Chris Hinds

120: Count Down to European Accessibility Act Enforcement, Saint Arnold Irish Hello - Accessibility Craft In this episode, we talk about the looming June 28, 2025 deadline for the European Accessibility Act and what organizations doing business in the EU can do with just weeks left to meet WCAG 2.1 AA.

The EU Accessibility Act goes into effect in just five days now. 🗓️

For those interested in understanding its implications and how you can prepare, be sure to check out the recent episode of Accessibility Craft. You can listen to it here:

California Senate Passes Nation’s First Bill for Accessibility Violation Cure Period The California Senate recently passed legislation (Senate Bill No. 84) that would require a plaintiff to give a qualified business notice and 120 days to cure an accessibility violation before filing…

The California Senate introduced a notice and cure period for accessibility lawsuits, allowing smaller businesses to address violations before they face legal consequences. I wonder how this might affect the accessibility lawsuit "industry" if signed. 🤔

Empowering Teams During Accessibility Remediation: What Works & What Doesn't - Equalize Digital Are you hurting your own accessibility remediation progress? We outline the top remediation blockers we've seen in the last few years.

Tackling accessibility remediation isn't just about fixing issues—it’s about sustaining progress. From third-party vendor challenges to shifting priorities, pitfalls can derail efforts. Thoughtful strategies & ongoing commitment make all the difference.

114: Help I Got Sued for Website Accessibility - Now What?, Hazy Cat IPA by Panther Cat Brewing Co. - Accessibility Craft Attorney Richard Hunt, who specializes in ADA and FHA litigation, talks all about digital accessibility lawsuits and how not to get sued for website accessibility

There were thousands of accessibility lawsuits filed in the United States in 2024 alone.

Amber and I talked all about accessibility lawsuits with attorney Richard Hunt, who specializes in ADA and FHA litigation. Hear what he has to say on Accessibility Craft. 🐊🍻

buff.ly/Sz0JoW1

WordPress 6.8 “Cecil” – WordPress News News

There's been a lot of #WordPress drama these last few months. But, I'm super pleased with the number of accessibility fixes that are coming in version 6.8. Many thanks to all the volunteers who worked hard to make that happen.

The FTC has finalized a consent order against accessiBe for deceptive claims about its accessWidget. The tool falsely promised WCAG compliance for any website. Now, accessiBe is barred from misleading marketing and must pay $1 million. #Accessibility #WCAG #FTC

The Law of Accessible Websites and Applications: Richard Hunt - Equalize Digital Learn about the law of accessible websites, legal risks, and best practices to ensure digital accessibility compliance.

Back in February, Richard Hunt with Hunt Huey Law Firm took #WPA11yMeetup attendees through a variety of legal #accessibility topics.

Catch the recording on our blog. We'll be releasing an interview with Richard on Accessibility Craft soon. 🐊🍻

I spoke with a community college in Massachusetts last week, and their Director of IT told me he asked Chat GPT who the top accessibility companies were and that we were on the list.

Guess our marketing and service teams are doing something right. 😉

Tell me about a time when a company did something for you as a customer that made you stop, lean back in your chair, and say, "Wow." (In a good way!)

I'm looking for inspiration.

Mark from the hit Apple TV show Severance sits behind a desk. Mark is saying "The work is mysterious, and important."

Accessibility isn't just a box to tick—it's a door to open.

Having trouble convincing customers why this work is important?

Try reframing #accessibility in a way your customers can understand, using metrics you know they already care about.

Well, I didn't get picked for a talk at #WCEU, but I am still excited to go to Switzerland and reconnect with tons of fantastic #WordPress folks. If you want to meet in-person, send me a DM, and we can schedule a time to meet at our booth during the event.

Only 9% of US businesses gross over $1 million annually. Let that sink in a minute.

Now, compare that stat to the endless flood of biz influencers with get-rich-quick courses.

Anyone who tells you that business is easy or that doing this "one" thing will fix all your problems is probably selling you something. Especially if their video contains a Ferrari, mega-mansion, or the inside of a private jet.

Accessible Firebrand: "Why can't I use my brand color there, and if not there, then where?" Every company is strongly invested in their brand colors, even when these don’t meet contrast ratio requirements against their site’s background color. From an accessibility specialist’s perspective,…

All sorts of organizations will occasionally push to have their brand colors used in ways that aren't accessible.

The next #WPA11yMeetup digs into specific tools and tactics agencies and freelancers can use to address this problem with less friction.

buff.ly/KAXHkFP

Who is Responsible for Website Accessibility: Your Client, or You? - Equalize Digital Explore who is responsible for website accessibility. Understand the unique perspectives on both sides, legal insights, and practical advice.

