Things I've learned in 2025, in no particular order:
- I can't do everything. That's a good thing. I always have a choice.
- I can't control what others do or want to do. It's sad and frustrating.
- I will always have to fight for accessibility. Also sad and frustrating.
- The human mind can get used to anything. Anything. That's required otherwise I'd never get through all those sad and frustrating days.
- Sometimes the human mind tires. I need to know when that happens and give it time to recover.
- Rest isn't lazy. Rest is how I show up tomorrow.
- During rest times, I'll probably miss things at work. Important things. That's okay. I can't do everything.
- Most accessibility issues aren't technical problems. They're people problems.
- People will tell you they care about accessibility right before they deprioritise it yet again.
- "We'll fix it in the next sprint" is where accessibility goes to die.
- Next sprint is also where accessibility debt gets bigger.
- There's no such thing as "minor" accessibility debt. It all adds up.
- Every project starts with good intentions. All end with compromises I have to swallow.
- Every project will eventually become legacy code. That's no excuse to not include accessibility.
- Legacy code is a real nightmare but "we'll rebuild it accessibly someday" is just a fantasy.
- I've learned to celebrate the small wins because they're usually the only ones I'll get.
- The best accessibility win is the one that doesn't require me to be in the room.
- The people who need accessibility the most are rarely in the room when decisions get made.
- Some days I'm the teacher. Some days I'm the broken record. Most days I'm both.
- I can explain the same thing 15 different ways. Sometimes number 16 is the one that finally lands.
- Some battles aren't worth fighting today. I'll just try again tomorrow.
- The accessibility community keeps me sane through all the todays and tomorrows. Thank you!
- The question "is this compliant?" misses the point entirely, but I still have to answer it.
- I have to stop apologising for asking people to do their jobs properly.
- I can't make people care. I can only make it easier for them to do the right thing.
- Sometimes people surprise me. They actually listen and things actually change. Those days make the other days possible.
- The better I get at this work, the more I see how much shit is broken everywhere.
- I still need to learn when to push and when to document that I pushed and just let it go.
- Some of my best work will never be visible. Disasters that didn't happen won't make release notes.
- I've stopped waiting for permission to do the right thing.
- Every ignored accessibility issue is a person we're telling doesn't matter. That weight adds up.
- Every accessibility issue I fix, I'm making someone's actual life better. That also adds up.
- I need to remember that last one more often than I do.
I think that's 32 in total.