Podcasts about Web accessibility

In this episode of Get It Seen: The Simplest Way to Accessible Design host Michelle Frechette and typography expert Piccia Neri discuss the vital role of typography in web accessibility. They explore how factors like font choice, size, alignment, kerning, and style impact readability and legibility for all users, including those with visual or neurological differences. The conversation highlights common pitfalls—such as using all caps, centered text, or decorative fonts—and offers practical tips for creating accessible, user-friendly content. Real-world examples underscore how thoughtful typography can improve user experience and even boost website conversions. The episode concludes with a preview of next week's focus on color and contrast.Top Takeaways:Typography Is More Than Just Fonts — It's a Core Element of Accessibility: Typography includes not only font choices but also layout, spacing, alignment, font weight, size, line height, tracking, and visual hierarchy. These elements together shape how readable and legible text is, directly affecting accessibility and user experience.Readability and Legibility Are Different, and Both Matter: Legibility is about how easily individual letters can be distinguished (e.g., clear letterforms, avoiding imposter letters like I/l/1). Readability refers to how easily blocks of text can be read and understood (e.g., proper line length, avoiding full justification, using appropriate spacing). Both need to be considered when designing for diverse users, including those with dyslexia or visual impairments.Alignment Strongly Impacts Usability and Conversion: Left-aligned text is significantly easier to read, especially online. Centered or poorly aligned text disrupts the reader's visual flow and can make content inaccessible.There Are No Universally "Perfect" Accessible Typefaces: Recommendations like "use sans-serif fonts" or “Arial is accessible” are oversimplified. Accessibility depends on how the typeface is used, whether it distinguishes similar characters clearly (e.g., capital I vs. lowercase L), and whether it's appropriate for your audience. Typefaces like Atkinson Hyperlegible are designed with accessibility in mind, but even these aren't universally preferred.Mentioned in the Show:Don't Make Me Think Book By Steve KrugAtkinson HyperlegibleSöhne Klim Type Foundry National Klim Type FoundryJosef AlbersAccessible typeface checklist – free resourceAccessible Typography 101 course – 30% discount code: PODCAST30Better Accessibility Through Typography Masterclass – 30% discount code: PODCAST30

The 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was July 26, so today's episode is a special one. Most companies obsess over SEO, performance, and conversion rates—but overlook 25% of their audience entirely. Why do so many businesses miss the opportunity to serve users with disabilities, and what are they leaving on the table? Today I'm joined by Michael Paciello, Chief Accessibility Officer at AudioEye. Michael is a pioneer in digital accessibility and a longtime advocate for creating inclusive online experiences. While many business professionals focus on growth and efficiency, Michael makes a compelling case that accessibility is not just about compliance—it's a powerful business opportunity. He's here to help us understand how accessibility can improve everything from reach to reputation to revenue. About Mike Paciello Mike Paciello is the Chief Accessibility Officer at AudioEye, Inc., a digital accessibility company. Prior to joining AudioEye, Mike founded WebABLE/WebABLE.TV, which delivers news about the disability and accessibility technology market. Mike authored the first book on web accessibility and usability, “Web Accessibility for People with Disabilities” and, in 1997, Mr. Paciello received recognition from President Bill Clinton for his work in the creation of World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). He has served as an advisor to the US Access Board and other federal agencies since 1992. Mike has served as an international leader, technologist, and authority in emerging technology, accessibility, usability, and electronic publishing. Mike is the former Founder of The Paciello Group (TPG), a world-renowned software accessibility consultancy acquired in 2017 by Vispero. Mike Paciello on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-paciello-88a7a0306/ Resources Audioeye: https://www.audioeye.com https://www.audioeye.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brandsOnline Scrum Master Summit is happening June 17-19. This 3-day virtual event is open for registration. Visit www.osms25.com and get a 25% discount off Premium All-Access Passes with the code osms25agilebrandDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

The 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was July 26, so today's episode is a special one. Most companies obsess over SEO, performance, and conversion rates—but overlook 25% of their audience entirely. Why do so many businesses miss the opportunity to serve users with disabilities, and what are they leaving on the table? Today I'm joined by Michael Paciello, Chief Accessibility Officer at AudioEye. Michael is a pioneer in digital accessibility and a longtime advocate for creating inclusive online experiences. While many business professionals focus on growth and efficiency, Michael makes a compelling case that accessibility is not just about compliance—it's a powerful business opportunity. He's here to help us understand how accessibility can improve everything from reach to reputation to revenue. About Mike Paciello Mike Paciello is the Chief Accessibility Officer at AudioEye, Inc., a digital accessibility company. Prior to joining AudioEye, Mike founded WebABLE/WebABLE.TV, which delivers news about the disability and accessibility technology market. Mike authored the first book on web accessibility and usability, “Web Accessibility for People with Disabilities” and, in 1997, Mr. Paciello received recognition from President Bill Clinton for his work in the creation of World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). He has served as an advisor to the US Access Board and other federal agencies since 1992. Mike has served as an international leader, technologist, and authority in emerging technology, accessibility, usability, and electronic publishing. Mike is the former Founder of The Paciello Group (TPG), a world-renowned software accessibility consultancy acquired in 2017 by Vispero. Mike Paciello on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-paciello-88a7a0306/ Resources Audioeye: https://www.audioeye.com https://www.audioeye.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brandsOnline Scrum Master Summit is happening June 17-19. This 3-day virtual event is open for registration. Visit www.osms25.com and get a 25% discount off Premium All-Access Passes with the code osms25agilebrandDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company

