Working in accessibility is not always easy or pretty. I've faced significant push-back from all kinds of people in almost all product roles you can imagine. It's been an uphill battle since I started and I've given up more times than I care to remember.
Almost given up.
The thing is I don't expect others to put in the same effort I do for accessibility. Or to have the knowledge and experience. Or the patience to dig deeper than the surface level.
For most, checking off the WCAG boxes is enough. For some, even that is impossible.
And I usually go into a new project with an open mind only for things to get cloudy almost immediately.
So it's rare to meet someone who gets it. Who notices what I notice, puts in the extra effort and doesn't worry about the WCAG boxes. They understand that compliance tends to take care of itself when you focus on users. When you try to put yourself in their shoes, no matter how uncomfortable that may be.
These moments are so rare that you're utterly floored when they happen. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating.
I was at the very least surprised when I saw the additional effort a team mate put in to fix some keyboard issues.
I thanked them for going the extra mile. And now I have to admit that they're probably not alone. If you're reading this, you're also one of these people.
So thank you for reading and thank you for being who you are!