Treating accessibility as an afterthought costs you customers.
Authentic conversations so far...
This is an archive of the email messages I sent to my daily mailing list since March 12th, 2024. Enjoy!
How to save time and money
Yesterday
Building accessibility into your web product from day one saves money, time and creates better experiences for all users.
Access Denied #54: Accessibility plugins
Jul 13th, 2025
In Issue 54 of Access Denied, Gary thinks it's enough to run an accessibility plugin right before launch.
Self-doubt and frustration
Jul 12th, 2025
When web accessibility fails, every small frustration compounds into something much bigger.
Real talk: Ship less broken stuff
Jul 11th, 2025
Stop blaming accessibility for being a speed bump in your agile process.
How fast can we get rid of accessibility debt?
Jul 10th, 2025
Most product teams can make meaningful progress on accessibility debt in 6-12 months.
The BS Meetings Signs: Monologues
Jul 9th, 2025
BS meetings always have the one manager who's all theory and zero accessibility practice.
You have to do the work
Jul 8th, 2025
The only way to learn accessibility is to do the work and build it in your development process.
The rules that deceive us
Jul 7th, 2025
The 5 hidden rules product owners use to avoid making their products accessible, and what they're really costing you.
Access Denied #53: Naturally semantic
Jul 6th, 2025
In Issue 53 of Access Denied, Gary thinks that AI writes semantic code.
Changing diapers
Jul 5th, 2025
Writing semantic HTML is something you do automatically without really thinking about it.
Real talk: Accessibility backlog
Jul 4th, 2025
If you're constantly putting accessibility in the backlog, you'll end up with mountain of technical debt.
Common questions about accessibility debt
Jul 3rd, 2025
Common questions that came up for the series on accessibility debt.
The BS Meetings Signs: People zone out
Jul 2nd, 2025
Keep people engaged during meetings to guarantee the best outcomes.
Quick process changes
Jul 1st, 2025
Three quick process changes to tack on accessibility checks to your existing product development workflow.
Of burdens and opportunities
Jun 30th, 2025
With the European Accessibility Act in effect, small businesses can think of it as a burden or as an opportunity to build something better.
Access Denied #52: Budget for EAA fines
Jun 29th, 2025
In Issue 52 of Access Denied, Gary approves the budget for the EAA fines instead of fixing accessibility issues.
Happy EAA day
Jun 28th, 2025
Today the European Accessibility Act (EAA) goes into effect and member countries start enforcing the legislation.
Real talk: A/B testing obssession
Jun 27th, 2025
Instead of stressing about A/B testing shades of blue, prioritse fixing accessibility.
Wrap up for the product owner's guide to accessibility debt and the past 20 emails.
The BS Meeting Signs: Loudest voices win
Jun 25th, 2025
How can you stop the loudest voices from drowning out accessibility experts in a meeting?
Does accessibility drive profit or is it purely a cost?
Jun 24th, 2025
Drop the separate "accessibility ROI" argument and fold it into broader UX improvements where the business case is clearer.
Noticing faster
Jun 23rd, 2025
Build accessibility checks into every sprint to stop the spread of inaccessible product features.
Access Denied #51: Customer satisfaction
Jun 22nd, 2025
In Issue 51 of Access Denied, Gary thinks testimonials that keep interrupting users with screen readers adds to the customer satisfaction.
Live regions are unpredictable
Jun 21st, 2025
ARIA live regions have timing issues we can't control and are inconsistent across browsers and assistive technologies.
Real talk: We have no bandwidth
Jun 20th, 2025
The whole "we'll get to accessibility later" mentality is nonsense.
Wrap up for building team accountability when considering accessibility debt.
If you need to have small talk in a meeting, keep it small and move on to the agenda.
Unsung heroes
Jun 17th, 2025
The real heroes of web accessibility are those who build inclusively from day one, not those who create problems then profit from the fix.
No keyboard left behind
Jun 16th, 2025
Why keyboard accessibility matters and who relies on a keyboard, plus 5 practical tips to get it right.
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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.