In January, 2022 today's guest, Mike Paciello, made his first appearance on Unstoppable Mindset in Episode 19. It is not often that most of us have the opportunity and honor to meet a real trendsetter and pioneer much less for a second time. However, today, we get to spend more time with Mike, and we get to talk about not only the concepts around web accessibility, but we also discuss the whole concept of inclusion and how much progress we have made much less how much more work needs to be done.   Mike Paciello has been a fixture in the assistive technology world for some thirty years. I have known of him for most of that time, but our paths never crossed until September of 2021 when we worked together to help create some meetings and sessions around the topic of website accessibility in Washington D.C.   As you will hear, Mike began his career as a technical writer for Digital Equipment Corporation, an early leader in the computer manufacturing industry. I won't tell you Mike's story here. What I will say is that although Mike is fully sighted and thus does not use much of the technology blind and low vision persons use, he really gets it. He fully understands what Inclusion is all about and he has worked and continues to work to promote inclusion and access for all throughout the world. As Mike and I discuss, making technology more inclusive will not only help persons with disabilities be more involved in society, but people will discover that much of the technology we use can make everyone's life better. We talk about a lot of the technologies being used today to make websites more inclusive including the use of AI and how AI can and does enhance inclusion efforts.   It is no accident that this episode is being released now. This episode is being released on July 25 to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the signing of the Americans With Disabilities Act which was signed on July 26, 1990. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADA!   After you experience our podcast with Mike, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to email me at michaelhi@accessibe.com to tell me of your observations. Thanks.     About the Guest:   Mike Paciello is the Chief Accessibility Officer at AudioEye, Inc., a digital accessibility company. Prior to joining AudioEye, Mike founded WebABLE/WebABLE.TV, which delivers news about the disability and accessibility technology market. Mike authored the first book on web accessibility and usability, “Web Accessibility for People with Disabilities” and, in 1997, Mr. Paciello received recognition from President Bill Clinton for his work in the creation of World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). He has served as an advisor to the US Access Board and other federal agencies since 1992.   Mike has served as an international leader, technologist, and authority in emerging technology, accessibility, usability, and electronic publishing. Mike is the former Founder of The Paciello Group (TPG), a world-renowned software accessibility consultancy acquired in 2017 by Vispero. Ways to connect with Mike:   mpaciello@webable.com Michael.paciello@audioeye.com Mikepaciello@gmail.com     About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well, hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset where inclusion diversity and the unexpected meet. Normally, our guests deal with the unexpected, which is anything that doesn't have to do with inclusion or diversity. Today, however, we get to sort of deal with both. We have a guest who actually was a guest on our podcast before he was in show 19 that goes all the way back to January of 2022, his name is Mike Paciello. He's been very involved in the whole internet and accessibility movement and so on for more than 30 years, and I think we're going to have a lot of fun chatting about what's going on in the world of accessibility and the Internet and and, you know, and but we won't probably get into whether God is a man or a woman, but that's okay, God is actually both, so we don't have to worry about that. But anyway, Mike, welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Mike Paciello ** 02:21 Yeah, Hey, Mike, thanks a lot. I can't believe has it really been already since today, six years since the last time I came on this? No, three, 320, 22 Oh, 2022, I for whatever I 2019 Okay, three years sounds a little bit more realistic, but still, it's been a long time. Thank you for having me. It's, it's, it's great to be here. And obviously, as you know, a lot of things have changed in my life since then. But, yeah, very   Michael Hingson ** 02:46 cool. Well, you were in show number 19. And I'm not sure what number this is going to be, but it's going to be above 360 so it's been a while. Amazing, amazing, unstoppable, unstoppable. That's it. We got to keep it going. And Mike and I have been involved in a few things together, in, in later, in, I guess it was in 20 when we do the M enabling Summit, that was 2021 wasn't it? Yeah, I think it was, I think it was the year before we did the podcast, yeah, podcast, 2021 right? So we were in DC, and we both worked because there was a group that wanted to completely condemn the kinds of technologies that accessibe and other companies use. Some people call it overlays. I'm not sure that that's totally accurate today, but we we worked to get them to not do what they originally intended to do, but rather to explore it in a little bit more detail, which I think was a lot more reasonable to do. So we've, we've had some fun over the years, and we see each other every so often, and here we are again today. So yeah, I'm glad you're here. Well, tell us a little about well, and I guess what we'll do is do some stuff that we did in 2022 tell us about kind of the early Mike, growing up and all that and what eventually got you into dealing with all this business of web accessibility and such. Yeah, thank you.   Mike Paciello ** 04:08 You know, I've tried to short this, shorten this story 100 times. Oh, don't worry. See if I get let's see if I can keep it succinct and and for the folks out there who understand verbosity and it's in its finest way for screen reader users, I'll try not to be verbose. I already am being   Michael Hingson ** 04:28 intermediate levels fine.   Mike Paciello ** 04:30 I came into this entire field as a technical writer trying to solve a problem that I kind of stumbled into doing some volunteer work for the debt the company that I then then worked for, a Digital Equipment Corporation, a software company, DEC software hardware company, back then, right back in the early 80s. And as a technical writer, I started learning at that time what was called Gen code. Eventually that morphed in. To what Goldfarb, Charles Goldfarb at IBM, called SGML, or standard, Generalized Markup Language, and that really became the predecessor, really gave birth to what we see on the web today, to HTML and the web markup languages. That's what they were, except back then, they were markup languages for print publications. So we're myself and a lot of colleagues and friends, people probably here, I'm sure, at bare minimum, recognized named George Kercher. George and I really paired together, worked together, ended up creating an international steer with a group of other colleagues and friends called the icad 22 which is 22 stands for the amount of elements in that markup language. And it became the adopted standard accessibility standard for the American Association of Publishers, and they published that became official. Eventually it morphed into what we today call, you know, accessible web development. It was the first instance by that was integrated into the HTML specification, I think officially, was HTML 3.1 3.2 somewhere in there when it was formally adopted and then announced in 1997 and at the World Wide Web Conference. That's really where my activity in the web began. So I was working at DEC, but I was doing a lot of volunteer work at MIT, which is where the W 3c was located at that particular time. And Tim Bursley, who a lot of people i Sir, I'm sure, know, the inventor of the web, led the effort at that time, and a few other folks that I work with, and.da Jim Miller, a few other folks. And we were, well, I wasn't specifically approached. Tim was approached by Vice President Gore and eventually President Clinton at that time to see if we could come up with some sort of technical standard for accessibility. And Tim asked if I'd like to work on it myself. Danielle, Jim, a few others, we did, and we came up that first initial specification and launched it as part of the Web Accessibility Initiative, which we created in 1997 from there, my career just took off. I went off did a couple of small companies that I launched, you know, my namesake company, the Paciello Group, or TPG, now called TPG IGI, yeah, yeah, which was acquired by vector capital, or this bureau back in 2017 so it's hard to believe that's already almost 10 years ago. No, yeah. And I've been walking in, working in the software, web accessibility field, usability field, writing fields, you know, for some pretty close to 45 years. It's 2025 40 years, I mean, and I started around 1984 I think it was 8384 when all this first   Michael Hingson ** 07:59 started. Wow, so clearly, you've been doing it for a while and understand a lot of the history of it. So how overall has the whole concept of web accessibility changed over the years, not only from a from a coding standpoint, but how do you think it's really changed when it comes to being addressed by the public and companies and so on.   Mike Paciello ** 08:26 That's a great question. I'd certainly like to be more proactive and more positive about it, but, but let me be fair, if you compare today and where web accessibility resides, you know, in the in the business value proposition, so to speak, and list the priorities of companies and corporations. You know, fortune 1000 fortune 5000 call whatever you whatever you want. Accessibility. Is there people? You could say section five way you could say the Web Accessibility Initiative, WCAG, compliance, and by and large, particularly technology driven, digital economy driven businesses, they know what it is. They don't know how to do it. Very rarely do they know how to do it. And even the ones that know how to do it don't really do it very well. So it kind of comes down to the 8020, rule, right? You're a business. Whatever kind of business you are, you're probably in more online presence than ever before, and so a lot of your digital properties will come under you know the laws that mandate usability and accessibility for people with disabilities today that having been said and more and more people know about it than ever before, certainly from the time that I started back in the you know, again, in the early, mid 80s, to where we are today. It's night and day. But in terms of prioritization, I don't know. I think what happens quite often is business value proposition. Decisions get in the way. Priorities get in the way of what a business in, what its core business are, what they're trying to accomplish, who they're trying to sell, sell to. They still view the disability market, never mind the blind and low vision, you know, market alone as a niche market. So they don't make the kind of investors that I, I believe that they could, you know, there's certainly, there are great companies like like Microsoft and and Google, Amazon, Apple, you know, a lot of these companies, you know, have done some Yeoman work at that level, but it's nowhere near where it should be. It just absolutely isn't. And so from that standpoint, in where I envision things, when I started this career was when I was in my 20 somethings, and now I'm over now I'm over 60. Well over 60. Yeah, I expected a lot more in, you know, in an internet age, much, much more.   Michael Hingson ** 11:00 Yeah, yeah. Well, it's it's really strange that so much has happened and yet so much hasn't happened. And I agree with you, there's been a lot of visibility for the concept of accessibility and inclusion and making the the internet a better place, but it is so unfortunate that most people don't know how to how to do anything with it. Schools aren't really teaching it. And more important than even teaching the coding, from from my perspective, looking at it more philosophically, what we don't tend to see are people really recognizing the value of disabilities, and the value that the market that people with disabilities bring to the to the world is significant. I mean, the Center for Disease Control talks about the fact that they're like up to 25% of all Americans have some sort of disability. Now I take a different approach. Actually. I don't know whether you've read my article on it, but I believe everyone on the in the in the world has a disability, and the reality is, most people are light dependent, but that's as much a disability as blindness. Except that since 1878 when Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. We have focused nothing short of trying to do everything we can to improve light on demand for the last 147 years. And so the disability is mostly covered up, but it's still there.   Mike Paciello ** 12:37 You know, yeah, and I did read that article, and I couldn't agree with you more. In fact, I personally think, and I actually have my own blog coming out, and probably later this month might be early, early July, where I talk about the fact that accessibility okay and technology really has been all along. And I love the fact that you call, you know, you identified the, you know, the late 1800s there, when Edison did the the light bulb, Alexander Graham Bell came up with, you know, the telephone. All of those adventures were coming about. But accessibility to people with disabilities, regardless of what their disability is, has always been a catalyst for innovation. That was actually supposed to be the last one I was going to make tonight. Now it's my first point because, because I think it is exactly as you said, Mike, I think that people are not aware. And when I say people, I mean the entire human population, I don't think that we are aware of the history of how, how, because of, I'm not sure if this is the best word, but accommodating users, accommodating people with disabilities, in whatever way, the science that goes behind that design architectural to the point of development and release, oftentimes, things that were done behalf of people with disabilities, or for People with disabilities, resulted in a fundamental, how's this for? For an interesting term, a fundamental alteration right to any other you know, common, and I apologize for the tech, tech, tech language, user interface, right, right? Anything that we interact with has been enhanced because of accessibility, because of people saying, hey, if we made this grip a little bit larger or stickier, we'll call it so I can hold on to it or softer for a person that's got fine motor dexterity disabilities, right? Or if we made a, you know, a web browser, which, of course, we have such that a blind individual, a low vision individual, can adjust the size of this, of the images and the fonts and things like that on a web page, they could do that unknown. Well, these things now. As we well know, help individuals without disabilities. Well, I'm not much, right, and I, again, I'm not speaking as a person beyond your characterization that, hey, look, we are all imperfect. We all have disabilities. And that is, that is absolutely true. But beyond that, I wear glasses. That's it. I do have a little hearing loss too. But you know, I'm finding myself more and more, for example, increasing the size of text. In fact, my note, yes, I increase them to, I don't know they're like, 18 point, just so that it's easier to see. But that is a common thing for every human being, just like you said.   Michael Hingson ** 15:36 Well, the reality is that so many tools that we use today come about. And came about because of people with disabilities. Peggy Chung Curtis Chung's wife, known as the blind history lady, and one of the stories that she told on her first visit to unstoppable mindset, which, by the way, is episode number five. I remember that Peggy tells the story of the invention of the typewriter, which was invented for a blind countist, because she wanted to be able to communicate with her lover without her husband knowing about it, and she didn't want to dictate things and so on. She wanted to be able to create a document and seal it, and that way it could be delivered to the lever directly. And the typewriter was the result of   Mike Paciello ** 16:20 that? I didn't know that. I will definitely go back. I just wrote it down. I wrote down a note that was episode number five, yeah, before with Curtis a couple of times, but obviously a good friend of ours, yeah, but I yeah, that's, that's, that's awesome.   Michael Hingson ** 16:37 Well, and look at, I'll tell you one of the things that really surprises me. So Apple was going to get sued because they weren't making any of their products accessible. And before the lawsuit was filed, they came along and they said, we'll fix it. And they did make and it all started to a degree with iTunes U but also was the iPhone and the iPod and so on. But they they, they did the work. Mostly. They embedded a screen reader called Voiceover in all of their operating systems. They did make iTunes you available. What really surprises me, though is that I don't tend to see perhaps some things that they could do to make voiceover more attractive to drivers so they don't have to look at the screen when a phone call comes in or whatever. And that they could be doing some things with VoiceOver to make it more usable for sighted people in a lot of instances. And I just don't, I don't see any emphasis on that, which is really surprising to me.   Mike Paciello ** 17:38 Yeah, I totally agree. I mean, there are a lot of use cases there that you go for. I think Mark Rico would certainly agree with you in terms of autonomous driving for the blind, right? Sure that too. But yeah, I definitely agree and, and I know the guy that the architect voiceover and develop voiceover for Apple and, boy, why can I think of his last name? I know his first name. First name is Mike. Is with Be My Eyes now and in doing things at that level. But I will just say one thing, not to correct you, but Apple had been in the accessibility business long before voice over Alan Brightman and Gary mulcher were instrumental towards convincing, you know, jobs of the importance of accessibility to people with disabilities,   Michael Hingson ** 18:31 right? But they weren't doing anything to make products accessible for blind people who needed screen readers until that lawsuit came along. Was   Mike Paciello ** 18:40 before screen readers? Yeah, that was before,   Michael Hingson ** 18:43 but they did it. Yeah. The only thing I wish Apple would do in that regard, that they haven't done yet, is Apple has mandates and requirements if you're going to put an app in the App Store. And I don't know whether it's quite still true, but it used to be that if your app had a desktop or it looked like a Windows desktop, they wouldn't accept it in the app store. And one of the things that surprises me is that they don't require that app developers make sure that their products are usable with with VoiceOver. And the reality is that's a it doesn't need to be a really significantly moving target. For example, let's say you have an app that is dealing with displaying star charts or maps. I can't see the map. I understand that, but at least voiceover ought to give me the ability to control what goes on the screen, so that I can have somebody describe it, and I don't have to spend 15 or 20 minutes describing my thought process, but rather, I can just move things around on the screen to get to where we need to go. And I wish Apple would do a little bit more in that regard.   Mike Paciello ** 19:52 Yeah, I think that's a great a great thought and a great challenge, if, between me and you. Yeah, I think it goes back to what I said before, even though we both see how accessibility or accommodating users with disabilities has led to some of the most incredible innovations. I mean, the Department of Defense, for years, would integrate people with disabilities in their user testing, they could better help, you know, military soldiers, things like that, assimilate situations where there was no hearing, there was they were immobile, they couldn't see all, you know, all of these things that were natural. You know, user environments or personas for people with disabilities. So they led to these kind of, you know, incredible innovations, I would tell you, Mike, I think you know this, it's because the business value proposition dictates otherwise.   Michael Hingson ** 20:55 Yeah, and, well, I guess I would change that slightly and say that people think that the business proposition does but it may very well be that they would find that there's a lot more value in doing it if they would really open up their minds to looking at it differently. It's   Mike Paciello ** 21:10 kind of, it's kind of like, it's tough. It's kind of like, if I could use this illustration, so to speak, for those who may not be religiously inclined, but you know, it's, it's like prophecy. Most people, you don't know whether or not prophecy is valid until years beyond, you know, years after. And then you could look back at time and say, See, it was all along. These things, you know, resulted in a, me, a major paradigm shift in the way that we do or don't do things. And I think that's exactly what you're saying. You know, if, if people would really look at the potential of what technologies like, you know, a voice over or, as you know, a good friend of mine said, Look, we it should be screen readers. It should be voice IO interfaces, right? That every human can use and interact with regardless. That's what we're really talking about. There's   Michael Hingson ** 22:10 a big discussion going on some of the lists now about the meta, Ray Ban, glasses, and some of the things that it doesn't do or that they don't do well, that they should like. It's really difficult to get the meta glasses to read completely a full page. I think there are ways that people have now found to get it to do that, but there are things like that that it that that don't happen. And again, I think it gets back to what you're saying is the attitude is, well, most people aren't going to need that. Well, the reality is, how do you know and how do you know what they'll need until you offer options. So one of my favorite stories is when I worked for Kurzweil a long time ago, some people called one day and they wanted to come and see a new talking computer terminal that that Ray and I and others developed, and they came up, and it turns out, they were with one of those initial organizations out of Langley, Virginia, the CIA. And what they wanted to do was to use the map the the terminal connected to their computers to allow them to move pointers on a map and not have to watch the map or the all of the map while they were doing it, but rather, the computer would verbalize where the pointer was, and then they could they could move it around and pin a spot without having to actually look at the screen, because the way their machine was designed, it was difficult to do that. You know, the reality is that most of the technologies that we need and that we use and can use could be used by so much, so many more people, if people would just really look at it and think about it, but, but you're right, they don't.   Mike Paciello ** 24:04 You know, it's, of course, raise a raise another good friend of mine. We both having in common. I work with him. I been down his office a few, more than few times, although his Boston office, anyway, I think he's, I'm not sure he's in Newton. He's in Newton. Yeah. Is he still in Newton? Okay. But anyway, it reminded me of something that happened in a similar vein, and that was several years ago. I was at a fast forward forward conference, future forward conference, and a company, EMC, who absorbed by Dell, I think, right, yes, where they all are. So there I was surprised that when that happened. But hey, yeah, yeah, I was surprised that compact bought depth, so that's okay, yeah, right. That HP bought count, right? That whole thing happened. But um, their chief science, chief scientist, I think he was a their CSO chief scientist, Doc. Came up and made this presentation. And basically the presentation was using voice recognition. They had been hired by the NSA. So it was a NSA right to use voice recognition in a way where they would recognize voices and then record those voices into it, out the output the transcript of that right text, text files, and feed them back to, you know, the NSA agents, right? So here's the funny part of that story goes up i i waited he gave his presentation. This is amazing technology, and what could it was like, 99% accurate in terms of not just recognizing American, English speaking people, but a number of different other languages, in dialects. And the guy who gave the presentation, I actually knew, because he had been a dec for many years. So in the Q and A Part I raised by hand. I got up there. He didn't recognize it a few years had gone by. And I said, you know, this is amazing technology. We could really use this in the field that I work in. And he said, Well, how's that? And I said, you know, voice recognition and outputting text would allow us to do now this is probably 2008 2009 somewhere in that area, would allow us to do real time, automated transcription for the Deaf, Captioning. And he looks at me and he he says, Do I know you? This is through a live audience. I said. I said, Yeah, Mark is it was. Mark said, So Mike gas yellow. He said, you're the only guy in town that I know that could turn a advanced, emerging technology into something for people with disabilities. I can't believe it. So that was, that was, but there was kind of the opposite. It was a technology they were focused on making this, you know, this technology available for, you know, government, obviously covert reasons that if they were using it and applying it in a good way for people with disabilities, man, we'd have been much faster, much further along or even today, right? I mean, it's being done, still not as good, not as good as that, as I saw. But that just goes to show you what, what commercial and government funding can do when it's applied properly?   Michael Hingson ** 27:41 Well, Dragon, naturally speaking, has certainly come a long way since the original Dragon Dictate. But there's still errors, there's still things, but it does get better, but I hear exactly what you're saying, and the reality is that we don't tend to think in broad enough strokes for a lot of the things that we do, which is so unfortunate,   Mike Paciello ** 28:03 yeah? I mean, I've had an old saying that I've walked around for a long time. I should have, I should make a baseball cap, whether something or T shirt. And it simply was, think accessibility, yeah, period. If, if, if we, organizations, people, designers, developers, architects, usability, people, QA, people. If everybody in the, you know, in the development life cycle was thinking about accessibility, or accessibility was integrated, when we say accessibility, we're talking about again, for users with disabilities, if that became part of, if not the functional catalyst, for technology. Man, we'd have been a lot further along in the quote, unquote value chains than we are today.   Michael Hingson ** 28:46 One of the big things at least, that Apple did do was they built voiceover into their operating system, so anybody who buys any Apple device today automatically has redundancy here, but access to accessibility, right? Which, which is really the way it ought to be. No offense to vispero and jaws, because they're they're able to fill the gap. But still, if Microsoft had truly devoted the time that they should have to narrate her at the beginning. We might see a different kind of an architecture today.   Mike Paciello ** 29:26 You know, I so I want to, by the way, the person that invented that wrote that code is Mike shabanik. That's his name I was thinking about. So Mike, if you're listening to this guy, just hi from two others. And if he's not, he should be, yeah, yeah, exactly right from two other mics. But so let me ask you this question, because I legitimately can't remember this, and have had a number of discussions with Mike about this. So VoiceOver is native to the US, right?   Michael Hingson ** 29:56 But no, well, no to to the to the to the. Products, but not just the US. No,   Mike Paciello ** 30:02 no, I said, OS, yes, it's native to OS, yeah, right. It's native that way, right? But doesn't it still use an off screen model for producing or, you know, translate the transformation of, you know, on screen to voice.   Michael Hingson ** 30:27 I'm not sure that's totally true. Go a little bit deeper into that for me.   Mike Paciello ** 30:34 Well, I mean, so NVDA and jaws use this off screen model, right, which is functionally, they grab, will they grab some content, or whatever it is, push it to this, you know, little black box, do all those translations, you know, do all the transformation, and then push it back so it's renderable to a screen reader. Okay, so that's this off screen model that is transparent to the users, although now you know you can get into it and and tweak it and work with it right, right? I recall when Mike was working on the original design of of nary, excuse me, a voiceover, and he had called me, and I said, Are you going to continue with the notion of an off screen model? And he said, Yeah, we are. And I said, Well, when you can build something that's more like what TV Raman has built into Emacs, and it works integral to the actual OS, purely native. Call me because then I'm interested in, but now that was, you know, 1520, years ago, right? I mean, how long has voiceover been around,   Michael Hingson ** 31:51 since 2007   Mike Paciello ** 31:54 right? So, yeah, 20 years ago, right? Just shy of 20 years, 18 years. So I don't know. I honestly don't know. I'm   Michael Hingson ** 32:02 not totally sure, but I believe that it is, but I can, you know, we'll have to, we'll have to look into that.   Mike Paciello ** 32:08 If anyone in the audience is out there looking at you, get to us before we find out. Let us we'll find out at the NFB   Michael Hingson ** 32:12 convention, because they're going to be a number of Apple people there. We can certainly ask, there   Mike Paciello ** 32:17 you go. That's right, for sure. James Craig is bound to be there. I can ask him and talk to him about that for sure. Yep, so anyway,   Michael Hingson ** 32:23 but I think, I think it's a very it's a valid point. And you know, the the issue is that, again, if done right and app developers are doing things right there, there needs to, there ought to be a way that every app has some level of accessibility that makes it more available. And the reality is, people, other than blind people use some of these technologies as well. So we're talking about voice input. You know, quadriplegics, for example, who can't operate a keyboard will use or a mouse can use, like a puff and zip stick to and and Dragon to interact with a computer and are successful at doing it. The reality is, there's a whole lot more opportunities out there than people think. Don't   Mike Paciello ** 33:11 I agree with that. I'm shaking my head up and down Mike and I'm telling you, there is, I mean, voice recognition alone. I can remember having a conversation with Tony vitality, one of the CO inventors of the deck talk. And that goes all the way back into the, you know, into the early 90s, about voice recognition and linguistics and what you know, and I know Kurzweil did a lot of working with Terry right on voice utterances and things like that. Yeah, yeah. There's, there's a wide open window of opportunity there for study and research that could easily be improved. And as you said, and this is the point, it doesn't just improve the lives of the blind or low vision. It improves the lives of a number of different types of Persona, disability persona types, but it would certainly create a pathway, a very wide path, for individuals, users without disabilities, in a number of different life scenarios.   Michael Hingson ** 34:10 Yeah, and it's amazing how little sometimes that's done. I had the pleasure a few years ago of driving a Tesla down Interstate 15 out here in California. Glad I wasn't there. You bigot, you know, the co pilot system worked. Yeah, you know, I just kept my hands on the wheel so I didn't very much, right? Not have any accidents. Back off now it worked out really well, but, but here's what's really interesting in that same vehicle, and it's something that that I find all too often is is the case if I were a passenger sitting in the front seat, there's so much that I as a passenger don't have access to that other passenger. Do radios now are mostly touchscreen right, which means and they don't build in the features that would make the touchscreen system, which they could do, accessible. The Tesla vehicle is incredibly inaccessible. And there's for a guy who's so innovative, there's no reason for that to be that way. And again, I submit that if they truly make the product so a blind person could use it. Think of how much more a sighted person who doesn't have to take their eyes off the road could use the same technologies.   Mike Paciello ** 35:35 You know, Mike, again, you and I are on the same page. I mean, imagine these guys are supposed to be creative and imaginative and forward thinking, right? Could you? Can you imagine a better tagline than something along the lines of Tesla, so user friendly that a blind person can drive it? Yeah? I mean this is, have you heard or seen, you know, metaphorically speaking, or that's okay, a an advertisement or PR done by any, any company, because they're all, all the way across the board, that hasn't featured what it can do to enhance lives of people with disabilities. Where it wasn't a hit. I mean, literally, it was, yeah, you see these commercials played over and over to Apple, Microsoft, Emma, I see McDonald's, Walmart. I mean, I could just name, name the one after another. Really, really outstanding. Salesforce has done it. Just incredible. They would do it, yeah. I mean, there is there any more human centric message than saying, Look what we've built and designed we're releasing to the masses and everyone, anyone, regardless of ability, can use it. Yeah, that, to me, is that's, I agree that's a good route, right for marketing and PR, good,   Michael Hingson ** 37:03 yeah. And yet they don't, you know, I see commercials like about one of the one of the eye injections, or whatever Bobby is, Mo or whatever it is. And at the beginning, the woman says, I think I'm losing sight of the world around me. You know that's all about, right? It's eyesight and nothing else. And I appreciate, I'm all for people keeping their eyesight and doing what's necessary. But unfortunately, all too often, we do that at the detriment of of other people, which is so unfortunate.   Mike Paciello ** 37:39 Yeah, you know again, not to, not to get off the subject, but one of my favorite books is rethinking competitive advantage, by Ram Sharon. I don't know if you know know him, but the guy is one of my heroes in terms of just vision and Business and Technology. And in this, this book, he wrote this a couple of years ago. He said this one this is his first rule of competition in the digital age. The number one rule was simply this, a personalized consumer experience, key to exponential growth. That's exactly you and I are talking about personally. I want to see interfaces adapt to users, rather than what we have today, which is users having to adapt to the interface.   Michael Hingson ** 38:32 Yeah, and it would make so much sense to do so. I hope somebody out there is listening and will maybe take some of this to heart, because if they do it right, they can have a huge market in no time at all, just because they show they care. You know, Nielsen Company did a survey back in 2016 where they looked at a variety of companies and consumers and so on. And if I recall the numbers right, they decided that people with disabilities are 35% more likely to continue to work with and shop, for example, at companies that really do what they can to make their websites and access to their products accessible, as opposed to not. And that's that's telling. It's so very telling. But we don't see people talking about that nearly like we should   Mike Paciello ** 39:20 you talk about a business value proposition. There is bullet proof that where you are leaving money on the table, yep, and a lot of it, yeah, exactly. We're not talking about 1000s or hundreds of 1000s. We're talking about billions and trillions, in some instances, not an exaggeration by any stretch of the imagination, very, very simple math. I had this conversation a couple years ago with the CEO of Pearson. At that time, he's retired, but, you know, I told him, if you spent $1 for every person that it was in the world with. Disability, you're, you're, you're talking about 1/4 of the population, right? It's simple math, simple math,   Michael Hingson ** 40:08 but people still won't do it. I mean, we taught you to mention section 508, before with the whole issue of web access, how much of the government has really made their websites accessible, even though it's the law?   Mike Paciello ** 40:19 Yeah, three years, three or four years ago, they did a study, and they found out that the good that every federal agency, most of the federal agencies, were not even keeping up thinking with reporting of the status, of where they were, and yet that was written right into the five way law. They were mandated to do it, and they still did do   Michael Hingson ** 40:37 it. We haven't, you know, the whole Americans with Disabilities Act. Finally, the Department of Justice said that the internet is a place of business, but still, it's not written in the law. And of course, we only see about 3% of all websites that tend to have any level of access. And there's no reason for that. It's not that magical. And again, I go back to what do we do to get schools and those who teach people how to code to understand the value of putting in accessibility right from the outset?   Mike Paciello ** 41:10 Yeah, no, I totally agree with you. I think this is what Kate sanka is trying to do with with Teach access. In fact, you know, again, my company, TPG was one of the founding companies have teach access back again, 10 years ago, when it first started. But that's where it starts. I mean, they're, they're pretty much focused on post secondary, university education, but I could tell you on a personal level, I was speaking at my kids grade school, elementary school, because they were already using laptops and computers back then it starts. Then you've got to build a mindset. You've got to build it we you've heard about the accessibility, maturity models coming out of the W, 3c, and in I, double AP. What that speaks to fundamentally, is building a culture within your corporate organization that is think accessibility as a think accessibility mindset, that it is woven into the fiber of every business line, in every technology, software development life cycle, all of the contributors at that level, from A to Z. But if you don't build it into the culture, it's not going to happen. So I would love to see a lot more being done at that level. But yeah, it's, it's, it's a, it's a hero. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 42:34 we're, we're left out of the conversation so much. Yeah, yeah, totally. So you, you sold TPG, and you then formed, or you had web able and then able Docs.   Mike Paciello ** 42:48 So what web able came out was a carve out, one of two carve outs that I had from when I sold TPG. The other was open access technologies, which which eventually was sold to another accessibility company primarily focused on making documentation accessible to meet the WCAG and other standards requirements and web able I carved out. It's been a kind of a hobby of mine now, for since I sold TPG, I'm still working on the back end, ironically, from the get go, so we're talking, you know, again, eight years ago, I had built machine learning and AI into it. From then back then, I did so that what it does is it very simply, goes out and collects 1000s and 1000s of articles as it relates to technology, people with disabilities, and then cleans them up and post them to web able.com I've got a lot more playing for it, but that's in a nutshell. That's what it does. And I don't we do some we do some QA review to make sure that the cleanup in terms of accessibility and the articles are are properly formatted and are accessible. We use the web aim API, but yeah, works like magic. Works like clockwork, and that's got aI uses IBM Watson AI built into it. Yeah, enable docs was abledocs was, how should I say this in a nice way, abledocs was a slight excursion off of my main route. It can work out. I wish it had. It had a lot of potential, much like open access technologies, but they both suffered from owners who really, really not including myself, who just didn't have good vision and in lack humility,   Michael Hingson ** 44:43 yeah. How's that? There you go. Well, so not to go political or anything, but AI in general is interesting, and I know that there have been a lot of debates over the last few years about artificial. Intelligence and helping to make websites accessible. There are several companies like AudioEye, user way, accessibe and so on that to one degree or another, use AI. What? What? So in general, what do you think about AI and how it's going to help deal with or not, the whole issue of disabilities and web access,   Mike Paciello ** 45:22 yeah, and we're going to set aside Neil Jacobs thoughts on how he sees it in the future, right? Although I have to tell you, he gave me some things to think about, so we'll just set that to to the side. So I think what AI offers today is something that I thought right away when it started to see the, you know, the accessibes, the user ways, the audio, eyes, and all the other companies kind of delving into it, I always saw potential to how's this remediate a fundamental problem or challenge, let's not call it a problem, a challenge that we were otherwise seeing in the professional services side of that equation around web accessibility, right? So you get experts who use validation tools and other tools, who know about code. Could go in and they know and they use usability, they use user testing, and they go in and they can tell you what you need to do to make your digital properties right, usable and accessible. People with disabilities, all well and good. That's great. And believe me, I had some of the best people, if not the best people in the world, work for me at one time. However, there are a couple of things it could not do in it's never going to do. Number one, first and foremost, from my perspective, it can't scale. It cannot scale. You can do some things at, you know, in a large way. For example, if, if a company is using some sort of, you know, CMS content management system in which their entire sites, you know, all their sites, all their digital properties, you know, are woven into templates, and those templates are remediated. So that cuts down a little bit on the work. But if you go into companies now, it's not like they're limited to two or three templates. Now they've got, you know, department upon department upon department, everybody's got a different template. So even those are becoming very vos, very verbose and very plentiful. So accessibility as a manual effort doesn't really scale well. And if it does, even if it could, it's not fast enough, right? So that's what AI does, AI, coupled with automation, speeds up that process and delivers a much wider enterprise level solution. Now again, AI automation is not, is not a whole, is not a holistic science. You know, it's not a silver bullet. David Marathi likes to use the term, what is he? He likes the gold standard. Well, from his perspective, and by the way, David Marathi is CEO of audio. Eye is a combination of automation AI in expert analysis, along with the use of the integration of user testing and by user testing, it's not just personas, but it's also compatibility with the assistive technologies that people with disabilities use. Now, when you do that, you've got something that you could pattern after a standard software development life cycle, environment in which you integrate all of these things. So if you got a tool, you integrate it there. If you've got, you know, a digital accessibility platform which does all this automation, AI, right, which, again, this is the this is a forester foresters take on the the the daps, as they calls it. And not really crazy about that, but that's what they are. Digital Accessibility platforms. It allows us to scale and scale at costs that are much lower, at speeds that are much faster, and it's just a matter of like any QA, you've got to check your work, and you've got it, you can't count on that automation being absolute. We know for a fact that right now, at best, we're going to be able to get 35 to 40% accuracy, some claim, larger different areas. I'm still not convinced of that, but the fact of the matter is, it's like anything else. Technology gets better as it goes, and we'll see improvements over time periods.   Michael Hingson ** 49:49 So here's here's my thought, yeah, let's say you use AI in one of the products that's out there. And I. You go to a website and you include it, and it reasonably well makes the website 50% more usable and accessible than it was before. I'm just, I just threw out that number. I know it's random. Go ahead, Yep, yeah, but let's say it does that. The reality is that means that it's 50% that the web developers, the web coders, don't have to do because something else is dealing with it. But unfortunately, their mentality is not to want to deal with that because they also fear it. But, you know, I remember back in the mid 1980s I started a company because I went off and tried to find a job and couldn't find one. So I started a company with a couple of other people, where we sold early PC based CAD systems to architects, right? And we had AutoCAD versus CAD. Another one called point line, which was a three dimensional system using a y cap solid modeling board that took up two slots in your PC. So it didn't work with all PCs because we didn't have enough slots. But anyway, right, right, right. But anyway, when I brought architects in and we talked about what it did and we showed them, many of them said, I'll never use that. And I said, why? Well, it does work, and that's not the question. But the issue is, we charge by the time, and so we take months to sometimes create designs and projects, right? And so we can't lose that revenue. I said, you're looking at it all wrong. Think about it this way, somebody gives you a job, you come back and you put it in the CAD system. You go through all the iterations it takes, let's just say, two weeks. Then you call your customer in. You use point line, and you can do a three dimensional walk through and fly through. You can even let them look out the window and see what there is and all that they want to make changes. They tell you the changes. You go off and you make the changes. And two weeks later, now it's a month, you give them their finished product, all the designs, all the plots and all that, all done, and you charge them exactly the same price you were going to charge them before. Now you're not charging for your time, you're charging for your expertise, right? And I think that same model still holds true that the technology, I think most people will agree that it is not perfect, but there are a lot of things that it can do. Because the reality is, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, are all things that can be defined with computer code, whether it necessarily does it all well with AI or not, is another story. But if it does it to a decent fraction, it makes all the difference in terms of what you're able to do and how quickly you can do   Mike Paciello ** 52:52 it. Yeah, I can argue with that at all. I think any time that we can make our jobs a little bit easier so that we can focus where we should be focused. In this case, as you said, the expertise side of it, right to fix those complicated scenarios or situations that require a hands on surgical like Right? Expertise, you can do that now. You've got more hours more time because it's been saved. The only thing I would say, Mike, about what, what you just said, is that there with that, with that mindset, okay, comes responsibility. Oh, yeah, in this is where I think in everybody that knows anything about this environment, you and I have an intimate understanding of this. The whole overlay discussion is the biggest problem with what happened was less about the technology and more about what claims are being made. Yeah, the technology could do which you could not do in, in some cases, could never do, or would never, would never do, well, right? So if you create, and I would submit this is true in as a fundamental principle, if you create a technology of any kind, you must, in truth, inform your clients of of what it can and cannot do so they understand the absolute value to them, because the last thing you want, because, again, we live in a, unfortunately, a very litigious world. Right soon as there's   Michael Hingson ** 54:49 a mistake couldn't happen,   Mike Paciello ** 54:51 they'll go right after you. So now you know, and again, I don't I'm not necessarily just blaming the ambulance chasers of the world. World. I was talking to an NFP lawyer today. He referred to them in a different name, and I can't remember well, I never heard the expression before, but that's what he meant, right? Yeah, it's the salesman and the product managers and the marketing people themselves, who are were not themselves, to your point, properly trained, properly educated, right? It can't be done, what clearly could not be said, what should or should not be said, right? And then you got lawyers writing things all over the place. So, yeah, yeah. So, so I look people knew when I made the decision to come to audio eye that it was a make or break scenario for me, or at least that's what they thought in my mindset. It always, has always been, that I see incredible possibilities as you do or technology, it just has to be handled responsibly.   Michael Hingson ** 55:56 Do you think that the companies are getting better and smarter about what they portray about their products than they than they were three and four and five years ago.   Mike Paciello ** 56:08 Okay, look, I sat in and chaired a meeting with the NFB on this whole thing. And without a doubt, they're getting smarter. But it took not just a stick, you know, but, but these large lawsuits to get them to change their thinking, to see, you know, where they where they were wrong, and, yeah, things are much better. There's still some issues out there. I both know it that's going to happen, that happens in every industry,   Michael Hingson ** 56:42 but there are improvements. It is getting better, and people are getting smarter, and that's where an organization like the NFB really does need to become more involved than in a sense, they are. They took some pretty drastic steps with some of the companies, and I think that they cut off their nose, despite their face as well, and that didn't help. So I think there are things that need to be done all the way around, but I do see that progress is being made too. I totally   Mike Paciello ** 57:11 agree, and in fact, I'm working with them right now. We're going to start working on the California Accessibility Act again. I'm really looking forward to working with the NFB, the DRC and Imperato over there and his team in the disability rights consortium, consortium with disability rights. What DRC coalition, coalition in in California. I can't wait to do that. We tried last year. We got stopped short. It got tabled, but I feel very good about where we're going this year. So that's, that's my that's, that is my focus right now. And I'm glad I'm going to be able to work with the NFB to be able to do that. Yeah, well, I, I really do hope that it passes. We've seen other states. We've seen some states pass some good legislation, and hopefully we will continue to see some of that go on. Yeah, Colorado has done a great job. Colorado sent a great job. I think they've done it. I really like what's being done with the EAA, even though it's in Europe, and some of the things that are going there, Susanna, Lauren and I had some great discussions. I think she is has been a leader of a Yeoman effort at that level. So we'll see. Let's, let's, I mean, there's still time out here. I guess I really would like to retire,   Michael Hingson ** 58:28 but I know the feeling well, but I can't afford to yet, so I'll just keep speaking and all that well, Mike, this has been wonderful. I really appreciate you taking an hour and coming on, and at least neither of us is putting up with any kind of snow right now, but later in the year we'll see more of that.   Mike Paciello ** 58:45 Yeah, well, maybe you will. We don't get snow down. I have. We've gotten maybe 25 flakes in North Carolina since I've been here.   Michael Hingson ** 58:53 Yeah, you don't get a lot of snow. We don't hear we don't really get it here, around us, up in the mountains, the ski resorts get it, but I'm out in a valley, so we don't, yeah,   Mike Paciello ** 59:02 yeah, no. I love it. I love this is golfing weather.   Michael Hingson ** 59:05 There you go. If people want to reach out to you, how do they do that?   Mike Paciello ** 59:11 There's a couple of ways. Certainly get in touch with me at AudioEye. It's michael.paciello@audioeye.com   Michael Hingson ** 59:17 B, A, C, I, E, L, L, O,   Mike Paciello ** 59:18 that's correct. Thank you for that. You could send me personal email at Mike paciello@gmail.com and or you can send me email at web able. It's m passielo at web able.com, any one of those ways. And please feel free you get on all the social networks. So feel free to link, connect to me. Anyway, I try to respond. I don't think there's anyone I I've not responded to one form or another.   Michael Hingson ** 59:46 Yeah, I'm I'm the same way. If I get an email, I want to respond to it. Yeah, well, thanks again for being here, and I want to thank all of you for listening. We really appreciate it. Love to hear your thoughts about this episode. Please feel free to email. Me, you can get me the email address I generally use is Michael h i at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, or you can go to our podcast page, which is Michael hingson.com/podcast, and there's a contact form there. But love to hear from you. Love to hear your thoughts, and most of all, please give us a five star rating wherever you're listening. We value your ratings and your reviews a whole lot, so we really appreciate you doing that. And if any of you, and Mike, including you, can think of other people that you think ought to be guests on the podcast, we are always looking for more people, so fill us up, help us find more folks. And we would appreciate that a great deal. So again, Mike, thanks very much. This has been a lot of fun, and we'll have to do it again.   Mike Paciello ** 1:00:44 Thanks for the invitation. Mike, I really appreciate it. Don't forget to add 10 Nakata to your list,   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:49 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

