Accessibility
How to Pick a Website Font People Can Actually Read
The Most Unreadable Thing I Ever Got in the Mail Came from Graphic Designers A long time ago (let’s just say decades, and leave it there), I worked for a corporation that paid for my AIGA membership. That’s the American Institute of Graphic Arts. The big professional organization for designers. The people whose entire job…
Read MoreIt’s not just dentists. The internet wasn’t exaggerating. And this is kind of a big deal.
A client reached out recently after seeing a wave of social media videos warning that dental office websites might not be ADA compliant. She wanted to know if it was real or just the internet being dramatic again. (Name withheld to protect the curious. Not because of HIPAA. Probably not HIPAA. But it felt responsible.)…
Read MoreA Practical Website Accessibility Checklist for Real-World Use
If you’ve spent more than five minutes looking into ADA or website accessibility, you’ve probably realized how quickly it turns into a rabbit hole. There’s a lot of theory, a lot of technical language, and not a lot of clear direction for what actually matters on a typical business website. This is not a perfect,…
Read MoreFrozen Toast, AI, and Other Modern Horrors
A couple weeks ago I went to a professional conference and saw something genuinely chilling. No, it wasn’t a Halloween costume. I watched a live demo of how to scare off every client in the room. I attended a panel on book cover design & illustration—right up my alley. I’ve done plenty of book covers…
Read MoreGetting sued for trying to be responsible with your website, made easy!
What is an overlay? An overlay is a magic spell that a fairy casts on your website to make all your accessibility problems disappear. Except that it isn’t magical. It is a lie. And there is no fairy. Functionally, an overlay is a widget or plugin installed on your website. It promises to repair your…
Read MoreAccessibility Defined. What do all these terms mean?
This is a cheat sheet of some of the terms commonly used when talking about ADA compliance or accessibility. A11y: A shortened form of the word “accessibility.” There are eleven letters between “A” and “Y”. Ableism: Discrimination or prejudice against individuals with disabilities. Accessibility Barrier: Anything that prevents individuals with disabilities from fully accessing and…
Read MoreHow to use the Colour Contrast Analyser to Check your Website and Screen Documents for Accessibility Color Usage
What is color contrast and why is it important? Color contrast is the relationship between two colors when they are next-to or on-top-of each other. Great contrast is readable. Poor contrast is not. You probably never gave it much thought but there is a reason that a stop sign is red with white lettering —…
Read MoreAccessibility: How to Stop Leaving Potential Customers’ Money on the Floor… and Not Be an Ass at the Same Time!
What is Accessibility and Why Does it Matter to Your Business? At root, Accessibility is about showing customers you care about them and extending a welcome mat to people want to spend money with you, but may not feel like their needs are adequately addressed enough to do so. I think everyone understands that your…
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