Even good intentions in the planning phase lead to inaccessible products.
Authentic conversations so far...
This is an archive of the email messages I sent to my daily mailing list since March 12th, 2024. Enjoy!
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.
The bugs nobody files
Dec 22nd, 2025
Accessibility fixes get blamed for bugs immediately, but when you skip accessibility, nobody blames its absence.
Access Denied #77: Suspicious timing
Dec 21st, 2025
In Issue 77 of Access Denied, Gary thinks accessibility fixes caused bugs in the last release.
Accessibility causes all the bugs
Dec 20th, 2025
After one sprint of accessibility fixes, suddenly every bug is "caused by accessibility."
Real talk: The only one who remembers
Dec 19th, 2025
It's exhausting always raising accessibility in every meeting and then see them go in a backlog to die.
Recap: 10 things you should focus on
Dec 18th, 2025
A recap of the 10 things you should focus on for web accessibility.
Accessibility testing: What gets left behind
Dec 17th, 2025
Good testing cultures are comfortable with untested territory. Not everything needs testing.
Accessibility is a constraint
Dec 16th, 2025
What looks like a limitation is actually clarity.
You can't prioritise accessibility
Dec 15th, 2025
Accessibility shouldn't be in the prioritisation conversation at all.
Access Denied #76: Strategic resource allocation
Dec 14th, 2025
In Issue 76 of Access Denied, Gary prioritises accessibility and thinks it's a strategic move.
Cutting corners
Dec 13th, 2025
Prioritisation isn't about cutting corners or doing less.
Real talk: Selective clairvoyance
Dec 12th, 2025
Product teams can predict features months in advance but somehow never see accessibility coming.
Make accessibility sustainable
Dec 11th, 2025
Sustainability is what helps what you do today stick around when you're not there tomorrow.
Accessibility testing: Making deliberate choices
Dec 10th, 2025
Be deliberate in your choices of what to test for accessibility, because you can't test everything.
Warning labels on breaking changes
Dec 9th, 2025
Developers get changelogs and support on a breaking change. Users get to just live with the update.
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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.