In this emotionally charged episode, Steven and Shaun unpack a controversial move by Meta to retire WhatsApp's native Windows app and replace it with a less accessible web wrapper. Steven, increasingly exasperated by the constant erosion of usability in mainstream apps, argues that blind users are being left behind by development teams prioritizing aesthetics and feature expansion over accessibility. Shaun plays devil's advocate, reminding listeners it's still in beta—but even he admits the accessibility track record isn't reassuring.The conversation widens to broader issues of planned obsolescence and consumer rights as Belkin announces the shutdown of its Wemo smart home devices. The guys debate whether legislation is needed to protect users when cloud-connected products suddenly stop working.They also cover Tiflotecnia's rebranded Vocalizer voices for NVDA, compare narrator voices, laugh about robot vacuums that do a worse job than humans, and reflect on the emotional toll of constant tech change on blind users. Steven hints at an upcoming hands-on review of the WeWALK smart cane in response to listener feedback.Chapters00:00 - Introduction01:36 - Steven rants about Meta's upcoming WhatsApp changes29:02 - Sponosr Double Tap!29:51 - Get in touch with the Double Tappers30:13 - Shaun talks about the demise of Belkin WeMo products37:48 - Steven buys a new Belkin docking station41:02 - Shaun buys new voices for NVDA46:16 - Issues finding chapter markers on apps49:46 - Shaun finds out what the Audio button was for in Facebook52:17 - Shaun's short review of the Eufy robot vacuum55:57 - Steven updates us on WeWalk travels Find Double Tap online: YouTube, Double Tap Website---Follow on:YouTube: https://www.doubletaponair.com/youtubeX (formerly Twitter): https://www.doubletaponair.com/xInstagram: https://www.doubletaponair.com/instagramTikTok: https://www.doubletaponair.com/tiktokThreads: https://www.doubletaponair.com/threadsFacebook: https://www.doubletaponair.com/facebookLinkedIn: https://www.doubletaponair.com/linkedin Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://www.doubletaponair.com/appleSpotify: https://www.doubletaponair.com/spotifyRSS: https://www.doubletaponair.com/podcastiHeadRadio: https://www.doubletaponair.com/iheart About Double TapHosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited. "Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc.

