-testing-for-any-team/

15.07.2025 12:14 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
Was my IAAP Certification worth it? - Nic Chan Plus a bunch of easily detectable errors, you're welcome!

⭐️ Was my IAAP Certification worth it?

By @NicMakesStuff

https://www.nicchan.me/blog/was-my-iaap-certification-worth-it/

07.07.2025 13:44 — 👍 3    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
Mission Impossible - Accessibility Job Roles Analysis of a bloated and impossible job advert for accessibility.

⭐️ Mission Impossible - Accessibility Job Roles

By @craigabbott

https://www.craigabbott.co.uk/blog/mission-impossible-accessibility-job-roles/

14.06.2025 14:30 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
ARIA/HTML relationship Severance **Note:** I tried to find the orginal of this photo so I could attribute it to its creator, but came up with nothing, maybe Jonny knows… ## Old gold Back in 2014 I did some testing on Some stuff that doesn’t work between the DOM and Shadow DOM I was recently asked by my friend/colleague Demelza Feltham about use of `aria-labelledby` that referenced an element in the Shadow DOM What I found back then was that `aria` relationship attributes didn’t work when an element being referenced was outside the shadow DOM and the element referencing it was inside the shadow DOM, ditto for the opposite. It was same story for native HTML relationships as well. Fast forward to 11 years later, as in now! **2025** , and the **situation remains the same**. I don’t plan to go into the details of why it doesn’t work yet here, but I can assure it’s not for lack of trying on the part of _Standardista’s_ and and Browser engineers. If you want to read more about the reasons why and why it still has not been resolved, the following are illuminating: * How Shadow DOM and accessibility are in conflict by Alice Boxhall, who also provides some workarounds in their article. * Shadow DOM and accessibility: the trouble with ARIA by Nolan Lawson (no relationship to Bruce Lawson) The attributes potentially affected by this issue are: ## ARIA Relationship attributes: * `aria-activedescendant` * `aria-colcount` * `aria-colindex` * `aria-colspan` * `aria-controls` * `aria-describedby` * `aria-details` * `aria-errormessage` * `aria-flowto` * `aria-labelledby` * `aria-owns` * `aria-posinset` * `aria-rowcount` * `aria-rowindex` * `aria-rowspan` * `aria-setsize` ## HTML Some relationship attributes * `for` attribute on `label` element * `for` attribute on `output` element * `headers` attribute on `th` element * `<a href="#IDinShadows">` ## What you can do? You could use standard HTML controls without all that _stinking_ DOM darkness and encapsulation _fandango_ fucking up your relationships. **Defy the JavaScript _industrial complex_ by any means necessary** If this is not an option, then there are some ways you can work around these issues in _some_ cases. A relatively simple example is provided: Example with an `output` element outside the Shadow DOM and an `input type="range"` element inside, the `output` updates with the current `range` value: * When the user slides the `range input`, an `input event` is triggered. * The handler sets the outer `<output>` element’s `.value` to match the `range` value. * This manually mimics what `<output for="...">` (via JavaScript) would have been done automatically if both were in the same DOM context: // Update output value when range input changes shadowRange.addEventListener('input', () => { output.value = shadowRange.value; }); See the Pen Untitled by steve faulkner (@stevef) on CodePen. > **_Because something is happening here but you don’t know what it is_** Lyrics You walk into the room with your pencil in your hand You see somebody naked and you say, "Who is that man?" You try so hard but you don't understand Just what you will say when you get home Because something is happening here but you don't know what it is Do you, Mr. Jones? You raise up your head and you ask, "Is this where it is?" And somebody points to you and says, "It's his" And you say, "What's mine?" and somebody else says, "Well, what is?" And you say, "Oh my God, am I here all alone?" But something is happening and you don't know what it is Do you, Mr. Jones? You hand in your ticket and you go watch the geek Who immediately walks up to you when he hears you speak And says, "How does it feel to be such a freak?" And you say, "Impossible!" as he hands you a bone And something is happening here but you don't know what it is Do you, Mr. Jones? You have many contacts among the lumberjacks To get you facts when someone attacks your imagination But nobody has any respect, anyway they already expect you to all give a check To tax-deductible charity organizations Ah, you've been with the professors and they've all liked your looks With great lawyers you have discussed lepers and crooks You've been through all of F. Scott Fitzgerald's books You're very well-read, it's well-known But something is happening here and you don't know what it is Do you, Mr. Jones? Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you and then he kneels He crosses himself and then he clicks his high heels And without further notice, he asks you how it feels And he says, "Here is your throat back, thanks for the loan" And you know something is happening but you don't know what it is Do you, Mr. Jones? Now, you see this one-eyed midget shouting the word "Now" And you say, "For what reason?" and he says, "How" And you say, "What does this mean?" and he screams back, "You're a cow! Give me some milk or else go home" And you know something's happening but you don't know what it is Do you, Mr. Jones? Well, you walk into the room like a camel, and then you frown You put your eyes in your pocket and your nose on the ground There ought to be a law against you comin' around You should be made to wear earphones 'Cause something is happening and you don't know what it is Do you, Mr. Jones?

