This past Wednesday, I joined the Design and Code meetup for an insightful session led by Tremaine McKinley on 𝐖𝐞𝐛 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. Grateful to be in a room where learning feels collaborative and purpose driven. Here are a few takeaways worth sharing with the community:
⭐ In the U.S., the 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐜𝐭 (𝐀𝐃𝐀) mandates equal access, and WCAG remains the gold standard for meeting those obligations.
WCAG guidelines come in three levels: “A” (baseline), “AA” (strong target), and “AAA” (most rigorous).
⭐Accessibility features support tools like screen readers and speech input, and include 𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭, 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐬.
⭐You can test your site’s accessibility using scanners, manual walkthroughs, and third-party apps. 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 (𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬) is a great place to start.
⭐For deeper insight, try real assistive tech like VoiceOver (macOS/iOS) or NVDA (Windows). Even something as simple as𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 can reveal a lot. Automated testing helps—but doesn’t catch everything.
⭐Tremaine also demoed tools like 𝐖𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝟏𝟏𝐲, which offer additional layers of testing and perspective.
⭐One standout moment: Tremaine’s demo of 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐟𝐲, a Chrome extension that simulates disabilities on the web. It’s a powerful reminder of why inclusive design matters.
Tremaine closed with a message that resonated deeply: “𝐖𝐞𝐛 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞.” As new laws roll out, including the European Accessibility Act in 2025, this work becomes not just important, but essential.
And as always, 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬. Whether it’s reconnecting with familiar faces or meeting someone new, these moments remind me why we gather in the first place.