In this podcast episode, Michelle Frechette interviews Natalie MacLee and Nathan Tyler, co-founders of NSquared. They discuss their journey from developing popular WordPress plugins to launching SaaS products like Aaardvark, an accessibility platform, and Blink Metrics, a data management tool for small businesses. The conversation covers the challenges of fragmented business data, the importance of web accessibility, and the differences between WordPress plugins and SaaS solutions, highlighting N Squared's commitment to innovation and supporting both the WordPress community and broader digital needs.Top Takeaways:From WordPress Roots to SaaS Expansion: Natalie MacLees and Nathan Tyler started with successful WordPress plugins like Simply Schedule Appointments and Draw Attention. Realizing some challenges couldn't be solved within WordPress alone, they expanded into SaaS to build scalable tools that work both inside and outside the WordPress ecosystem.Introducing Aaardvark and Blink Metrics: Their new tools—Aaardvark and Blink Metrics—tackle accessibility and data overwhelm. Aaardvark offers automated and manual accessibility testing, with WordPress integration. Blink Metrics pulls data from multiple sources into a centralized, easy-to-read dashboard for small businesses, simplifying decision-making.Prioritizing Accessibility and Innovation:Accessibility is a major focus. Aaardvark is developing an AI tool to check color contrast in complex designs and supports multilingual websites. They're also launching Aaardvark Circle, a community to help professionals improve accessibility in their work.The Marketing Challenge of SaaS vs. WordPress: Marketing SaaS is harder than WordPress plugins, which get exposure through WordPress.org. SaaS tools require outreach and education to build awareness. Natalie and Nathan are leaning into this challenge to grow beyond the WordPress bubble.Coexistence of Platforms and a Broader Mission: Though they're expanding into SaaS, Natalie and Nathan still actively support their WordPress products. They believe in building tools that work across platforms, aiming to improve accessibility and usability for the entire web—not just WordPress users.Mentioned In The Show:N SquaredDraw AttentionSimply Schedule AppointmentsCalendlyAAArdvarkBlink MetricsSimple Client Dashboard 