⭐️ ARIA/HTML relationship Severance

By @SteveFaulkner

https://html5accessibility.com/stuff/2025/06/07/aria-html-relationship-severence/

09.06.2025 05:00 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
Where to Put Focus When Opening a Modal Dialog TL;DR: blanket statements about where to put focus when opening a modal dialog are wrong, including this one. This post is meant to help you, an intelligent and thoughtful and empathetic reader, figure out where you should set focus. The scenarios are non-exhaustive. Messages I’m artificially breaking these into three…

⭐️ Where to Put Focus When Opening a Modal Dialog

By @aardrian

https://adrianroselli.com/2025/06/where-to-put-focus-when-opening-a-modal-dialog.html

06.06.2025 19:00 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
Can accessibility be whimsical? It started out with me just trying to find a cute word to put with a11y, the numeronym for accessibility. Because you have to buy a cute domain name for every side project idea, of course. And as much as I try to say “a-eleven-y” of course my

⭐️ Can accessibility be whimsical?

By @sarajw

https://goodinternetmagazine.com/can-accessibility-be-whimsical/

06.06.2025 12:00 — 👍 0    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
My Request to Google on Accessibility Hey, Alphabet or Google or Chrome or whomever in that illegal monopoly continues to release things to the web platform that are full of accessibility barriers, I have what I think is a straightforward request. My Request Please, if your team cannot explain how the thing satisfies all WCAG Success…

