Overlay Position and Recommendations The International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) has published a statement outlining its position on controversial accessibility overlay widgets/plugins. This can be referred to as an authoritative position on the subject, alongside other community efforts such as https://overlayfactsheet.com. It is a short statement, so worth reading fully in its own right…. [Read More]

Giving a damn about accessibility A useful resource for advocates, created by accessibility professional Sheri Byrne-Haber in partnership with UX Collective. The handbook (PDF – 13.3 MB) is beautifully illustrated throughout its 49 pages, and covers the different ‘people challenges’ you will face as an accessibility advocate, and how to overcome them: People who are… [Read More]

EU Runs World’s Largest Accessibility Test A Deque article that is well worth a read. The EU Web Accessibility Directive (issued in October 2016) stipulated that all government agencies in the EU were required to ensure their websites and apps are accessible by June 2021. Every country has to monitor the accessibility of its digital… [Read More]

Be the change you want to see in the world This isn’t an article, but I just wanted to share a story from frequent11y subscriber Nick, who recently contacted me by email. Nick noticed that common electrical items such as extension cords and adapters, sold for consumer use, have important safety information embossed on the… [Read More]

Why Don’t Developers Take Accessibility Seriously? Melanie Sumner writes an engaging CSS Tricks article, exploring different perspectives on web accessibility in 3 ‘acts’: Melanie laments how the accusatory tone of some accessibility advocates doesn’t help. Developers have a lot to learn in their careers beyond just HTML/JS/CSS. In the absence of good accessibility from educational… [Read More]

Next-generation spinal implants help people with severe paralysis walk, cycle, and swim “Three men paralyzed in motorcycle accidents have become the first success stories for a new spinal stimulation device that could enable faster and easier recoveries than its predecessors.” “The men, who had no sensation or control over their legs, were able to take… [Read More]