The A11y Collective

Please, can we have ARIA Notify - Nic Chan A hate letter to live regions.

Nic Chan passionately advocates for the adoption of the ARIA Notify API, highlighting the significant shortcomings and inconsistencies of current ARIA live regions for screen reader announcements.

They argue that a new method for real-time updates is needed building truly accessible applications.

How Equalize Digital Helped Make 7M WooCommerce Sites More Accessible Inside the accessibility audit process for WooCommerce, the world's leading WordPress eCommerce plugin, which is now WCAG 2.2 AA conformant.

Learn from Equalize Digital's comprehensive workflow for ensuring digital accessibility, a process that goes beyond automated checks to include thorough manual and real-user testing with assistive technologies.

equalizedigital.com/making-7-mil...

Embedding Accessibility SMEs in Remote Teams Four irregularly-shaped pieces of amber containing parts of bugs. The longer I work in accessibility, the more convinced I become that organizational...

Rethink how your company approaches accessibility: embedding specialized accessibility experts directly into product teams can overcome common hurdles like time zone differences and a lack of practical guidance.

Eight Skunkworks Projects That Advance Accessibility Without Approval Person carrying binders labeld Documents, Information, Skunkworks The term “skunkworks” comes from Lockheed Martin and originally referred to a secretive...

You don’t need a VP title or a budget to improve accessibility. In fact, some of the most successful accessibility initiatives begin as side projects. buttondown.com/access-abili...

The Ultimate Guide to the European Accessibility Act for WordPress - Equalize Digital See what the European Accessibility Act means for your WordPress website and business. Laws and penalties for all 27 countries summarized.

Is the European Accessibility Act still an arcane riddle wrapped in an engima to you? This guide from the fine folks at Equalize Digital shines lights and clears away cobwebs! equalizedigital.com/european-acc... #EAA #Accessibility #A11Y

Was my IAAP Certification worth it? - Nic Chan Plus a bunch of easily detectable errors, you're welcome!

This is a bit of web accessibility "inside baseball": some #a11y practitioners have spoken out against the complicated process of remaining certified by the International Association of Accessibility Professionals. This article by Nic Chan sums it up nicely: www.nicchan.me/blog/was-my-...

Was my IAAP Certification worth it? - Nic Chan Plus a bunch of easily detectable errors, you're welcome!

This is a bit of web accessibility "inside baseball": some #a11y practitioners have spoken out against the complicated process of remaining certified by the International Association of Accessibility Professionals. This article by Nic Chan sums it up nicely: www.nicchan.me/blog/was-my-i...

screenshot of a Hacker News post complaining that Svelte is 'woke' because it emits accessibility warnings. It reads: Why does svelte have to be this woke? Please let me write this first, i will figure out accessibility on my pace, svelte be like no, do this or we are not going to let you do it at all - we will fill your editor with warnings in a way that you can't see anything.

even by HN standards this is an all-timer

Text reads “What to avoid doing: Using emojis instead of bullet points. Social media post displays a list of vacancies with emojis as bullet points, resulting in text reading as “admin, money bag finance, broom cleaner”

Text reads “What to avoid doing: Using emojis to replace words or meanings”. A mobile phone is being held up displaying what happens if replacing the word cool with an emoji, resulting in the content reading as “I am feeling super smiling face with sunglasses”, making no sense for users.

Text reads “What to avoid doing: Putting emojis in between words.” Below is a social media post example for a conference event with a series of emojis in between wording resulting in confusing text reading as “New event tear off calendar party popper sign up today and trophy win some top prizes”

Text reads “What to avoid doing: Over using emojis”. Two examples are provided from the Threads craze of using a magnitude of emojis is a row, this one being from Puma with lots of trainers, and another example using fire emojis to make up the shape of a heart. Text reads “Using emojis for joke, publicity, or for visual purposes could make you lose followers. With each emoji being read out it provides a frustrating experience.

If you don't use emojis correctly, you are shutting out millions of #blind and #VisuallyImpaired followers from accessing your posts. This is due to #emojis having descriptions which are read out by screen readers.

On #WorldEmojiDay, we share 4 things to avoid using.

