Why is team accountability important for chipping away at accessibility debt and four ways to build it into your process.
Authentic conversations so far...
This is an archive of the email messages I sent to my daily mailing list since March 12th, 2024. Enjoy!
Dissecting the web accessibility meeting tale
May 7th, 2025
What are the most common issues with meetings about web accessibility?
An inconvenient truth
May 6th, 2025
Instead of perfect accessibility, aim for continuous improvement. Perfect accessibility doesn't exist.
An accessibility sprint isn't always the answer
May 5th, 2025
An accessibility sprint can and will deliver short-term improvements, but without ongoing attention, new issues will creep in.
Access Denied #44: Accessibility placeholders
May 4th, 2025
In Issue 44 of Access Denied, Gary thinks using placeholders for form labels is a great user experience.
Swimming against the current
May 3rd, 2025
Instead of debating accessibility with so-called experts and other stubborn stakeholders, try to work with them to get things done.
Real talk: WCAG is open to interpretation
May 2nd, 2025
WCAG isn't a choose-your-own-adventure book. Read it and stop pretending it’s "ambiguous" because you don't like the rules.
Wrap up for making smart trade-offs when considering accessibility debt.
A web accessibility meeting tale
Apr 30th, 2025
Soul-crushing inefficiency as a web product team pretends to care about accessibility while accomplishing absolutely nothing.
Accessibility goals
Apr 29th, 2025
When accessibility goals are vague and cannot be measured, they are just empty words that won't lead to any outcomes.
You need more than information
Apr 28th, 2025
Like health or wealth, accessibility is built through action and not through information alone.
Access Denied #43: Accessibility optimisation
Apr 27th, 2025
In Issue 43 of Access Denied, Gary thinks accessibility has nothing to do with SEO.
If first you don't succeed
Apr 26th, 2025
When you hit a roadblock, switch tactics and keep advocating for accessibility. If all fails, move on to others who are willing to listen.
Real talk: Your HTML sucks
Apr 25th, 2025
If your HTML is garbage, no amount of ARIA will fix accessibility for you.
Forget vanity numbers. Here are six accessibility metrics that matter and how to present them to your stakeholders.
Effective Remote Accessibility Workshops: Wrap up
Apr 23rd, 2025
Wrap up for running effective remote accessibility workshops and overcoming the challenges they pose.
A balancing act
Apr 22nd, 2025
Accessibility fails when teams focus solely on process or solely on the users. The sweet spot is somewhere in the middle.
Empathy is a sharp tool
Apr 21st, 2025
Accessibility is about understanding people not the guidelines.
Access Denied #42: Accessibility Roomba
Apr 20th, 2025
In Issue 42 of Access Denied, Gary thinks an AI-powered plugin will solve accessibility issues.
Self-care in accessibility
Apr 19th, 2025
Here are some practical tips to take care of yourself to avoid burnout when working in accessibility.
Real talk: You don't need clearer rules
Apr 18th, 2025
Don't pretend you don't understand regulation to get out of doing the work for accessibility.
Good accessibility debt prioritisation lives or dies by how you communicate its results and next steps.
How to avoid common facilitation traps in effective remote accessibility workshops.
The hard parts aren't important
Apr 15th, 2025
How can you tell apart the hard parts from the important parts in web accessibility and why it's important.
No, startups can’t afford to ignore accessibility
Apr 14th, 2025
Startups that prioritise accessibility early gain competitive advantages in usability, legal compliance and talent attraction.
Access Denied #41: Accessibility unicorns
Apr 13th, 2025
In Issue 41 of Access Denied, Gary thinks startups need to disrupt and not worry about accessibility.
Find the balance between education and enforcement
Apr 12th, 2025
If you want to implement accessibility, you need to find the balance between educating and enforcing rules.
Real talk: What if we don't have disabled users?
Apr 11th, 2025
Quit hiding behind silly excuses not to do accessibility properly in your product.
The Product Owner's guide to accessibility debt: Creating your decision making process
Apr 10th, 2025
Good accessibility debt prioritisation lives or dies by how you create your decision making process.
How to avoid losing vital communication cues in remote workshops.
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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.