Two-thirds of websites now remove focus indicators, making them unusable for keyboard users.
Authentic conversations so far...
This is an archive of the email messages I sent to my daily mailing list since March 12th, 2024. Enjoy!
Web Almanac 2025: Colour contrast
Yesterday
Why contrast ratios matter, what 4.5:1 means and how to fix issues.
Web Almanac 2025: Ease of reading
Jan 19th, 2026
Accessible writing means using language your audience understands, without unnecessary complexity or jargon.
Access Denied #81: Common patterns
Jan 18th, 2026
In Issue 81 of Access Denied, Gary thinks common patterns are good even when they're bad.
Has the web gotten more accessible in 2025?
Jan 17th, 2026
The Web Alamanc shows a 1% improvement in accessibility scores, but is that meaningful?
The 2025 Web Almanac's Accessibility chapter is live.
Emergencies
Jan 15th, 2026
Most accessibility decisions don't need snap judgments, but time, team input and strategic thinking.
In defense of automated tests
Jan 14th, 2026
Automated accessibility testing tools aren't meant to replace expertise.
Postponing accessibility is probably a bad idea
Jan 13th, 2026
Accessibility is a values problem, not a resource problem.
Good ideas
Jan 12th, 2026
Bad ideas don't become good simply because they're the only ideas on the table.
Access Denied #80: Prioritising exclusion
Jan 11th, 2026
In Issue 80 of Access Denied, Gary prioritised accessibility for Q2 of the year.
What are you trying to avoid?
Jan 10th, 2026
When it comes to accessibility and making your website or product accessible, what are you trying to avoid?
Accessibility isn't like snow shoveling
Jan 9th, 2026
While snow shoveling rules vary, accessibility responsibility always falls on you.
The cutting edge
Jan 8th, 2026
The cutting edge is painful. HTML, accessibility and listening to users aren't.
The dangers of planning
Jan 7th, 2026
Even good intentions in the planning phase lead to inaccessible products.
Things you can't buy now and pay later
Jan 6th, 2026
Relationships, health, freedom and web accessibility all require you to pay the full cost up front.
Buy now, pay later
Jan 5th, 2026
When it comes to accessibility in product development, paying debt later costs way more than building it in from the start.
Access Denied #79: The only thing that works
Jan 4th, 2026
In Issue 79 of Access Denied, Gary thinks lawsuit headlines can make the case for accessibility.
The real carrot and stick
Jan 3rd, 2026
The business case for accessibility only works when it solves a real problem your company has right now.
The carrot and the stick
Jan 2nd, 2026
Accessibility needs both inspiration and consequences. The carrot and the stick.
The Web Almanac is almost here
Jan 1st, 2026
The Web Almanac's Accessibility chapter analyses millions of websites to reveal the real state of web accessibility.
Here's to next year
Dec 31st, 2025
Make 2026 count by being kind to each other.
Shortcuts, continued
Dec 30th, 2025
Two wrongs don't make a right and two shortcuts don't create inclusion.
658 ways to say the same thing
Dec 29th, 2025
After 658 emails and 200,000 words on accessibility, I've learned that persistence means finding the explanation that lands.
Access Denied #78: Project managment speak
Dec 28th, 2025
In Issue 78 of Access Denied, Sarah tells Gary she speaks project management now.
Things I've learned working in accessibility in 2025
Dec 27th, 2025
Honest reflections on fighting for web accessibility in 2025. The wins, the losses, the burnout and why I keep showing up anyway.
Real talk: The shortcuts worth keeping
Dec 26th, 2025
The shortcuts worth keeping are those that save you time without costing someone else theirs.
Shortcuts
Dec 25th, 2025
All shortcuts save time, but some also exclude people.
Here's to you
Dec 24th, 2025
Accessibility is often invisible work: the advocacy, the teaching, the quiet fixes.
Keep your receipts
Dec 23rd, 2025
The blame game starts fast when bugs appear after an accessibility sprint.
Ready to subscribe?
I send out short emails like these every day to help you gain a fresh perspective on accessibility and understand it without the jargon, so you can build more robust products that everyone can use, including people with disabilities.