⭐️ My Request to Google on Accessibility

By @aardrian

https://adrianroselli.com/2025/05/my-request-to-google-on-accessibility.html

23.05.2025 06:00 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
How to Convince People to Care and Invest in Accessibility I care about accessibility. Not just when I build products, but also when I work with teams. I want more people to understand it. And to care about it too. I’ve spent years trying to convince people that accessibility isn’t optional, it’s essential. This talk, article, is for anyone who’s ever said “we need to make this accessible,” and got ignored, brushed off, or told, “We’ll do that later.” If you’re not in a leadership role, if you’re not officially “the accessibility person,” but you still want to drive change, this is for you. _What you’ll read here is the full transcript of a new talk I gave for GAAD (Global Accessibility Awareness Day). All the images here are screenshots of my slides. If you want me to present this talk again, at your company, a meetup, online or in-person somewhere in the world, reach out. I’d love to do it._ Quick Access: * Understanding the Diversity of Disabilities * What is accessibility? * Accessibility is Good For Business * Handling Pushback: Rethink, Reframe, Respond * Growing an Accessibility Movement from any Role * 3, 2, 1: Action! Start Small. Drive Change. Make Accessibility Real * Conclusion: Accessibility is Essential ## Understanding the Diversity of Disabilities Let’s start with the basics. Accessibility is about people. It’s about making sure digital products work for everyone. Including disabled people. The World Health Organization, estimates that there are 1.3 billion people globally with significant disabilities. That’s 16% of the population. One in six. And yet, accessibility often isn’t prioritized. Imagine the needs of disabled people as a rainbow. Each type of disability has specific needs. But together, all the accessibility adjustments create a cohesive whole. The W3C organizes disabilities in 5 categories: * **Auditory:** Some people have trouble hearing. It can be mild or total hearing loss. Background noise makes it harder. This can include people using hearing aids. * **Cognitive, Learning and Neurological:** ADHD, autism, dyslexia, mental health conditions, and brain injuries all fall here. These affect how people take in, remember, and use information. Keep in minde that, this has nothing to do with intelligence. * **Physical:** Weak muscles, tremors, pain, missing limbs, or paralysis. All of this can make it harder to move or use devices. * **Speech** : Some people find it hard to speak clearly. Others might speak softly or in a way that is hard to recognize for others or by voice recognition softwares. * **Visual:** Some have low vision or are blind. Some can’t see certain colors. Others are sensitive to light. Not everyone sees the same. There are many reasons why someone might experience a disability in their life: * **Age-related impairment:** Older people may lose hearing, vision, or motor skills. They may need assistive tools but might not know how to use them. * **Health condition:** things like chronic pain or fatigue can affect how people use computers or make it harder to stay focused * **Temporary impairment:** injuries, surgery, or medicine can cause short-term problems. People might not know how to find or use accessibility tools. * Situational limits: bright sun, loud places, or not having the right tech can also make it hard to use the web. Also, remember that, some people have**several disabilities**. For example, someone who is deaf and has low vision might need big, clear captions. And, **abilities can vary** and change over time / depending on their condition: some people need help only on some days. Their needs can change depending on how they feel, how much energy they have, etc. Disability is complex and context dependent. According to the World Health Organization: “Disability is not just a health problem. It is a complex phenomenon, reflecting the interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which they live.” ## What is accessibility? Accessibility is about people. About meeting the needs of disabled people in the real world. And, accessibility is **a universal right**. Digital accessibility means making sure people with disabilities can use the web and technology. That includes: * Perceiving content * Understanding it * Navigating it * Interacting with it * Contributing to it Accessibility is about making sure disabled people can use the web, technology, service. Inclusion is broader. It’s about providing a good user experience for diverse people, from different backgrounds, ages, cultures, abilities, genders, geographic location, etc. We need both. So, how do you convince people to care about accessibility? ## Accessibility is Good For Business Let’s be real: not everyone is moved by empathy. But business cases? Those get attention. ### Accessibility can boost market reach and revenue growth #### Market Size and Economic Impact 2020 “Return on Disability” report says that: * An estimated **1.85 billion people** around the world currently live with a disability, and this number is estimated to grow to 2 billion by 2050. This is an emerging market larger than China. * Their**Friends and Family** add another **3.3 billion** potential consumers who act on their emotional connection to people with disabilities. * That’s **73% of consumers** , controlling **$13 trillion** in annual disposable income. Yes, Trillion, with a T! That’s quite, an interesting market, right? It also means, that, you’re**losing potential revenue by excluding some users** , both today and in the future. #### The Aging Population Globally, the population is aging. By 2050, ove**r 2 billion people will be aged 60 or older.