Reading yet another brilliant article by Jared Spool on mature design programs combined with an accessibility resource conversation I had at R&D orientation with my new employer earlier this week reminded me that I have seen no online discussions about embedded accessibility…
Accessibility Interview Questions
So, you got permission to bring an accessibility subject matter expert on board. What accessibility-related questions do you ask candidates to figure out if they actually know what they are doing, especially if you are not an accessibility subject matter…
Accessibility New Year’s Resolutions — The Deadline for Implementing WCAG 2.1
Procrastination is firmly embedded in human nature. And the lack of a deadline makes it easier to procrastinate. Step 1: You tell someone they have to do something they may not really want to do Step 2: They *always* ask…
Designing Toast Messages for Accessibility
A toast is a non-modal dialog that appears and disappears in the span of a few seconds. It may also optionally have a small close “X”. Typically, toast messages display one or two-line non-critical messages that do not require user…
Behaviors to Achieve Accessibility Program Excellence
In a previous article, I highlighted activities that I think help people become good (or better) accessibility managers through improving their objective accessibility knowledge. While the activities identified in that article will provide individuals with a baseline of objective accessibility knowledge,…
Where is the best organizational location for Accessibility?
Accessibility is the little red hen of the business world. Almost everyone wants the accessible experience, however, not everyone wants the responsibility of making that happen. Complicating matters is that not all potential locations for an accessibility team are the…
Have an Accessible New Year with these 12 Resolutions
I am writing this article as I am returning to California from a family holiday get together, thinking about how to get rid of the 5 pounds I gained from my Cordon Bleu trained mother-in-law’s cooking. Which made me think…
Inaccessible Third-party Content and Code — Why it is Important, and How to Address it
In the United States, various parts of the federal government have made it painfully and consistently clear in its rulings that the federal government doesn’t care who created inaccessible content or code, if it’s on your site, then the site…
High Impact Accessibility on a Budget
It is easy to spend a lot of money on accessibility. Consulting companies that specialize in accessibility have a high hourly rate, and automated accessibility tools can run tens of thousands of dollars (or more) annually. Employees are typically expensive…
Accessibility — Separate but Equal is Never OK
This week, the US DOT ruled that Scandinavian Airlines’ separate site for people with disabilities was against the DOT’s web accessibility requirements. SAS was fined 200K, of which 100K is deferred if they behave. Their defense was that the consulting company whose…