On the podcast today we have Daniela Soibelman from Elementor, but we're not talking about the Page Builder, we're talking about a new plugin for website accessibility. It's called Ally, and it's a new web accessibility plugin. Daniela explains her journey at Elementor, the inspiration behind Ally, and how the plugin helps WordPress users create more accessible websites with features like usability widgets, compliance statements, and future plans for AI-powered accessibility scans and remediation. Ally works with any WordPress site, not just Elementor-built pages, aiming to make web accessibility simpler and more achievable for everyone. Whether you're running a small blog or managing sites for clients, this episode will help you understand not just what Ally offers right now, but where it's headed, making accessibility a shared, achievable goal for everyone working on the web.

In this episode of the Post Status Happiness Hour, host Michelle Frechette chats with Adam Warner, GoDaddy's Director of Field Marketing. Adam discusses GoDaddy's latest tools, including the Site Optimizer for enhancing SEO and the AI-powered market research tool for client management. The conversation highlights GoDaddy's commitment to the WordPress community and upcoming developments.Top Takeaways:GoDaddy Airo is an AI-Powered Productivity Boost for Web Professionals: GoDaddy Airo offers a suite of tools designed to help web designers and developers (a.k.a. “web dnds”) save time and improve quality. It helps with tasks like writing copy, generating SEO meta descriptions, creating alt text for images, and performing overall site optimization.The Site Optimizer Ensures Strong SEO and Accessibility Foundations: The Site Optimizer tool scans pages for SEO opportunities and accessibility issues—like missing alt text—and provides automatic or manual suggestions to improve them. It covers headline hierarchy, content structure, social sharing cards, and more.Client Management is Streamlined with Built-In Tools and AI-Generated Market Research: Each client entry includes a simplified project/task list covering everything from discovery to site launch and maintenance. The standout feature is AI-powered market research, which generates useful client-specific data like industry demographics and SEO opportunities—great for discovery calls and proposal prep.Mentioned In The Show:WordPress.orgGoDaddy GoDaddy AiroManaged WP

Miriam Suzanne, web developer, artist, and co-founder of OddBird, talks about the philosophy and evolution of web design. We explore CSS origins, the cascade, accessibility, and how the balance between user control and brand expression defines the spirit of the web. Links Website: https://www.miriamsuzanne.com Mastodon: https://front-end.social/@mia GitHub: https://github.com/mirisuzanne Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/miriam.codes CodePen: https://codepen.io/miriamsuzanne LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terriblemia Resources CERN: https://info.cern.ch Cascading HTML style sheets proposal: https://www.w3.org/People/howcome/p/cascade.html Axe Accessibility Testing Tools: https://www.deque.com/axe The Design of Web Design talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th1qORyvBcc We want to hear from you! How did you find us? Did you see us on Twitter? In a newsletter? Or maybe we were recommended by a friend? Let us know by sending an email to our producer, Em, at emily.kochanek@logrocket.com (mailto:emily.kochanek@logrocket.com), or tweet at us at PodRocketPod (https://twitter.com/PodRocketpod). Follow us. Get free stickers. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, fill out this form (https://podrocket.logrocket.com/get-podrocket-stickers), and we'll send you free PodRocket stickers! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket provides AI-first session replay and analytics that surfaces the UX and technical issues impacting user experiences. Start understanding where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com. Try LogRocket for free today. (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr)

In this podcast episode, host Michelle Frechette interviews Ryan Bracey, co-organizer of WordPress Accessibility Day and director of web development at Second Melody, discusses the upcoming event with Michelle. Ryan, who has been involved with the event for four years, shares insights on the speaker application process, event format, and accessibility features. The event, a 24-hour global virtual conference, aims to feature diverse speakers and will include pre-recorded talks followed by live Q&A sessions. The host and Ryan emphasize the importance of accessibility in web development and encourage listeners to apply as speakers.Top Takeaways:Call for Speakers Now Open: WP Accessibility Day 2025 is currently accepting speaker submissions for its global, 24-hour virtual conference, scheduled for October 15th, 2025. The event focuses on accessibility within the WordPress ecosystem and is seeking approximately 75 proposals to fill 23 speaker slots plus one keynote. Submissions are open through May 26th. Organizers are especially encouraging talks from individuals with lived experiences of disability and welcome a wide range of accessibility-related topics.New Format: Pre-Recorded Talks with Live Q&A: This year, the event introduces a new structure featuring pre-recorded presentations followed by live Q&A sessions. This format offers greater flexibility for speakers while ensuring a more stable and inclusive experience for attendees. In appreciation of their time and expertise, speakers will receive a $300 honorarium.Commitment to Accessibility and Inclusion: Accessibility is at the core of WP Accessibility Day. The event will include live captioning and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation to ensure it is accessible to a global audience. To support diversity and fairness, speaker applications are reviewed anonymously. The organizers are especially encouraging submissions from individuals in underrepresented regions and communities. Proposals promoting overlays or superficial fixes that do not adhere to true accessibility standards will not be considered.Mentioned in the Show:WordPress Accessibility DaySecond Melody

In this episode of Texas County Voice, we're joined by Kris Rivenburgh, founder of Accessible.org, to discuss why web accessibility is more than a technical concern — it's a legal and operational must for every county. Rivenburgh will also be leading sessions on this important topic at TAC's upcoming County Technology Conference in Williamson County.

Heute freue ich mich, Werner Rosenberger als Gast begrüßen zu dürfen. Werner ist Projektleiter für das Web Accessibility Certificate Austria (WACA) – eine Zertifizierung, die in Zusammenarbeit mit der Hilfsgemeinschaft der Blinden und Sehschwachen Österreichs, der JKU Linz und einem interdisziplinären Beirat entwickelt wurde. Die Zertifizierungsstelle ist TÜV Austria.Als Kommunikationsexperte hat Werner das WACA-Zertifikat zur Marktreife geführt und ist bei der HGBS-GmbH für weitere Projekte rund um digitale Barrierefreiheit verantwortlich. Er gilt als führender Experte für Web Accessibility aus strategischer Sicht in Österreich und engagiert sich in zahlreichen Fachgremien – unter anderem im WACA-Beirat, im Verein accessible media, in der VÖSI Special Interest Group „Accessibility in ICT“ und beim IAAP-DACH.Mit Zertifizierungen als Certified Web Accessibility Expert (CWAE) und Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (IAAP) verbindet Werner tiefgehendes Fachwissen mit einem klaren Fokus auf praxisnahe Umsetzung.In dieser Episode sprechen wir mit Werner über wirtschaftliche Argumente für Barrierefreiheit, gesetzliche Rahmenbedingungen und Mythen und warum Screenreader unsere Sicht auf Design komplett verändern.Werners LinksWerners LinkedInWACA WebsiteFachtagung Accessible MediaRessourcenWebsite des W3C: Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) WCAG 2.0 in DEGültige Version in Gesetzen: WCAG 2.1-AAListe von Prüftools laut W3CWebAIM der Utah State University (Testtool WAVE)Kostenloser Screenreader (Sprachausgabe und Bedienhilfe) NVDA Prüftool PAC 2021 (prüft PDF/UA und WCAG)Zertifizierungen:CWAEIAAPWASCPACCADSWerners BuchempfehlungenWeb Accessibility Cookbook - Manuel MatuzovićIch hoffe, ihr fandet diese Folge nützlich. Wenn ihr auch die nächsten nicht verpassen wollt - abonniert UX Heroes doch auf Spotify, Apple oder eurem Lieblingspodcaster - ihr könnt uns dort auch bis zu 5 Sterne als Bewertung dalassen. Wenn Ihr Fragen oder Feedback habt, schickt uns doch gerne eine Nachricht an podcast@userbrain.com.Ihr findet ihr mich auf LinkedIn unter Markus Pirker. Bis bald bei UX Heroes.UX Heroes ist ein Podcast von Userbrain.

