We've all had that 30-minute accessibility meeting where at least 15 minutes are spent discussing weekend plans, pets or the weather.
I appreciate camaraderie just as much as anyone. I think it's important to socialise, especially when the team is remote. But excessive small talk steals time from solving real barriers in your product.
Accessibility work thrives on action.
How about those contrast ratios? Let's refine keyboard navigation. Can a screen reader user fill the form? These are more important topics than whether the sun is shinning.
When meetings become social hours, critical issues get postponed. And users with disabilities suffer, no matter what the weather is like.
Fret not! I have three easy solutions for you:
- Cap small talk at five minutes. Do it at the beginning of the meeting and move on.
- Assign a facilitator to steer discussions back to the agenda.
- Move non-urgent chatter to async channels (Slack, email) or create a social meeting where you only have small talk.
Accessibility isn't improved by good intentions alone.
Next meeting, prioritise doing over chatting.