Every accessibility expert I know has a story about the time they messed up. I've got several. The people most dangerous to accessibility aren't the ones making beginner mistakes and learning - they're the ones too afraid to start. What's your a11y mistake story?
Not everyone needs to be a WCAG expert. But everyone building for the web needs a starting point. WCAG in Plain English breaks down all 87 criteria in plain language. wcaginplainenglish.com
Going live today at 1pm PT! I'm demystifying NVDA - the free screen reader for Windows -and showing how to use it for accessibility testing. Plus, I'm testing some AI-generated code with it. Beginner-friendly, no experience needed. Join me! https://bit.ly/4tSLv3g
Live today at 1pm PST: Can AI tools build an accessible modal? I'm testing Codex, Claude Code, and Lovable with keyboard nav and NVDA. It'll be recorded if you can't make it!
https://bit.ly/45RouTZ
Meeting ended 30 minutes early on a day that's otherwise wall-to-wall. I don't even know what to do with this unexpected gift. Probably just sit here and stare at the wall for a second. Worth it.
Live experiment today at 1pm PST: Can vibe coding tools actually produce accessible code? Testing ChatGPT, Claude Code, and Lovable with keyboard and screen reader. Will be recorded if you can't make it live.
https://bit.ly/49HAbPv
We talk about the EAA, the ADA, AODA, Section 508... But accessibility isn't really about meeting regulations. It's about people. Real humans who deserve equal access to the digital world. The laws matter - but people are the point.
Stop searching the web with accessibility questions and hoping you're doing it right. The AAArdvark Circle gives you expert support and a community solving the same challenges. New Year pricing ends Jan 29. Learn more at a20y.com/circle
We just opened up beta access to AAArdvark's AI contrast checker. It automatically confirms pass/fail on all those false-positive contrast warnings that usually need manual checking. Saves hours on every audit.
https://a20y.com
Going live at 1pm PST with quick accessibility wins you can actually implement today. No theory, just practical fixes that take minutes, not months. Join me: https://bit.ly/49juAi0
Accessibility sessions at dev conferences get eye rolls like they're optional. They're not. Most developers are getting basic HTML wrong - forms without labels, div buttons, broken heading structure. This is your work, not someone else's. Stop skipping these sessions.
Found buttons labeled "Open," "Copy," "Skip" - but aria-labels say "Reply to comment," "Share comment," "Bookmark comment."
Over time, the visible text got updated, but the aria-labels didn't.
Screen reader users now hear completely wrong info about what these buttons do.
The AAArdvark Circle is open for new members! Join our learning community for freelancers & agencies ready to offer accessibility services with confidence. Enrollment closes Jan 29. New Year pricing: $549/year (locked in for life). a20y.com/circle
94.8% of sites fail accessibility. People are exhausted. But cynicism guarantees nothing improves. Optimism isn't naive - it's strategic persistence. Small wins compound. Heading into 2025, I'm choosing hope.
https://bit.ly/4qbdoRc
Going live at 1pm PST to walk through manual accessibility testing basics - the stuff automated scanners miss. Interactive, recorded if you can't make it.
https://bit.ly/3XUTbTN
Perfect example. This is why I keep saying you can't automate your way to accessibility. The tools are helpful for catching technical issues, but they can't tell you if your alt text is actually meaningful. That part requires thinking about the actual human trying to use your site.
The 5 most common accessibility mistakes aren't all about missing WCAG criteria - they're often about mindset:
• Over-relying on automated tests
• Misusing ARIA
• Using divs as buttons
• Treating it as one-time work
• Delegating to one person
Accessibility is ongoing, collaborative work.
2025 taught me: businesses still treat accessibility like compliance checkboxes. Overlays still mislead well-meaning folks. The accessibility community is tireless and inspiring. Most people want to do things right - they just don't know what they don't know yet. On to 2026.
Livestreaming manual accessibility testing basics later today - keyboard navigation, screen readers, the stuff automated tools miss. Beginner-friendly. Join me: https://bit.ly/4rt0fEN
Last day for AAArdvark's Black Friday deal - up to 25% off annual plans ends at midnight. If you've been thinking about better accessibility testing, now's the time. Visual Mode, team collaboration, plain language guidance. https://bit.ly/3K1C1AM
Black Friday deal on AAArdvark: up to 25% off with annual billing. If you've been meaning to get serious about accessibility testing, this might be the week. Visual Mode, plain language guidance, unlimited team members. https://bit.ly/489fzO0
I'll be honest - reporting accessibility issues usually leads nowhere. But this year, three teams actually listened and made changes. Small wins, but they matter. Here's why I still speak up, even when it's exhausting:
https://bit.ly/3K5dPxc
On Veterans Day, I'm thinking about disabled veterans who face digital barriers every day. We can honor their service by removing those barriers and building websites and services that actually work for everyone. Accessibility isn't optional. It's respect.
I'm not perfect. I make accessibility mistakes on my own sites sometimes.
What matters: acknowledge it, fix it, learn from it. There's no "perfectly accessible" website. Focus on removing barriers as you learn about them. Progress over perfection isn't just a saying. It's the only sustainable path.
Going live in 30 mins (1pm PST) to fix accessibility issues in real time. No script, just real problems and honest troubleshooting. Last time we found a keyboard-inaccessible form - today we fix it. Bring questions: https://bit.ly/4nwlmD3 Will be recorded if you can't make it live.
Designers: before handoff, make sure focus indicators are in your designs. They're as important as hover states. Document the specs, show them in prototypes, test with keyboard nav. Don't make devs guess. #a11y
The scariest thing this Halloween? Opening DevTools and seeing a div with a role of button.
Actually haunted by accessibility issues. Happy Halloween 👻
From "we think our site is accessible" to "we know what to fix" – that's what Snapshot Audits do. Expert-led assessment, visual evidence, clear priorities. Last week to get introductory pricing at $599 (ends Oct 31). DM for details.
Fixing accessibility issues live today at 1pm PT. No script, just real remediation work. Watch how we prioritize and troubleshoot real problems using AAArdvark.
Bring questions: https://bit.ly/3JlzhO2
I just published a new founder post about building AAArdvark at the intersection of tech, law, and human rights.
It's messy, rewarding work - and harder than I expected. Here's what I've learned so far:
https://bit.ly/4nYYIUJ
