So, what do you want for Christmas?
I bet you got asked that question a few times already. You'd usually reply with things like a new PlayStation, a TV, or, if you're feeling braver, health and happiness.
Don't worry, I won't ask you what you want. I'll tell you what would be my Christmas wish.
I'd wish for people to fundamentally understand that accessibility isn't about compliance or checking boxes. It's about the person to their left and to their right.
More than once in my life I've had that feeling when you're kept out of a conversation. Like I was on the outside looking in. But I so desperately wanted to be in. I didn't understand that feeling at the time. Nor did I imagine that's what millions of people experience every single day online when they try to do what most of us take for granted. Like shopping online, paying the bills, reading the news.
My wish would be for everyone to feel that empathy in their gut, to really get it.
Because once you feel that, you don't need checklists or regulations. You just naturally start asking "Can everyone use this? Can everyone participate?" It becomes as automatic as breathing.
I guess what I'm really saying is I'd wish for a shift in hearts rather than code.
The technical stuff sort of takes care of itself naturally when people truly care about including everyone. When you strip away all the technical requirements and guidelines, accessibility fundamentally comes down to treating everyone around you with equal respect and dignity.