What are VPATs?
VPATs, short for Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates, are documents that organizations complete to demonstrate their dedication to creating accessible products to all users, including those with disabilities. It is a formal declaration of compliance with accessibility standards, reflecting a commitment to ethical principles and adhering to relevant legal requirements. By providing a VPAT, companies transparently […]
WCAG 2.1 vs 2.2
WCAG 2.2 guidelines are an updated set of web accessibility standards being drafted by the W3C. Their upcoming release contains new success criteria that builds on the WCAG 2.1 standard while still leaving the existing guidelines intact. Understanding WCAG 2.2 vs WCAG 2.1 is an important step for your organization’s long term web accessibility strategy. What’s […]
What You Need to Know About CO HB-1110
What is CO HB-1110? Colorado’s state legislature recently passed House Bill (HB) 1110 making it the first state to require state and local governments to be compliant with digital accessibility standards. These standards already existed at the federal level, but codifying them into state law gives more legal power to those who face discrimination and […]
Voluntary Product Accessibility Template – VPAT
Your VPAT or Voluntary Product Accessibility Template tells users how accessible your product or services is for users with assistive technologies. What is a VPAT? A VPAT is a document used to help users of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) make informed decisions before engaging with a service or product. The first iteration of this document […]
A Case for Usability and UX Testing
“Nothing About Us, Without Us” If real assistive technology users haven’t tested your website, how do you know it’s truly barrier-free for people with disabilities? You really can’t. That’s why it’s important to include people with disabilities in your web design and accessibility remediation process. Usability/UX testing is your opportunity to have real users test […]
Clear, Concise, and Convenient: The Importance of Plain Language
Learn how using plain language can improve user experience, make web content more accessible to everyone, and even boost your SEO rankings. What is plain language? Plain language is simple, straightforward, and easy to understand communication. The Plain Writing Act of 2010 defines plain language as: Writing that is clear, concise, well-organized, and follows other […]
Accessible Web to Attend Axe-Con
To us, being an a11y means never stopping learning and growing our accessibility efforts. Opportunities such as Axe-Con are perfect for our team to learn from trusted industry leaders. Axe-Con, named after Deque System’s Axe-core® project, will focus on the current state of web accessibility and how it can grow further. The Axe-core® project is […]
Accessibility Updates: Instagram, Twitch, and Zoom
This past August we published a blog post showcasing some of the latest Accessibility Updates for Windows, Firefox, and Apple. For our next installment in this series, we’re talking about accessibility updates to Instagram, Twitch, and Zoom! We love seeing companies taking strides to create a more inclusive experience on the web and hope that […]
Disability Drives Innovation: Accessibility Spotlight
Haben Girma, the first person who is deaf-blind to graduate from Harvard Law School, believes that disability drives innovation. She uses the example of two Italian friends whose desire to correspond through letters sparked the invention of the typewriter. One was blind and the other sighted, so the latter created a machine where his friend […]
Why Voting Must Be Accessible to All & How It Isn’t
If voting is a civic duty, shouldn’t all voters have access to all process steps? As state and federal elections draw near, this question is urgent and, because of Covid-19, in-person options for voting are more risky or, just plain unavailable. Unfortunately, when it comes to digital access, voting is not an easy process for many […]