Accessibility Memes

When I took a management class at VMware about nine months ago, part of the course was analyzing our “Via Institute on Character” results. Recently, Via Institute reached out to me and asked if I would retake the analysis for a research paper they were doing on differences in answers caused at least in part by COVID.

My results the first time showed my strongest character traits were:

• Honesty
• Love of Learning
• Curiosity
• Bravery
• Kindness

I didn’t argue with any of these (though I feel Curiosity and Love of Learning are a bit of an overlap) The second time around after three months of COVID isolation my results were

• Humor
• Curiosity
• Creativity
• Honesty
• Bravery

Still curious. Still brave. Still honest (but maybe not quite as honest). But sense of humor vaulted from nowhere to the top of the list. It really does take a sense of humor to get through a pandemic successfully, especially when you are one of the people that won’t be able to go out safely again until there is a vaccine.

When I was putting together my most recent presentation deck, I struggled (as I always do) with trying to make accessibility seem exciting to folks without a personal connection to the topic. But I couldn’t find very little pre-packaged material on accessibility that was humorous. So I used the creativity that I have also apparently picked up along the way and created some.

My accessibility dream is to reject any check-in that breaks an automatic test

Some things in accessibility make you smile

If only I got a nickel any time anyone asked me if this was OK

This has been coming up a lot lately as I have been doing articles and panels related to COVID.

“Train wreck” doesn’t even begin to describe it when these two things overlap

So my favorite show to binge-watch is Pawnstars, which is just a lower class version of Antiques Roadshow

If you aren’t preparing for WCAG 3.0 like it is going to be a complete accessibility paradigm shift, you may be in for a surprise.

When finding and logging the accessibility bugs is only half the battle.

Every accessibility manager’s least favorite VPAT phrase — “partially supports.”

How many conversations have you had when five minutes in you realize that the person you are talking to doesn’t actually know what accessibility means?

No one ever wants to work on accessibility until customers are asking for it …

Sometimes it is only one accessibility problem (but an important one !)…

… and sometimes it is a mountain of problems

Thank you. I’ll be here all year. Feel free to use any of these, or comment below on your favorite accessibility humor.