A story about how bureaucratic nonsense can turn accessibility into a security threat.
Authentic conversations so far...
This is an archive of the email messages I sent to my daily mailing list since March 12th, 2024. Enjoy!
Overcome developer pushback on accessibility
Sep 4th, 2025
Overcome developer resistance to accessibility fixes with practical strategies that show accessibility is essential.
Four more signs of BS meetings and how to fix them.
Don't bother with perfect
Sep 2nd, 2025
Focus on small accessibility changes that moves the needle for one person.
Consistency is a super power
Sep 1st, 2025
Focus on making your product more accessible every day instead of writing a grand plan that'll never happen.
Access Denied #61: Progress blockers
Aug 31st, 2025
In Issue 61 of Access Denied, Gary thinks accessibility blocks progress.
The magic of daily practice
Aug 30th, 2025
Daily practice transforms both writing and accessibility work into natural parts of who you are.
Real talk: Green tests and red flags
Aug 29th, 2025
Stop treating test suites like an oracle while real people can't work with your product.
Accessibility automated tests and real user experience
Aug 28th, 2025
Automated accessibility tests find dozens of issues, but not all impact real users the same.
The BS Meetings Signs: Tech issues
Aug 27th, 2025
Practical prep strategies and what to do when tech goes sideways during remote meetings.
Accessibility tests questions answered
Aug 26th, 2025
Questions regarding writing good accessibility tests.
Your tests are lying to you
Aug 25th, 2025
Passing accessibility tests don't always mean your site is actually accessible.
Access Denied #60: Ship on green
Aug 24th, 2025
In Issue 60 of Access Denied, Gary wants to ship with known accessibility issues because the tests are green.
Build the world you'll live in
Aug 23rd, 2025
Accessibility isn't about others, it's about the future you who will need the world you're creating today.
Real talk: The WCAG isn't premium content
Aug 22nd, 2025
The WCAG is as fundamental to development as performance and speed.
Accessibility audit fix strategy
Aug 21st, 2025
Prioritse ruthlessly the issues in your accessibility audit to get around budget constraints.
The BS Meetings Signs: No discussions needed
Aug 20th, 2025
Meetings where there is no input required from participants can just be emails.
Time and consistency
Aug 19th, 2025
Keep working on accessibility, give your efforts enough time and you're guaranteed to see results. Time plus consistency equals results.
Today is not enough
Aug 18th, 2025
Small decisions compound and that's how you build in accessibility.
Access Denied #59: Accessibility vendors
Aug 17th, 2025
In Issue 59 of Access Denied, Gary doesn't want to test a vendor's accessibility claim.
Voice Control and accessibility
Aug 16th, 2025
Voice control on websites helps a surprisingly wide range of people.
Real talk: User personas
Aug 15th, 2025
User personas need to include people with various disabilities.
Accessibility for external vendors
Aug 14th, 2025
Check all accessibility claims of external vendors and add remediation processes in your contracts.
The BS Meeting Signs: No action items
Aug 13th, 2025
Meetings with no action items tied to dates and persons responsible are a waste of time.
Logic isn't enough
Aug 12th, 2025
Smart people disagree on accessibility solutions even when they want the same outcomes.
Make them care about accessibility
Aug 11th, 2025
Stop preaching moral obligations and show people why they should start caring about accessibility.
Access Denied #58: Not subject to litigation
Aug 10th, 2025
In Issue 58 of Access Denied, Gary wants to use an overlay because no one has sued them yet.
Being right vs doing right
Aug 9th, 2025
Sometimes doing right and being right aren't the same thing. Prioritise doing over being right if you want to change things.
Real talk: It's an edge case
Aug 8th, 2025
Accessibility isn't for edge cases. 1 in 5 people worldwide have a disability.
Accessibility debt management
Aug 7th, 2025
Use a 2-step process to balance fixing existing accessibility debt with preventing new debt from piling up.
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.