** Many will experience reduced mobility, declining vision or hearing, or cognitive changes. At Age 65 in the EU: * Women can expect to live an additional 21.6 years, with approximately 12.6 of those years free from disability. * Men can expect an additional 18.1 years, with about 11.3 years without disability Building accessible products, also means tapping into that growing market today. Also, let’s be real. You’re going to get older too. So maybe build for your future self? #### Revenue Lost and ROI A couple of more figures, to help you convince people: * A 2019 Nucleus Research Report shows that **2/3 of e-commerce transactions are abandoned by people who are blind** because of lack of accessibility. Same report estimated that inaccessible ecommerce websites **lose $6.9 billion annually**. This is because frustrated disabled consumers will take their business to competitors * Gartner Research from 2020 estimate that, by 2024, accessible products will **perform 50% better than their competitors** * * A Forrester report from 2022 showed that $1 invested in accessibility (and UX) brings $100 return. That’s a 99% ROI, not bad? What’s the **strategy** here?**Tie accessibility to business KPIs** (conversion, income, ROI, etc.) ### Inclusion builds customer loyalty & satisfaction People talk. About the bad And the good… And, the disability community is quite loyal. It’s sad, but there are so few products that are accessible, that, when we find one, we share it, a lot! For example, freespoons is a collaborative site maintained by Ashley Peacock where people can suggest tools and services that make their disability lives easier. Such initiatives are quite common in the disability community. But when a company breaks accessibility? People talk too. Sonos is a good example. Their speakers are used by a lot of blind people. But an update from 2024 broke Sono’s app for people using Voice Over (a popular screen reader on Apple devices). This made quite a buzz. Higher **satisfaction** means **stronger loyalty, advocacy, and retention**. Accessible products mean happier users. Happier users stay. And they bring others! So, what is your **strategy** to convince people?**Tie accessibility to customer satisfaction KPIs.** Also, Today’s consumers care about your values as much as your product. You can position accessibility as a trust-building opportunity with both customers and employees. For example: publish an accessibility statement, to show transparency and accountability. ### Accessibility fosters innovation Accessibility pushes teams to think differently. That often leads to better solutions. You’ve heard it before: when we build for the edge, we benefit the core. #### The Curb Cuts Effect Curb cuts on sidewalks is something we take for granted. But those were not always the norm in the US. After World War II, is the 50’s disabled veterans pushed to install them. They continued their activism in the 60s and 70. In the 70’s, Ed Roberts and a group of disability rights activists in UC Berkeley (a university) got fed up with how inaccessible the campus was. They took matter into their own hands, demolished curbs and laid asphalt at night to create curb cuts. Congress heard them, and passed a law to remove obstacles. (Read more on that in the article Curb Cuts) These small concrete ramps were made so wheelchair users could get around more easily. But something interesting happened: people with strollers, suitcases, and delivery carts started using them too. Suddenly, **what was meant for a few helped everyone**. That’s the curb cut effect: when accessibility features benefit far more people than they were designed for. #### Voice control technology **Voice control** was first made for people with mobility disabilities. It helped folks who couldn’t use a keyboard or mouse. Early versions in the 80s and 90s were slow and clunky. But they worked. They gave people independence. It let them type or control a computer using just their voice.**** As tech improved, big companies saw the potential. That same tech turned into Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. And now? Everyone uses voice control. Want more background? Check out the research paper A History of Disability and Voice-Enabled Gaming from the 1970s to Intelligent Personal Assistants #### The video transcript that benefits all At the UK Ministry of Defence, **video transcripts** were added to help colleagues with disabilities. But they quickly became a **favorite for everyone**. People used them to skim content. To save time. To copy key info. To avoid headphones in noisy places. What started as an accessibility fix became a useful tool for everyone. It also boosted SEO, because transcripts made the video content searchable. You can read more in the article: Text (digitised) and videotape: video transcripts help everyone, not just people with access needs #### Challenge your work! Accessibility pushes teams to be