#A11y #Accessibility #Disabled

How to create accessible Word documents | Scottish Enterprise Design blog First, some definitions An accessible document is a document that people with a range of physical and cognitive impairments can read and understand. An accessible document is, typically, also a document that people with no physical or cognitive impairments can read and understand better, and faster. Also typically, an accessible document is easier for content … Continue reading "How to create accessible Word documents"

Most pdf authoring tools do not create accessible pdfs by default. Here's a good guide to the basics in Microsoft Word: design.scotentblog.co.uk/how...
#a11y
#accessibility

Accessible Rickrolling Understanding the parity principle in accessibility, using rick-rolling as an example.

Web accessibility means giving everybody a comparable treatment. heydonworks.com/article/acce...
#a11y
#accessibility

What I Wish Someone Told Me When I Was Getting Into ARIA — Smashing Magazine [Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA)](https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/aria/) is an inevitability when working on web accessibility. That said, it’s everyone’s first time learning about ARIA at some point.

With this article Eric Bailey wants to provide a mindset for how to approach ARIA as a concept, debunk some common misconceptions, and provide some guiding thoughts to help you better understand and work with it.

www.smashingmagazine.com/202...
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#accessibility

Selfish reasons for building accessible UIs All web developers know, at some level, that accessibility is important. But when push comes to shove, it can be hard to prioritize it above a bazillion other concerns when you're trying to center a <div> and you're on a tight deadline. A lot of accessibility advocates lead with the moral argument: for example, that…

When moral arguments can't sway you to put #accessibility on the roadmap, how about selfish reasons? Nolan Lawson explains the concept: nolanlawson.com/2025/06/16/s...

WCAG 3.0’s Proposed Scoring Model: A Shift In Accessibility Evaluation — Smashing Magazine WCAG is evolving. Since 1999, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines have defined accessibility in binary terms: either a success criterion is met or not. But real user experience is rarely that simple. WCAG 3.0 rethinks the model — prioritizing usability over compliance and shifting the focus toward the quality of access rather than the mere presence of features. Could this be the start of a new era in accessibility?

WCAG 3.0 marks a new era in accessibility. By shifting from checklists to scored evaluations and from rigid technical compliance to practical usability, it encourages teams to prioritize real-world impact over theoretical perfection.

www.smashingmagazine.com/202...
#a11y
#accessibility

Selling Accessibility Panel Discussion with WordPress Agency Owners Not sure how to sell accessibility to your clients? Watch this panel discussion for insights from WordPress agency leaders and freelancers.

At the 2025 WordPress Accessibility Meetup, agency leaders met for a panel discussion focused on how to sell accessibility. All panelists agreed: accessibility is no longer optional. It’s a legal, ethical, and business imperative.
equalizedigital.com/selling-...
#a11y
#accessibility

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…

"Accessible Carousel"... is that an oxymoron? Or is Google just a moron for claiming they have built one?
adrianroselli.com/2025/05/my...

Digital accessibility eminence Rian Rietveld has set her sights on improving the WordPress accessibility documentation. She is looking for sponsors to help her create up-to-date and comprehensive resources in a very visible space. rianrietveld.com/2025/05/19/...
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K.I.S.S. ARIA The article emphasizes the importance of simplicity in web development, warning against over-engineering and excessive use of ARIA. It highlights that while ARIA can enhance accessibility, improper use can complicate user experience. Developers should prioritize straightforward HTML and minimal ARIA, focusing on functionality and accessibility without unnecessary complexity.

@nattarnoff.bsky.social: "When we build sites or more precisely frameworks to build sites, we need to use caution when implementing ARIA. No ARIA is better than bad ARIA." tarnoff.info/2025/05/05/k-i-...


#a11y
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Foundations: Keyboard accessibility - TetraLogical By prioritising semantic HTML and offering keyboard-friendly alternatives for complex interactions, you help create a more inclusive experience for people who use a keyboard.