Witam w dwieście osiemdziesiątym pierwszym odcinku podcastu „Porozmawiajmy o IT”. Tematem dzisiejszej rozmowy jest web accessibility czyli dostępność cyfrowa.Dziś moimi gościem jest Wojtek Kutyła – ekspert zajmujący się dostępnością cyfrową od lat, świadczący usługi konsultingowe i szkoleniowe na rynku międzynarodowym. Autor książki “Web Accessibility. Wprowadzenie do dostępności cyfrowej”, która ukazała się niedawno nakładem wydawnictwa Helion/Onepress.W tym odcinku o dostępności cyfrowej rozmawiamy w następujących kontekstach:co to jest dostępność cyfrowa?dlaczego ten temat jest ważny?czym jest web accessibility?czym jest niepełnosprawność w kontekście cyfrowym?czym jest Europejski Akt o Dostępności?jak dostępność cyfrowa pomaga organizacjom oraz indywidualnym osobom pracującym w IT?o czym jest i do kogo jest adresowana książka Wojtka?Subskrypcja podcastu:zasubskrybuj w Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, Sticher, Spotify, przez RSS, lub Twoją ulubioną aplikację do podcastów na smartphonie (wyszukaj frazę „Porozmawiajmy o IT”)poproszę Cię też o polubienie fanpage na FacebookuLinki:Profil Wojtka na LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/wojtekkutyla/Książka „Web accessibility. Wprowadzenie do dostępności cyfrowej” – https://helion.pl/ksiazki/web-accessibility-wprowadzenie-do-dostepnosci-cyfrowej-wojciech-kutyla,webacc.htm#format/dWsparcie:Wesprzyj podcast na platformie Patronite -https://patronite.pl/porozmawiajmyoit/Jeśli masz jakieś pytania lub komentarze, pisz do mnie śmiało na krzysztof@porozmawiajmyoit.plhttps://porozmawiajmyoit.pl/281

In this episode of the Post Status Happiness Hour, host Michelle Frechette interviews Gen Herres from Easy A11y Guide to discuss web accessibility. Jen shares her background as a developer and her journey in understanding and implementing accessibility standards. She emphasizes the importance of simplifying complex accessibility concepts for clients and offers strategies for agencies to sell accessibility services. Jen introduces a five-day challenge to help agencies qualify potential clients and sell their first accessibility package. The conversation highlights the significance of making websites accessible to a broader audience and the various reasons why accessibility is essential for businesses.Top Takeaways:Accessibility Doesn't Have to Be Scary:  Many people find web accessibility intimidating, but experts like Gen Herres help simplify the process. There are resources available to make accessibility more approachable.Planning for Accessibility Takes Time: Implementing accessibility properly requires time for strategy, testing, and client approvals. Starting now helps businesses integrate it seamlessly into their workflow instead of rushing later.Accessibility Can Help Generate More Revenue: Learning how to sell accessibility services effectively can help web professionals increase their income by offering more value to clients.Mentioned In The Show:Easy A11y GuideWCAGMozilla17 HatsEqualize DigitalWacomNew York E-Z Pass Apple VoiceOverDequeJAWSCloudflareWPAccessibility.dayCami MacNamara5-Day Accessibility Selling ChallengeAgency Accessibility SystemGuidebook for Accessibility at Your Agency

This month on FSCast: ·        Find out about Vispero's CSUN and upcoming webinar schedule; ·        Learn about various facets of Web accessibility and usability from Brett Lewis and TJ Squires; ·        Meet Zülal Tannur, a blind entrepreneur and AI enthusiast from Turkey.

SPaMCAST 851 will feature our interview with Mike Paciello. Accessibility which should be a basic human right has always been a struggle and now seems even farther from reality. Mike and I talk about the definition of accessibility, the issues we face, and why this is an ethical issue not just a compliance problem. Mike Paciello is the Chief Accessibility Officer at AudioEye, Inc., where he drives advancements in digital accessibility. He previously founded WebABLE/WebABLE.TV, delivering insights on disability and accessibility technology, and authored the pioneering book “Web Accessibility for People with Disabilities.” Recognized by President Bill Clinton in 1997 for his role in the W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative, Mike has advised the US Access Board and other federal agencies since 1992. An international leader in accessibility and usability, he also founded The Paciello Group (TPG), a leading software accessibility consultancy acquired by Vispero in 2017. Contact Information: Email: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-paciello-1231741/ Mastering Work Intake sponsors SPaMCAST! Look at your to-do list and tell me your work intake process is perfectly balanced. Whether you are reacting to your work or personal backlog, it's time to learn to take control!  Buy a copy of Mastering Work Intake (your work-life balance will improve). Amazon (US) — JRoss — Do you want to test the water before spending part of your hard-earned paycheck?  and I offer free 30-minute “office hours” sessions. In these sessions, we'll facilitate helping to identify and create a plan to tackle one of your work intake challenges. Book time with us here:   Re-read Saturday News In Chapter 4 of , Sen states that value is generated based on the “freedoms a person enjoys that allows them to lead the life they have reason to value.” This leads to the postulate that “poverty must be seen as the deprivation of basic capabilities rather than merely as lowness of incomes.” The idea of observing and understanding poverty as a function of capability deprecation refocuses the reader on the process rather than just the outcome. As we noted in the last chapter, the journey matters. The argument is that without capabilities (i.e. access to education, health care, and transportation) low income is the outcome. While there is covariance (low income reduces access to capabilities) the relationship is obvious. Couple that with the point that poverty is relative to context and the data gets harder to compare region to region. Finally, without understanding which capabilities are in deficit it will be difficult to make policy decisions.  Previous installments of : Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 5: Week 6: Next SPaMCAST  SPaMCAST 852 will feature an essay on scaling attention. Unlike many things, attention doesn't scale no matter how hard you try. So why do people try so hard? We will also have a visit from the Evolutionary Agilist, .

#187 An accessibility statement is an important but sometimes overlooked part of a website. Find out why a website should have an accessibility statement, what it should include and how to create an accessibility statement.

Rich Harris, creator of the Svelte framework, stops by the podcast to talk about his work. Rich shares how Svelte originated from his work in newsrooms at The Guardian and The New York Times, where he developed tools for building interactive data visualizations under tight deadlines. We talk about how Svelte simplifies web development by bridging the gap between HTML/CSS knowledge and interactive applications, making it accessible to both experienced and novice developers. Our chat touches on the broader impact of Svelte, including its adoption in diverse applications like DataWrapper and smart TV interfaces. Rich reflects on the responsibility and challenges of leading an open-source project like Svelte and discusses the ongoing focus on SvelteKit, an application framework built on Svelte, and highlights accessible resources for beginners to get started.Keywords: Svelte, SvelteKit, RichHarris, WebDevelopment, Open-Source Framework, DataVisualization, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, User Interface Framework, Interactive Applications, Newsroom Graphics, DataWrapper, Declarative Programming, Web AccessibilitySubscribe to the PolicyViz Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.Become a patron of the PolicyViz Podcast for as little as a buck a monthCheck out Rich's website visit the Svelte development websiteFollow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Substack, Twitter, Website, YouTubeEmail: jon@policyviz.com

Join us for two hours of tech as we first welcome David Goldfield to give us updates all about the revisions to the BT Speak. In the second hour we talk about the upcoming BITS web accessibility course, the importance of Mark Down and much more on current technology trends. We also welcome your questions and comments.

185: What you need to know about the FTC complaint against accessiBe and what it means for web designers and developers.

Wir haben diesmal Manuel Matuzović zu Gast – Frontend-Entwickler, Berater, Auditor, Trainer und Autor des „Web Accessibility Cookbook“. Gemeinsam tauchen wir ein in die Welt der Barrierefreiheit und h…

Join us and Maria Korneeva as we discuss web accessibility. More about Maria.X: @BrowserPerson,BlueSky: @browser-person.bsky.social,LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-korneeva/Follow us!X: The Angular Plus ShowBluesky:  @ng-conf.bsky.socialThe Angular Plus Show is a part of ng-conf. ng-conf is a multi-day Angular conference focused on delivering the highest quality training in the Angular JavaScript framework. Developers from across the globe converge on Salt Lake City, UT every year to attend talks and workshops by the Angular team and community experts.Join: http://www.ng-conf.org/Attend: https://ti.to/ng-confFollow: https://twitter.com/ngconf             https://www.linkedin.com/company/ng-conf             https://bsky.app/profile/ng-conf.bsky.social             https://www.facebook.com/ngconfofficialRead: https://medium.com/ngconf Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@ngconfonline Edited by Patrick Hayes https://www.spoonfulofmedia.com/ Stock media provided by JUQBOXMUSIC/ Pond5

Today, Laura and Kevin talk with Mike Paciello, a trailblazer in the field of digital accessibility and usability. As the Chief Accessibility Officer at AudioEye, Mike shares his journey, from his early motivation to focus on accessibility to authoring the first book on web accessibility, Web Accessibility for People with Disabilities. We discuss Mike's role in the creation of the Web Accessibility Initiative, challenges companies face in prioritizing accessibility, and how AI is shaping the future of inclusive technology. Mike also sheds light on gaps in the accessibility market, and ethical considerations for emerging technologies. Finally, he dispels misconceptions about accessibility and offers his vision for a more inclusive digital world. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, accessibility advocate, or curious about the intersection of technology and inclusivity, this episode is a must-listen.Mike Paciello is the Chief Accessibility Officer at AudioEye, Inc., a digital accessibility company. Prior to joining AudioEye, Mike founded WebABLE, which delivers news about the disability and accessibility technology market. Mike authored the first book on web accessibility and usability, “Web Accessibility for People with Disabilities” and, in 1997, Mr. Paciello received recognition from President Bill Clinton for his work in the creation of World Wide Web Consortium's Web Accessibility Initiative. He has served as an advisor to the US Access Board and other federal agencies since 1992. Mike has served as an international leader, technologist, and authority in emerging technology, accessibility, usability, and electronic publishing. Mike is the former Founder of The Paciello Group, a world-renowned software accessibility consultancy acquired in 2017 by Vispero.

In this episode of the Tyler Tech Podcast, we delve into the essentials of digital accessibility and inclusive design in public sector software. As we celebrate World Usability Day, an international effort promoting user-centered design, Tyler Technologies experts Kathy Wolf and Mike Teeters offer valuable insights on how accessible technology can empower communities and enhance the resident experience.Kathy Wolf, Tyler's senior director of user experience, discusses the core principles behind designing accessible and inclusive applications, noting that the goal of inclusive design is to ensure everyone, regardless of their abilities or background, can fully participate in and benefit from digital services. She emphasizes empathy as the foundation for understanding user needs and constraints, helping local governments create digital services that are accessible and barrier-free from the initial design phase through testing.In the second half of the episode, Senior Product Manager Mike Teeters addresses the resident experience, sharing how improving web and mobile accessibility can connect communities and create more inclusive digital spaces for all. Together, Kathy and Mike explore how accessible technology not only meets compliance requirements but also enriches the lives of residents by reducing barriers to essential government services.We also detail our latest white paper about how AI is empowering public sector agencies to tackle workforce shortages, modernize outdated systems, and navigate budget constraints. You can download that here: Revolutionizing the Government Workforce With AI.Learn more about the topics discussed in this episode with these resources:Download: Access Granted: How Local Governments Can Plan to Meet Digital Accessibility MandatesBlog: Enhancing Access to Services in Local and State GovernmentPodcast: Technology's Role in Breaking Down Access BarriersPodcast: Improving Access: Practical Solutions for Public Sector ChallengesTyler in the News: Indiana Boosts Accessibility for Local GovernmentVideo: County Increases Access, Streamlining e-Filing SearchesListen to other episodes of the podcast.Let us know what you think about the Tyler Tech Podcast in this survey!