more creative. It helps them solve problems in new ways. That often ends up helping everyone. Need help thinking outside the box? Try Cards for Humanity. The tool deal you two random cards, a person and a trait. Your challenge? Find a way to meet that person’s needs. ### The Legal Risk of Inaccessibility Alright, we talked about the benefits. Now, the stick. Because let’s be honest, sometimes that’s what gets attention. **Not being accessible is a risk**. And that risk can get expensive. Most lawsuits happen in the US and UK, where the laws are stronger. But that’s changing. The European Accessibility Act is coming. More on that in a sec. #### Beyoncé was sued over an inaccessible website Yep. In 2019, Beyoncé’s company was sued by a blind user. The website had no alt text on images. It didn’t work with a keyboard. It broke screen reader access. The user said the site kept blind fans from learning about her, buying tickets, and getting merch. Being famous doesn’t make you lawsuit-proof. More in the article: Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment sued over website accessibility So, yeah, bottom line: being a pop-star doesn’t give you a free pass at inaccessible content! #### Scandinavian Airlines “separate” website for disabled people If you are a European company, doing business with the US, you might get sued too. Here’s a wild one. Scandinavian Airlines made a separate website for disabled users. A separate. Website. I’m not even sure how someone had the audacity to propose that, and it didn’t get reject, but, here we are. The U.S. Department of Transportation said that’s not okay, and fined them $200,000. **Separate isn’t equal,** and one main site must work for everyone. For more details, check Sheri Byrne-Haber, CPACC’s article Accessibility — Separate but Equal is Never OK. #### An overlay solution won’t save you from a lawsuit Eyebobs, an e-commerce selling glasses, used an accessibility overlay to fix their website. In case you don’t know what an overlay solution, check Overlay Fact Sheet. Yup, I’m biased, here, sorry not sorry. A blind user still couldn’t use the site and filed a lawsuit. During the lawsuit, Karl Groves, an accessibility expert, wrote a 35 pages document, showing how the site was still full of barriers. As part of the settlement, the company had 3 years, to audit their site, train staff, and build a real accessibility strategy. So, **nope, overlays are not enough, and you might still get sued**. For more details, The ADA lawsuit settlement involving an accessibility overlay by Sheri Byrne-Haber, CPACC #### European Accessibility Act. The EAA kicks in June 2025. It expands accessibility rules across the EU. It’s not just public sector anymore. Here’s a sample of what must become accessible: * E-commerce websites and mobile apps * Online banking and self-service terminals * Telecom services like calls, SMS, and internet * Transport ticketing and real-time travel information * Streaming services and on-demand video platforms * Smartphones and tablets, computers and operating systems ATMs, ticketing, and check-in machines * Televisions and digital TV services * E-readers Yes, this is a big deal. And no, I’m not a lawyer. But if you want to learn more, I’ve got you: * The European Accessibility Act: what businesses and app developers need to know : a good short summary, especially if you want to understand what services are impacted * Understanding the European Accessibility Act (EAA) – TetraLogical a great summary of what you need to know * The European Accessibility Act for websites and apps: great summary of what’s happening in 2025 and 2027 * The European Accessibility Act a short too long, didn’t read of what is coming in the EAA in 2025 * European Accessibility Act (EAA): Top 20 Key Questions Answered: it’s not easy to understand what is covered with the new EAA and how it will be implemented, this should answer as least some of your questions. * An introduction to the European Accessibility Act (EAA) summary of what you need to know about the new European Accessibility Act * #127 – Rian Rietveld on Understanding the European Accessibility Act and Its Impact on Websites a podcast on the impact of this new legislation that shall be in place by June 28, 2025 for all public service websites, products, and services in EU member states. * Understanding the European Accessibility Act (EAA): Ensuring Compliance and Avoiding Penalties: a list of the penalties for non-compliance across different EU countries * PDF of the norm: ETSI EN 301 549 – V3.2.1 – Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services So, yeah, as I said, the stick, when the carrot doesn’t work. So, what’s **the strategy?** When the carrot doesn’t work, bring the stick. But be smart about it. * Reframe legal **compliance as foundational risk management**. You wouldn’t skip security. So why skip accessibility? * Explain to people that, including accessibility earlier is a**risk management strategy** : mitigating risk proactively is cheaper and safer than reacting after a violation. * **Don’t wait for a lawsuit** or lost customer to make accessibility a priority. Start with an audit. ### Accessibility boosts product quality The last argument is more for your teams, than stakeholders: when people build accessible websites, they often care a lot about quality, from code to usable design. This means, that, you can talk about the following metrics, to help convince people: * **Increased code quality:** fewer bugs, less reworks. * **SEO/ discoverability:** search engines reward clean, accessible site structures * **Support ticket reduction:** more usable sites for everyone, means less support. ## Handling Pushback: Rethink, Reframe, Respond You brought all the good business arguments. You explained the benefits. And still… someone pushes back. What now? Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Let’s look at the usual excuses, and how you can respond. ### “Accessibility is too expensive.” **You will hear things like:** “We don’t have the budget right now.” **What to say:** “Fixing later is more expensive.” **What can you do?** * Reframe as cost avoidance. * Explain that retrofitting slows down development and adds technical debt. * Remind them they are already paying for it, just later—and at a higher cost. **Concrete step you can take:** * Run an accessibility audit now. * Fix high-impact, low-effort items first (e.g., color contrast, heading structure). ### “Accessibility will slow us down.” **You will hear things like:**** ** “We have deadlines. Accessibility will just add friction.” **What to say:** “Doing it right the first time avoids panic and rushed fixes later. For example, 67% of issues can be caught during design.” **What can you do?** * Push for including accessibility from the start to avoid launch delays. * Add accessibility checks in mockups and code reviews. * Show how this reduces bugs and speeds up QA. * Use design system accessibility audits as examples. ### “Accessibility is not our priority now, we’ll fix it later.” **You will hear things like:**** ** “We’ll make accessibility part of the next release / quarter / after launch.” **What to say:** “Risk, reputation, and reach are priorities. Accessibility directly impacts all three. Why would you not prioritize it now, then?” Bonus metaphor: “You can’t sprinkle eggs on the cupcake after baking it.” **What can you do?** * Explain, again, that fixing later is messy and inefficient. * Tie accessibility to business KPIs, that are priority like retention, reach, and brand value. ### “No one has complained about accessibility issues” **You will hear things like:**** ** “If it were broken, users would have told us.” **What to say:** **“** Users can’t complain if they can’t access your site!” **What can you do?** * Remind teams that silence does not mean success. Introduce them with the concept of the survivorship bias: only those who get through can give feedback. * Include disabled users in research and usability testing. * Run accessibility audits to find out where you might have issues preventing people to even reach out to you! ### “We don’t have disabled users.” **You will hear things like:**** ** “Our users don’t need accessibility because we don’t have disabled users. **What to say:** **** “Many disabilities are invisible, and users won’t disclose them. We can’t know if we have disabled users!” **What can you do?** * Remind people that**1 in 6 human has a disability**. Many are invisible: cognitive, neurodivergent, chronic illness. * **Show, don’t tell** : show videos of people using the web with different disabilities. The W3C has interesting videos they call “Stories of Web Users”, that represent the experience of some people with disabilities ### “Accessibility is just a legal checkbox.” **You will hear things like:**** ** “We just need to be compliant.” **What to say:** **** “Compliance is the floor, not the ceiling.” **What can you do?** * Shift the focus to great UX that includes everyone. Talk about **dignity** , not just the law. * Remind them accessibility is **about people, not checklists**. * Explain the difference between “compliant” and “usable.” ### “Accessibility is too complex.” **You will hear things like:**** ** “There are too many rules. We don’t have the expertise.” **What to say:** **** “It’s not about doing everything at once. Focus on progress, not perfection. Start small with semantic HTML.” **What can you do?** * Fix one low-hanging issue per sprint (e.g., alt text, contrast, keyboard traps). * Reassure teams: accessibility isn’t all-or-nothing. Complexity is manageable with the right mindset and small steps. Focus on progress, not perfection. * Emphasize learning as you go. * Build momentum with small, visible wins. ### “Accessibility isn’t my job.” **You will hear things like:**** ** “I’m a designer / PM / researcher, it’s not my responsibility.” **What to say:** “Accessibility is a team’s responsibility: if everyone helps a little bit, we can push it forward, all together.” **What can you do?