Who is ultimately responsible for accessibility, the agency or the client?

We dig into the perspectives from both sides of this debate, share practical advice, and insights into what the law might say about it.

108: Coding an Accessible WordPress Plugin for Multisites, Irn Bru - Accessibility Craft We take a deep dive into how our team approached building an accessible WordPress plugin for multi-sites.

I left them alone for one episode of our podcast. Just one.

And Steve licked a hammer. Literally. On camera. 🔨

A man is shouting "Here it comes!" In the background is a flat desert, with a dust tornado rapidly approaching. The tornado is labeled EU Accessibility Act.

Do you know why all of the accessibility folks have been shouting from the rooftops about the EAA June 2025 deadline for over a year now?

It's because we know 90% of the firms that will be impacted by this are going to wait until the last second, or worse. 🙃

Multisite Add-on - Equalize Digital Easier management for WordPress Multisites. See the accessibility status of all sites in your network, bulk activate and license, and copy settings between sites.

Just recently, we launched a major improvement for our Agency and Enterprise plan customers who run Accessibility Checker on multi-site environments.

Our new Multisite Add-on adds new network-level capabilities that a lot of folks have asked for.

When you de-prioritize accessibility, you are taking out a short-term loan from:

Your future time.

Your future usability.

Your future revenue.

Your future risk profile.

I don't know who needs to hear this today, but...

Ignoring the cost of accessibility does not make it go away. That cost turns into debt.

And the longer you let debt sit, the more expensive it becomes. 😬

How to Test a WordPress Plugin for Accessibility Before Buying It - Equalize Digital Learn how to test a WordPress plugin for accessibility before you buy it. Ensure compliance and usability + save money and time later.

At most agencies, new plugins undergo some level of vetting for performance, security, and features. Many don't evaluate accessibility before purchasing.

Save yourself the time later. Evaluate plugins for accessibility before you buy.

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: WordPress Accessibility Meetup: From Concept to Code: Communicating Accessibility in the Design Handoff: Danielle Zarcaro. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. A well-executed designer-to-developer handoff is key to ensuring a website is not only accessible but also stays true to the design that has been carefully and thoughtfully crafted. So, how can a…

Happening tonight! 👇

Join Danielle of Kinetic Iris as they take us through what a well-executed hand-off between design and development looks like. Don't miss it.

Today's mood: Coffee is life. ☕️

From Concept to Code: Communicating Accessibility in the Design Handoff: Danielle Zarcaro Learn key strategies for Communicating Accessibility in the Design Handoff to ensure accessible, developer-friendly designs.

Speaking from experience, the transition from Design to Development is a critical point in any digital project, and for numerous reasons.

Danielle Zarcaro is going to give you some great tips on how to manage this effectively.

106: When Should You Ask for User Feedback, High Noon Vodka Seltzer Mango - Accessibility Craft We discuss best practices for surveys and collecting user feedback. We discuss things to do before a user feedback survey goes out.

In this conversation episode of the Accessibility Craft Podcast, we dig into when it's a good idea to ask users for feedback on the usability of your website or application. 🐊🍻

Why not tune in the next time you're on a walk, washing dishes, or doing some yardwork?

This is a two panel illustrated meme. In the first panel, a Goose squints its eyes and asks: "So, you'll be fixing the issues in the accessibility audit... later?" In the second panel, the Goose is chasing a man who is running out of the frame. The goose is shouting: "When is 'later' happening, Bob!? Give me a date!"

Bob isn't a real person that I work with.

But, if you're going to invest in getting an accessibility evaluation done, please also plan time to fix the issues that get identified.

Otherwise, what's the point? 😅

Digital accessibility and the cost of exclusion | Deque While I love to talk about the advantages of inclusion. Today, I’m going to turn that approach around and consider the disadvantages of exclusion.

I'm a numbers guy. 🔢

And I think you should read Deque's numbers on the cost of de-prioritizing accessibility.

I hope that this leads to more honest and transparent marketing practices across this entire classification of digital product, but I won't hold my breath.

And it's the same story: They made similar promises about accessibility, and like AccessiBe, they seem to think it's OK to leave their customers holding the bag when their technology inevitably fails.

Just a little while ago, AccessiBe was the subject of a class action lawsuit because their tool failed to make sites accessible, and their customers got sued anyway.

Now, another #accessibility overlay company (UserWay) is being targeted by a similar class action lawsuit.