"Keyboard accessibility is essential for many people with different types of disability that may be permanent, temporary, or situational, or for people who prefer keyboard navigation."

tetralogical.com/blog/2025/0...
#a11y
#accessibility

Do Not Publish Your Designs on the Web with Figma Sites… …Unless you want to fail all the WCAGs, create litigation risk, close off opportunities in Europe, engage in reputational harm, and oh yeah, throw up barriers to your customers and users. What am I talking about? Figma announced Figma Sites, letting you publish your Figma designs directly to the web.…

It does not come as a great surprise to me that a design tool produces stinky bad HTML code. But the level of badness on display in the Figma Sites showcase is astounding.

adrianroselli.com/2025/05/do...
#a11y
#accessibility

Home | Calm Tech Institute - Harmonious Design Principles The Calm Tech Institute exists to redefine how people think about human-technology interaction, and provide a new UX standard for designing technologies that improve human life.

The Calm Tech Institute is an interesting, accessibility adjacent, initiative: "Calm Technology is a process for designing technology that works with human attention, instead of against it."
www.calmtech.institute/

#a11y
#accessibility

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day #GAAD💡

Meet our former trainee Selma, as she shares her experience working at the Council with a visual impairment.

Discover more about the tools & technologies that empower her in her everyday work!

More about EU accessibility rules: europa.eu/!KtFQyn

GAAD Thursday, May 15, 2025, help us celebrate the 14th Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)! The purpose of GAAD is to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion, ...

Today is GAAD, Global Accessibility Awareness Day accessibility.day ♿✊

A small FAQ: hidde.blog/a11y-faq

Common accessibility issues:
hidde.blog/common-a11y-...
hidde.blog/more-common-...

Accessibility: It's About People:
www.w3.org/WAI/people
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Thanks @hidde.blog for your blog! 💜🙏

A group of people stand outside a stone building, some dressed as toilet paper rolls and holding toilet props, smiling and posing behind an "Elsecar Heritage Centre" sign. One person holds a sign that says "CHANGING PLACES VENUE HERE.

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day. At Barnsley Museums we believe everyone deserves equal access to museums and culture.

We are committed to making positive change and removing barriers, giving you the chance to enjoy our museums and all they have to offer. #GAAD

The WebAIM Million 2025: Solving the most common issues | Polypane Every year, WebAIM conducts an automated survey of the top one million home pages to identify the most common accessibility issues and trends. They collect…

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day, #gaad.

Building with accessibility in mind can be difficult, but there are tons of small improvements you can make throughout your pages that help people more easily use them. Learn how Polypane helps you do the right things:
polypane.app/blog/the-web...

Text: Global Accessibility Awareness Day - May 15th 2025 - Pay what you want for our courses! Illustration: four colorful tiles (green, blue, red, yellow), fanned out, representing our courses.

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day! The purpose of GAAD is to get everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital inclusion.

We can help with the "learning" part! Set your own price for our courses (starting at 25$).

www.a11y-collective.com/cour...
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#accessibility

GAAD Global Accessibility Awareness Day, May 15th 2025, Heads-up: pay what you want for our courses!

Tomorrow is Global Accessibility Awareness Day! We will offer all of our courses on a pay what you can basis (starting at 25$). Get current with accessible web development for an affordable price! #gaad #a11y #accessibility

www.a11y-collective.com/blog...

Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025 For one day only, our courses on digital accessibility will be available on a pay what you want basis. Start your journey into accessibility on the 15th of May!

It's almost Global Accessibility Awareness Day! We will contribute to GAAD by offering affordable access to all of our courses. This coming Thursday (2025-05-15) you can set your price for our courses (starting at 25$). www.a11y-collective.com/blog... Watch this space!
#gaad#a11y
#accessibility

Celebrating with The Perfect Toast - TPGi In which Lloydi tries to come up with an approach to toasts (and not-toasts) to satisfy various annoyances and WCAG failures with this notification pattern.

Celebrating with The Perfect Toast. I learned so much in tyhis article! For example what an "oast" is!
www.tpgi.com/celebrating-wit...

What Does It Really Mean For A Site To Be Keyboard Navigable — Smashing Magazine Keyboard navigation is a vital aspect of accessible web design, and a detail-oriented approach is crucial. Prioritizing keyboard navigation prioritizes the user experience for a diverse audience, extending your reach while simultaneously fostering a more inclusive web environment.

Keyboard navigation allows users to engage with your website solely through keyboard input. Smashing Magazine gives an in depth overview:
www.smashingmagazine.com/202...
#a11y
#accessibility