** * Reframe: accessibility is a shared team responsibility. * Encourage small contributions from every role. * Start a grassroots movement if leadership doesn’t lead. ## Growing an Accessibility Movement from any Role Accessibility shouldn’t rest on one person’s shoulders. In a perfect world, it’s built into everyone’s role. But what if leadership isn’t on board? What if you feel like the only one who cares? You’re not alone. And yes, you can make a difference. Accessibility is a shared job. Product managers, project leads, UX researchers, designers, developers, content folks, QA testers—everyone can do their part. Let’s break down how different roles can help. ### Developers’s role in pushing accessibility Developers have a big role in making things accessible. * **Front-end developers** should implement semantic HTML and build accessible UI components. * They can **push back** against platforms or frameworks that generate inaccessible code. * **DevOps engineers** can integrate **automated accessibility checks** directly into the build or deployment workflow. Doing this early helps teams catch and fix issues fast. And keeps accessibility part of the workflow. ### Designers’s role in building accessible products. Designers also have an essential role. Here are a couple of things they can do: * Include **people with disabilities** in your research and usability testing * **Audit mockups** to catch accessibility issues before handoff. * Clearly **communicate accessibility needs** to developers. Things like **focus order** , **alt text** for icons, and other design decisions should be shared and explained. Good accessibility often starts with design. The sooner it’s included, the smoother everything else goes. * * * #### Accessibility for Designers – Practical Workshop (remote, June 2025) If you want to kickstart change, from a designer position, I have a full workshop for you! Learn how to push accessibility, ad a designer, with mockups that work for everyone, and meet the new European Accessibility Act. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn to spot and fix accessibility issues early in your design process. We’ll cover visual design, interactions, navigation, and content, with exercises and real examples. Includes checklists, annotation kits, and practical tools you can use right away. * When: June 16, 17, 23, 24 – 4 sessions (2h + Q&A) * Time: 9:30–12:00 PT / 18:30–21:00 CET * Price: $300 (266EUR), $255 (225EUR) with 15% off with my coupon link Grab your workshop ticket now If you are interested in more, check my content on accessibility for designers: * A Designer’s Guide to Documenting Accessibility & User Interactions: a conference on what deigners can do, to help push accessibility, from checking colors to documenting mockups for accessibility and more. * How to check and document design accessibility in your mockups: a conference on how to use Figma plugins and annotation kits to shift accessibility left * Accessibility for designer: where do I start? Articles, resources, checklists, tools, plugins, and books to design accessible products * Neurodiversity and UX: Essential Resources for Cognitive Accessibility, Guidelines to understand and design for Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Autism and ADHD * Color accessibility: tools and resources to help you design inclusive products * * * #### #### Raise Awareness Through Empathy Let’s be honest: sometimes people need to see it to believe it. Or care. “Watching someone struggle is more powerful than 10 accessibility trainings.” If you can, **show how users with assistive technologies interact** with your product. Observing real use reveals pain points. If you don’t have direct access to this kind of user testing yet, that’s okay. Start by sharing **general videos** to show teams and stakeholders how people with disabilities navigate the web. Useful resources: * W3C Perspective Videos * Tetralogical YouTube Playlist #### Inclusive Prot-Personas _Okay, I’m not a huge fan of personas. I’m not the biggest fan of personas. A lot of them are just wishful thinking. But, when done right, they can help teams build empathy._ Some orgs created great accessibility personas: * Stanford Accessibility Design Personas * HMRC/Gov.uk Personas Prototype * Gov.uk User Profiles These personas show different disabilities, pain points, and what makes an experience frustrating or usable. Some even list what assistive tech that person might use. Use them in workshops, design critiques, and planning sessions. They’re a good starting point. #### Include accessibility in User Journey Maps Another idea, to raise awareness and design more inclusive products, is to integrate accessibility into your **user journey maps**. Typical maps show: * Phases * Touchpoints & channels * Actions or tasks * Pain points * User goals and scope Now go a step further: **highlight accessibility barriers** at each step. Showing how difficult or frustrating the experience is in context helps teams understand the **real-life impact** of inaccessible features. You can also note what already works well. That helps recognize effort already made and celebrate wins! ### Other Team Members Even if you’re not in design or development, you still have a role. * **PMs / POs** : Include accessibility in your user stories. Add it to your **Definition of Done (DoD)** and **Definition of Ready (DoR)**. * **Content and SEO teams** : Write inclusive content. Add proper **alt text**. Use language that includes everyone. * **QA testers** : Go beyond clicks and forms. **Verify functionality with assistive devices** and tools. Everyone can help. Everyone _should_ help. And the best part? You don’t need to wait for permission to get started. ## 3, 2, 1: Action! Start Small. Drive Change. Make Accessibility Real. Accessibility doesn’t magically happen overnight. So let’s wrap things up with real, practical tools. Things you can use to take action, measure progress, and help build a culture where accessibility is part of everyday work. ### Give Leaders an Elevator Pitch If you’re already taking time to prepare presentations, slides, or demos to convince people, share them. Give your materials to people who already believe in accessibility. Let them help spread the message for you. Even better? Create a simple, **short elevator pitch.