The highlight of this episode is my visit to the Pennsylvania Governor's Mansion for "Lori Listens," hosted by PA First Lady Lori Shapiro. I, along with other members of the NFB of PA, got to talk about web accessibility issues with folks from the state. We gave feedback on a Commonwealth website and were surprised to see changes made almost immediately—proof that they're taking our concerns seriously.  I dive into the everyday frustrations we face when websites and apps aren't accessible—like unlabeled buttons or pages that trap you behind pop-up ads. These things can make simple tasks take forever. But it felt good knowing that someone was listening and committed to improving things. What do I mean when I say an app or a website is not accessible? I give a couple of demos of sites that are not accessible and provide a workaround for one of them.  Show notes at https://www.iCantCU.com/273 Links Mentioned (product links are affiliate links so that I may earn a commission.) GoPro Hero 11 Black: https://amzn.to/4hg2xSF GoPro Hero 13 Black: https://amzn.to/48rmvpC Crunchy Peanut Butter Kind Bars - YUM!: https://amzn.to/4cYfm0E Be My Eyes app (free): https://www.bemyeyes.com/  Seeing AI app (free): https://www.seeingai.com/  Watch episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iCantCU Support iCantCU When shopping at Amazon, I would appreciate it if you clicked on this link to make your purchases: https://www.iCantCU.com/amazon. I participate in the Amazon Associate Program and earn commissions on qualifying purchases. The best part is, you don't pay extra for doing this! White Canes Connect Podcast Episode 114 In episode 114, co-host Lisa Bryant and I sit down with Krystle Boateng, the creative force behind Inside Ability Books, a publisher of accessible, large-print children's books. Krystle, who lost her central vision due to uveitis at 19, shares how her personal journey led her to create books that prioritize accessibility through high-contrast text and large fonts.  The interview explores the profound impact her books have on visually impaired parents and children, with a touching story from Federationist Simone Cooper, who met Krystle at the NFB Convention. Simone describes the joy of finally being able to read to her nieces, thanks to the thoughtful design of Inside Ability's books.  Find the podcast on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/white-canes-connect/id1592248709  Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1YDQSJqpoteGb1UMPwRSuI YouTube Https://www.youtube.com/@pablindpodcast White Canes Connect On Twitter Https://www.twitter.com/PABlindPodcast My Podcast Gear Here is all my gear and links to it on Amazon. I participate in the Amazon Associates Program and earn a commission on qualifying purchases. Zoom Podtrak P4: https://amzn.to/33Ymjkt Zoom ZDM Mic & Headphone Pack: https://amzn.to/33vLn2s Zoom H1n Recorder: https://amzn.to/3zBxJ9O  Gator Frameworks Desk Mounted Boom Arm: https://amzn.to/3AjJuBK Shure SM58 S Mic: https://amzn.to/3JOzofg  Sony ZV-E10 camera : https://amzn.to/4fFBSxM Sennheiser Headset (1st 162 episodes): https://amzn.to/3fM0Hu0  Follow iCantCU on your favorite podcast directory! Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/icantcu-podcast/id1445801370/  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3nck2D5HgD9ckSaUQaWwW2  Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/iCantCU-Podcast-Podcast/B08JJM26BT  IHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-icantcu-podcast-31157111/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/davidbenj  Reach out on social media Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/davidbenj Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidbenj Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidbenj LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbenj Are You or Do You Know A Blind Boss? If you or someone you know is crushing it in their field and is also blind, I want to hear from you! Call me at (646) 926-6350 and leave a message. Please include your name and town, and tell me who the Blind Boss is and why I need to have them on an upcoming episode. You can also email the show at iCantCUPodcast@gmail.com.

Welcome solo and group practice owners! We are Liath Dalton and Evan Dumas, your co-hosts of Group Practice Tech. In our latest episode, we chat with therapist Emily Decker about how to make group practice more accessible, both for clients and staff.   We discuss: The number of mental health clinicians who are disabled Navigating identity as a disabled person and as a helping professional, especially where those identities intersect Practice culture and neurodivergence Ways to create a disability affirming culture within group practice (for clients and staff) Unpacking what professionalism means What accessibility means What disability means Internalized ableism Unpacking what's actually needed for therapy and what isn't Universal Design, and how to apply it for therapy practices Our upcoming CE training with Emily on this topic Listen here: https://personcenteredtech.com/group/podcast/ For more, visit our website. PCT Resources 2 legal-ethical CE credit hour training (live and recorded), presented by Emily Decker, MS, LPC, NCC, Can You Hear Me? The Legal and Ethical Role of Accessibility in Anti-Oppressive and Neurodivergent-Affirming Teletherapy This training aims to create familiarity and comfort for therapists providing teletherapy and combat stigma and inaccessibility in teletherapy. The conversation is situated within an anti-oppressive and neurodivergent-affirming framework, connecting concepts of accessibility and disability justice with mental health care, and provides an overview of legal and ethical issues pertaining to accessibility within teletherapy, including identifying and dispelling common myths about accessibility and disability, and identifying specific, concrete resources for therapists to use to enhance the accessibility of their services. Resources Recommended by Emily Book: Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally by Emily Ladau DARN Disability 2023 conference recordings (free! and geared towards educators and supervisors) Web Accessibility and the ADA Textbook: Disability-Affirmative Therapy by Rhoda Olkin This author also has a webinar on this topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEJ46Rfz2kc Textbook: Disability As Diversity by Erin E. Andrews Book: Disability Visibiltiy by Alice Wong (also has a great website and podcast by the same name)

Could the future of web accessibility hinge on nuanced grading systems rather than binary pass/fail ratings? Join us as we sit down with Detlev Fischer, Managing Director of Dias and a key figure in the development of the German test procedure for WCAG 2. Detlev shares his eclectic career path, from studying film in Hamburg and visual arts in the UK to becoming an accessibility advocate. You'll gain a unique insider perspective on the collaborative efforts required to shape accessibility standards and the critical role organizations like W3C and IAAP play in this evolving field.We dive deep into the complexities of web accessibility standards, particularly focusing on the WCAG 2 guidelines. Discover why binary ratings may not be enough and explore innovative solutions like graded ratings and the use of assertions for dynamic content. The conversation expands to the European Accessibility Act, the challenges of reaching a consensus among experts across regions, and the urgency to accelerate progress in web accessibility despite slow advancements over the past decade.In our final segment, we tackle the implementation challenges of European accessibility standards and the varied progress across different regions. Learn how mandatory accessibility statements have driven improvements on public websites and why the demand for accessibility expertise is skyrocketing among software companies. We also celebrate recent achievements in the field, extending heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to these milestones. This episode is a tribute to the hard work and collaboration that continue to drive the accessibility movement forward.Support the showFollow axschat on social mediaTwitter:https://twitter.com/axschathttps://twitter.com/AkwyZhttps://twitter.com/neilmillikenhttps://twitter.com/debraruhLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/antoniovieirasantos/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/axschat/Vimeohttps://vimeo.com/akwyz

Web accessibility is an afterthought or a technical thing for many designers. At least I saw it that way before I embarked on my accessibility journey. But It's during the design process when crucial decisions are made – and these go a long way! So to give designers some practical tips, I invited web accessibility expert Mina Nabinger to join me in a fun talk. We discuss What you should pay attention to as a designer, covering things like: Why accessibility matters and is not just a checklist, The legal landscape, especially in the EU, the most critical issues for visual designers, How much accessibility is needed vs. nice to have, and Balancing accessibility with aesthetics. Talking Points: 04:09 – Mina's Background in Accessibility06:47 – Why Accessibility Matters08:22 – Relevance of Accessibility for Visual Designers10:52 – Top Accessibility Issues in Visual Design13:34 – Accessibility as a Continuous Process, Not a Checklist15:05 – Critical Issues in Visual Design Accessibility21:42 – Legal Landscape of Accessibility in the EU26:08 – Icon Buttons Without Labels29:24 – Challenges with Moving Images and GIFs32:11 – Links in Paragraphs and Touch Targets37:50 – Outdated Icons: Do They Still Work?40:25 – Writing Accessible Call–to–Action Buttons43:26 – How Much Accessibility is Needed vs. Nice to Have?47:05 – Balancing Accessibility with Aesthetics50:48 – Screen Resolution and Text Size for Accessibility56:00 – Final tips for visual designers

In this episode of the Post Status Happiness Hour, Michelle Frechette Danielle Zarcaro, and Isla White discuss their roles and experiences with WordPress Accessibility Day. Michelle, the lead organizer for marketing, expresses her excitement and facilitates the conversation. Danielle, a web developer, emphasizes the importance of web accessibility for all users and shares insights from her three-year involvement. Isla, the project manager, highlights the event's global impact and the collective responsibility of ensuring web accessibility. The speakers also discuss the significance of the 24-hour event format, the practical aspects of implementing accessibility, and the importance of community and sponsorships in making the event successful.Top Takeaways:Register Early for WP Accessibility Day: The event registration is open, and participants are encouraged to sign up early, even before the speaker list is finalized. This allows attendees to receive updates and stay informed about the event.Seek Guidance and Explore Accessibility: Danielle Zarcaro emphasizes the importance of seeking help and asking questions when starting with accessibility. She encourages exploring different aspects of web design and accessibility to enhance knowledge and skills.Diverse Perspectives on Accessibility: Isla Waite highlights the value of attending talks from international speakers. Gaining perspectives from around the world can greatly enrich understanding and appreciation of accessibility work.Accessibility and Aesthetics: The discussion challenges the misconception that accessible websites are inherently unattractive. Both Danielle and Isla argue that accessibility does not preclude beauty and creativity in design. They stress that accessibility can be integrated with design principles to create functional and appealing websites.User Control and Preferences: There's a focus on allowing users to control their experience, such as providing options for dark mode or animation toggles. This approach respects users' preferences and improves accessibility by accommodating different needs and settings.Mentioned In The Show:WP Accessibility DayLainey FeingoldStructured NegotiationLinkedInUnderrepresented In Tech

Building a Good Web doesn’t just mean making the current Internet a nicer place, but making an Internet that everyone can use. This week Lola Odelola (Lola’s Lab, formerly of Bocoup) joins the Good Web series to talk about the fundamentals of web accessibility and the fascinating process the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) uses […]

The cost of health benefits is rising, but employers say they are prepared to maintain their current employee health plans. Gene Marks shares news about a study that said nearly half of employers surveyed said they would cover the costs, and many would add alternative benefits. That's good news considering other topics on this week's episode reveal that 34% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Business owners will also want to audit their websites because a NYC firm is bringing lawsuits against those lacking web accessibility under the ADA. Watch or listen to the podcast.  DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have.

In our last episode, we talked about Web Accessibility. But, did you know that there are accessibility concerns on the backend and in our interactions with our teams. Hilary Stohs-Krause joins the show to tell us more about how we can be more accommodating to our teams. Show Notes Simple writing "Disability Impacts All of Us" (CDC) - https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/infographic-disability-impacts-all.html Hemingway Editor - https://hemingwayapp.com/ "Use simple words and phrases" (PlainLanguage.gov) - https://www.plainlanguage.gov/guidelines/words/use-simple-words-phrases/ Contrast Checker - https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/ Have a comment on this episode? Send an email to comments@therubyonrailspodcast.com

Joel is a staff software engineer at GitHub, working on user interface architecture and strategy. For the last several years, he has been part of the team working to improve the accessibility of GitHub.com. He also leads development of the ViewComponent framework. Today, he joins the show to teach us about Web Accessibility Show Notes Joel's RailsConf Talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j2zlvE_Yj8 WCAG Guidelines - https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/ Axe Devtools - https://www.deque.com/axe/devtools/ Aria Live - https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Accessibility/ARIA/Attributes/aria-live

Join Anne, Taeke, and Christian Behrends on the Do the Woo Accessibility podcast as they chat about web accessibility, share success stories, and provide valuable resources.

Join Anne, Taeke, and Christian Behrends on the Do the Woo Accessibility podcast as they chat about web accessibility, share success stories, and provide valuable resources.