** A couple of slides people can reuse. Make it clear, memorable, and repeatable. ### You Can’t Fix What You Don’t Measure If you want to change an organization, you need to track things. **Measuring accessibility progress** is essential to keep people accountable. If you don’t track, how do you know what’s working. Or where you need to improve? #### Use the W3C Maturity Model The W3C Accessibility Maturity Model is a framework that helps organizations understand their current accessibility stage, and what it takes to move forward. * **Inactive** : No awareness or recognition of accessibility needs. * **Launch** : The need is recognized organization-wide, but efforts are scattered or unorganized. * **Integrate** : A clear roadmap and defined organizational approach are in place. * **Optimize** : Accessibility is fully incorporated across the company, and improvements are continuously tracked and acted upon. I reworked them, to make them more user friendly. Use this framework to identify gaps, **track wins** , and **justify investment** in accessibility. Please note there are other models out there. So, use the one that makes sens for your organization. #### Useful Accessibility Metrics Measuring the progress, within the company, is important too. And there are several **quality metrics** you can use to measure accessibility maturity. For example: * **% of employees trained in accessibility** – Training is a great early sign that a company is growing in maturity. * **% of projects with end-to-end accessibility checks** – From design to dev to QA. * **Issue reduction in new releases** – Are fewer accessibility bugs slipping through? * **Time to fix issues** – Are you resolving problems faster? * **Revenue from accessible products** – Yes, you can measure impact. * **% of products/services that became accessible over time** – Show long-term growth. To learn more on this topic, check Stark’s Accessibility Metrics Scorecard Template ### Celebrate Wins & Build a Culture Public appreciation builds accessibility champions and spreads the word. Make your progress **visible**. The more people see it, the more they’ll join in. * Share internal success stories. * Celebrate milestones like training completion, compliance wins, or improvements. * Recognize and thank contributors publicly. This builds **momentum** and helps create a lasting **culture of accessibility**. ### Start Small and Grow: Pick One Thing You Can Do Tomorrow Remember: you can’t do everything at once. That’s okay. Start with **one small, high-impact task**. Do it well. Build from there. Here are concrete actions you can take immediately. I want you to **Pick one of those. Do it tomorrow. And commit to it.** * Add an accessibility slide to your next internal talk. * Host a lunch chat about accessibility basics. * Share a video of someone using a screen reader. * Add accessibility checks to your next design review. * Include a disabled user in your next research session. * Annotate one mockup with alt text and focus order. * Run an automated audit on one page. * Fix one small thing (like contrast, alt text, or heading levels). * Add one accessibility item to your next sprint. * Propose accessibility KPIs (like fewer support tickets). * Publish or update your accessibility statement. ## Accessibility is Essential Change doesn’t have to start with leadership. It can start with you. Accessibility is everyone’s responsibility. And the good news? You don’t need to do everything. You just need to start. Show one video. Fix one contrast issue. Bring one disabled user into research. Those small steps add up. Use this article as your toolkit. Refer to it when you meet resistance. Pull it out when someone pushes back. Share it with a teammate. Keep moving forward. It’s hard, but, know you are not alone! Because building accessible products **isn’t just good for business** , it’s the **right thing to do.** Accessibility isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s **essential**. It’s a **universal right**. Let’s not forget that. Let’s make it real. One step at a time. ## Other articles you might enjoy: * 5 illustrated metaphors to explain and advocate for accessibility. * Designing for Accessibility: Creating Inclusive and User-Centric Products * Accessibility for designer: where do I start? * Neurodiversity and UX: Essential Resources for Cognitive Accessibility * Dark mode & accessibility myth

⭐️ How to Convince People to Care and Invest in Accessibility by Stéphanie Walter - UX Researcher & Designer.

By @stephaniewalter

https://stephaniewalter.design/blog/how-to-convince-people-to-care-and-invest-in-accessibility/

21.05.2025 05:30 — 👍 1    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0

⭐️ Are 'CSS Carousels' accessible?

By @SaraSoueidan

https://www.sarasoueidan.com/blog/css-carousels-accessibility/#what-are-css-carousels%3F

15.05.2025 06:00 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

🔗 We launched our first Shopify theme

With accessibility in mind.

By @NicMakesStuff

https://www.nicchan.me/blog/we-launched-our-first-shopify-theme/

15.05.2025 05:30 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0