 In Episode 264 of iCantCU, I share two stories about how AI has made my life easier. The first story revolves around recording our Keystone Chapter meeting. I used Descript to transcribe the recording and then ChatGPT to draft the minutes. This process saved me significant time despite needing a few corrections. The second story is about ordering my medication, Taltz, from the specialty pharmacy's Express website. The site wasn't accessible with VoiceOver, so I used a series of screenshots and the Be My Eyes AI feature to navigate it. Although it took longer than it should have, I successfully verified my address and selected the correct delivery date, feeling accomplished for handling it independently. Show notes at https://www.iCantCU.com/264.   Links Mentioned (product links are affiliate links so that I may earn a commission.) Zoom H1Essential recorder: https://amzn.to/44Xq5Wo  Zoom H4Essential recorder: https://amzn.to/4bv20sJ  Zoom H6Essential recorder: https://amzn.to/4bR4Ac2  Be My Eyes app (free): https://www.bemyeyes.com/  Seeing AI app (free): https://www.seeingai.com/  Find this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iCantCU Support iCantCU When shopping at Amazon, I would appreciate it if you clicked on this link to make your purchases: https://www.iCantCU.com/amazon. I participate in the Amazon Associate Program and earn commissions on qualifying purchases. The best part is, you don't pay extra for doing this! White Canes Connect Podcast Episode 102 In episode 102, Lisa Bryant and Simon Bonenfant explore web accessibility for the visually impaired. Their guests, Bob Moran from Accessibility Shield and Dennis Zehner from Sites for Hope, discuss their organizations' efforts to improve website usability for people with visual impairments.    Find the podcast on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/white-canes-connect/id1592248709  Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1YDQSJqpoteGb1UMPwRSuI IHeartRadio https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-white-canes-connect-89603482/ YouTube Https://www.youtube.com/@pablindpodcast White Canes Connect On Twitter Https://www.twitter.com/PABlindPodcast My Podcast Gear Here is all my gear and links to it on Amazon. I participate in the Amazon Associates Program and earn a commission on qualifying purchases. Zoom Podtrak P4: https://amzn.to/33Ymjkt Zoom ZDM Mic & Headphone Pack: https://amzn.to/33vLn2s Zoom H1n Recorder: https://amzn.to/3zBxJ9O  Gator Frameworks Desk Mounted Boom Arm: https://amzn.to/3AjJuBK Shure SM58 S Mic: https://amzn.to/3JOzofg  Sennheiser Headset (1st 162 episodes): https://amzn.to/3fM0Hu0  Follow iCantCU on your favorite podcast directory! Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/icantcu-podcast/id1445801370/  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3nck2D5HgD9ckSaUQaWwW2  Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/iCantCU-Podcast-Podcast/B08JJM26BT  IHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-icantcu-podcast-31157111/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/davidbenj  Reach out on social media Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/davidbenj Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidbenj Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidbenj LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbenj Are You or Do You Know A Blind Boss? If you or someone you know is crushing it in their field and is also blind, I want to hear from you! Call me at (646) 926-6350 and leave a message. Please include your name and town, and tell me who the Blind Boss is and why I need to have them on an upcoming episode. You can also email the show at iCantCUPodcast@gmail.com.

The accessibility experts at Americaneagle.com, active participants within disabled communities, recently sponsored a Web Accessibility Survey to learn more from the people they serve. This episode discusses the Web Accessibility Survey, featuring insights from accessibility experts Nick Goodrum and Norbert Rum. They explore diverse user experiences with web technologies, aiming to enhance and normalize accessibility in digital environments. This podcast is brought to you by Americaneagle.com Studios. Connect with: Modern Marketing Messages: Americaneagle.com // Twitter // Instagram // Facebook // YouTube Taylor Karg: LinkedIn Nick Goodrum: LinkedIn Norbert Rum: LinkedIn Resources: Website and Application Accessibility Remediation Services | Web Accessibility Survey

Hosts Anne and Taeke discussing their commitment to web accessibility, legal and ethical implications, and the business impact of accessibility.

Hosts Anne and Taeke discussing their commitment to web accessibility, legal and ethical implications, and the business impact of accessibility.

#175 The WebAIM Million provides insightful data on the top 1 million web pages. Find out what you need to know as a web designer or developer about the state of website accessibility in 2024.

CSUN 2024: Silktide Website Accessibility & Content Checker Lupe and Her New iPhone with a Little Story About Arnold Schwarzenegger CES 2024: Satechi Qi2 and Magnetic Travel Chargers Support the Show Interview with Chris Cooke About AIRA (no blog post) Transcript of NC_2024_04_03 Join the Conversation: allison@podfeet.com podfeet.com/slack Support the Show: Patreon Donation PayPal one-time donation Podfeet Podcasts Mugs at Zazzle Podfeet 15-Year Anniversary Shirts Referral Links: Parallels Toolbox - 3 months free for you and me Learn through MacSparky Field Guides - 15% off for you and me Backblaze - One free month for me and you Setapp - One free month for me and you Eufy - $40 for me if you spend $200. Sadly nothing in it for you. PIA VPN - One month added to Paid Accounts for both of us CleanShot X - Earns me $25%, sorry nothing in it for you but my gratitude

#173 The WebAIM 2024 Screen Reader User Survey provides insights we can use to perform better web accessibility testing and to understand more about screen reader users' behavior and preferences.

In today's episode, I talk about some awful comments on Hacker News, and why they're wrong.In today's episode, I talk about some awful comments on Hacker News, and why they’re wrong.Show Notes & Transcript →

In this episode of Whiskey Web and Whatnot hosts Robbie and Charles discuss various aspects of coding and web development with special guest, experienced front-end Engineer, Amera White. She shares her personal journey of transitioning from a career in aviation to the tech sector and the experiences that deepened her passion for web accessibility. They highlight the challenges for neurodivergent individuals on the web and discuss how to improve this through better design and coding practices, emphasizing the importance of personalization and empathy in development. The discussions also include a walkthrough on various coding topics such as the use of TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, dealing with neurodivergent audiences and the benefits of using accessible web development strategies. Key Takeaways [00:19] - Getting to Know the Guest: Amera White [01:05] - Whiskey Tasting: Teeling Single Grain [04:31] - Whiskey Rating and Discussion [07:00] - Hot Takes: Tech Edition [15:01] - Understanding Neurodivergence [18:27] - Improving Website Accessibility for Neurodivergent Users [28:02] - The Power of Netflix and Platform Accessibility [28:23] - The Struggles of Web Accessibility [29:16] - The Importance of Incorporating Accessibility in the Process [30:06] - The Challenges of Corporate Responsibility [30:37] - The Impact of Lawsuits and Regulations on Web Accessibility [31:19] - The Benefits of Accessibility for Everyone [31:54] - The Disconnect Between Business and Employee Experience [32:09] - The Importance of Teaching Accessibility Early [32:49] - The Role of SEO in Promoting Accessibility [33:21] - The Impact of AI on Accessibility [38:49] - The Challenges and Fun of Working in TSA [48:06] - The Transition from TSA to Coding [55:51] - The Importance of Beyoncé in Web Design Links Amera White Twitter Amera White LinkedIn Beyoncé's Internet Connect with our hosts Robbie Wagner Chuck Carpenter Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Whiskey Web and Whatnot Whiskey Web and Whatnot Merch Enjoying the podcast and want us to make more? Help support us by picking up some of our fresh merch at https://whiskey.fund/⁠. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/whiskey-web-and-whatnot/message

#171 There are so many places where you can find clients who need your accessibility services. Many of them are already knowledgeable about accessibility and understand they need it and are even easy to find.

So today we're chatting with Gen Herres about web accessibility. Gen is an experienced WordPress developer who has been in the field for over a decade. After making the typical mistakes in website development, Gen met Amber Hinds in 2019 and became interested in accessibility through her company, Equalize Digital. This led to a deep dive into the world of accessibility, and Gen began to incorporate it into her development processes. She discovered the lack of good checklists for accessibility and continues to explore this challenging and rewarding aspect of web development. Whether you're new to the world of accessibility or a seasoned professional seeking to enhance your knowledge, this episode provides a comprehensive overview of the critical role that accessibility plays in web development.

#168 Accessibility company Level Access has warned against website accessibility overlays in the past. So it shocked the accessibility industry when they announced plans to acquire UserWay, known for its overlay. Find out what this potentially means for the industry.

In this podcast episode, Cory Miller interviews Amber Haynes, CEO of Equalize Digital, about the importance of accessibility in WordPress and web design. They discuss the recent award received by Equalize Digital for their Digital Accessibility Checker plugin, which audits WordPress websites for accessibility. Amber highlights the challenges faced by screen reader users and the increasing legal requirements for website accessibility. She also shares insights on the role of plugin developers in improving web accessibility and the competitive landscape of different platforms in terms of accessibility. The episode concludes with Amber discussing upcoming improvements to their plugin.Top Takeaways: Accessibility as a Skill Set: Agencies and web developers are encouraged to recognize the growing importance of accessibility in web development due to upcoming legislation. Amber suggests adding accessibility as a skill set and recommends starting with tools like the Accessibility Checker plugin to identify and address issues.Practical Steps for Improvement: To enhance accessibility, developers are advised to incorporate the Accessibility Checker plugin into their starter themes, whether custom or using a page builder. Amber emphasizes the importance of testing websites using only a keyboard, focusing on navigation, and ensuring that all functionality is accessible without a mouse.Evolution of the Accessibility Checker Plugin: The Accessibility Checker plugin has evolved over time, with a focus on improving user experience and introducing features such as full site reports and audit history. The plugin is continually refined to provide developers with meaningful insights into accessibility issues on their websites.Challenges and Opportunities in WordPress Accessibility: While WordPress powers a significant portion of the internet, there are ongoing challenges with accessibility, particularly in the core product. Amber discusses the need for a more strategic approach to accessibility within the WordPress community, addressing issues and making accessibility a priority in the development process. The conversation also touches on how other content management systems, such as CraftCMS, are actively prioritizing accessibility.Mentioned in the Show:Equalize DigitalAccessibility Checker pluginGAAD FoundationGaady AwardSlackEuropean Accessibility ActCraft CMSDrupalMeetupShopifySquarespaceLone Rock PointNASA

What does accessibility design look like at the largest social media company in the world? According to this week's guest, Tolu Adegbite, it's a lot more than you may think! Between websites, apps, and devices, there are a lot of considerations to factor in, and Tolu's unique background makes her well-equipped to solve these problems.Tolu gave us a peek into the mood at Meta fresh off the launch of Threads, and she spoke about her day-to-day routine being on the company's app design systems team. She also shared her story of starting out as a developer, and went into how recent current events inspired her to get more involved with including intersectionality as a key factor in her work. Tolu's also writing her first book, so she talked about how she juggles that with also being a graduate student.Tolu is a great example of how using your life experiences can shape your creative perspectives!LinksTolu Adegbite's WebsiteTolu Adegbite on InstagramTolu Adegbite on LinkedInTolu Adegbite on ThreadsFor a full transcript of this interview, visit revisionpath.com.==========Donate to Revision PathFor 10 years, Revision Path has been dedicated to showcasing Black designers and creatives from all over the world. In order to keep bringing you the content that you love, we need your support now more than ever.Click or tap here to make either a one-time or monthly donation to help keep Revision Path running strong.Thank you for your support!==========Follow and SubscribeLike this episode? Then subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your favorite shows. Follow us, and leave us a 5-star rating and a review!You can also follow Revision Path on Instagram and Twitter.==========CreditsRevision Path is brought to you by Lunch, a multidisciplinary creative studio in Atlanta, GA.Executive Producer and Host: Maurice CherryEditor and Audio Engineer: RJ BasilioIntro Voiceover: Music Man DreIntro and Outro Music: Yellow SpeakerTranscripts are provided courtesy of Brevity and Wit.☎️ Call ‪626-603-0310 and leave us a message with your comments on this episode!Thank you for listening!==========Sponsored by Brevity & WitBrevity & Wit is a strategy and design firm committed to designing a more inclusive and equitable world. They are always looking to expand their roster of freelance design consultants in the U.S., particularly brand strategists, copywriters, graphic designers and Web developers.If you know how to deliver excellent creative work reliably, and enjoy the autonomy of a virtual-based, freelance life (with no non-competes), check them out at brevityandwit.com.Brevity & Wit — creative excellence without the grind.==========Sponsored by the School of Visual Arts - BFA Design & BFA AdvertisingThe BFA Design program at the School of Visual Arts consistently produces innovative and acclaimed work that is rooted in a strong foundational understanding of visual communication. It encourages creativity through cutting-edge tools, visionary design techniques, and offers burgeoning creatives a space to find their voice.Students in BFA Advertising are prepared for success in the dynamic advertising industry in a program led by faculty from New York's top ad agencies. Situated at the center of the advertising capital of the world, the program inspires the next generation of creative thinkers and elite professionals to design the future.School of Visual Arts has been a leader in the education of artists, designers and creative professionals for over seven decades. Comprising 7,000 students at its Manhattan campus and more than 41,000 alumni from 128 countries, SVA also represents one of the most influential artistic communities in the world. For information about the College's 30 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, visit sva.edu.