Kae Anderson, CPACC

💡 My Top 3 Free Accessibility Testing Tools You Should Be Using in 2025 Accessibility isn’t just about meeting requirements; it’s about designing experiences that work for everyone. Here are my top three go-to free tools for building inclusive websites: 1️⃣ ARC Toolkit — A free browser extension (Chrome/Edge) that gives detailed, code-level WCAG analysis. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g6kbKTtE 2️⃣ TPGi Colour Contrast Analyser (CCA) — Desktop app for Windows & Mac to check and tweak color contrast, plus simulate various vision conditions. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gdGVeGz6 3️⃣ WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool — A visual overlay that spots accessibility errors and structural issues right in your browser. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gWihMYDJ ✅ Pro tip: Automated tools catch a lot, but they don’t replace manual testing with your keyboard, assistive tech and real users. That’s where the magic of true accessibility happens. 💬 What’s your favorite accessibility tool? Drop it in the comments so we can build a resource list together! #Accessibility #A11y #InclusiveDesign #WebDevelopment #Webflow #UXDesign #WCAG #Resources #CoolTools

72

15 Comments

IAAP Members Explore the Mini Courses Pilot 🎓 Designed for Lifelong Accessibility Learning: https://shorturl.at/TFdHQ IAAP is piloting a new Mini Courses Library, bite-sized, self-paced lessons designed for professionals looking to build or refresh specific accessibility knowledge. 1. Earn 4 CPACC credits per course program 2. Available until August 15 3. Open exclusively to IAAP Members during pilot phase Courses programs include: 1. Disability Etiquette 2. Accessibility Basics 3. Inclusive Tourism Essentials Until 15 August, IAAP is running this pilot, and we’d love your input. Try it out and share your thoughts to help us make it even better! During the pilot phase only IAAP Members will be able to access our new Mini Courses Library. #AccessibilityEducation #InclusiveLearning #ProfessionalEducation #IAAPMembership

65

3 Comments

I keep hearing "No blank cells in a table" taught by other accessibility instructors - which is false. So I thought I'd take a moment and actually create a sample showing what it sounds like using blank cells inside a table. There is absolutely no problem with blank cells whatsoever. A screen reader will voice the blank cells either as "blank" or "nothing," depending upon what screen reader you're using. In fact, I wrote an article about it, and I'll paste it in the link below. Your organization can choose to have no blank cells in a table, but there is no programmatic reason why you can't have blank cells in a table, and all you have to do is test your document using the screen reader and the results are very clear. If I am missing something, please, someone fill me in. But this is not an accessibility barrier for either JAWS or NVDA. #accessibility #NVDA #JAWS #PDF #training #inclusiveDesign https://lnkd.in/g4JympxH

89

28 Comments

Stop confusing Accessibility statements with accessibility practices. There’s a BIG difference. 
The problem? Most companies love to say the right things. 
But employees & customers don’t live in statements. 
(They live in reality) And in reality you say “we value accessibility,” but: Your website breaks with a screen reader. You host events, but captions are “optional.” Your hiring filters out & disqualifies disabled talent. That’s not accessibility at all. That’s marketing. Accessibility isn’t about what you put on paper. 
It’s about what people can actually do, see, and experience. Here’s some potential fixs: - Stop writing fluff. Start fixing barriers. - Test your stuff with actual disabled users. - Be accountable for results, not statements. Words don’t open doors. Practices do. You really want to build an inclusive culture? Don’t just write about it…show it. PS Some of my favorite people to follow around accessibility: Dustin Giannelli🦻🏼 Michael Iannelli Jamie Shields Axel Leblois Debra Ruh Ablr 360 Special mention: M-Enabling Summit G3ict - The Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs IAAP - International Association of Accessibility Professionals [image description: Quote on background that says accessibility statements aren’t accessibility practices. Stop confusing the two. ] #accessibility #dei #disability #inclusion

317

28 Comments

Practical accessibility tip that makes my trainees say: "Why did we never think of that before?" ✨ Add an 'image description' column to your content planner. Adopting accessibility practices can feel new and daunting, but in reality, all you need to do is... start. Remember, I'm here if you need me :)

62

12 Comments

I want to share a few things working in Digital Accessibility has taught me 💡 When I started working in digital accessibility, I knew it was about inclusion, but I didn’t realize just how deep that inclusion goes. Over time, this role has reshaped the way I think about technology, design, and human experience in general (far beyond the universities' curriculum). Here are a few lessons I’ve learned along the way: 1. Accessibility is everyone’s job: It’s not just for specialists or compliance officers, it’s a shared responsibility across design, development, and content teams. When accessibility is embedded from the start, everyone benefits. 2. Small changes make a big impact: Adding proper labels, descriptive alt text or using semantic HTML, might seem minor, but for someone using a screen reader, it transforms usability. 3. Empathy and testing go hand-in-hand: True accessibility isn’t achieved by guessing, it’s achieved by listening, testing with real users, and constantly learning from their experiences. 4. Accessibility drives innovation: Many of the technologies we use daily, from voice assistants to captions, were built for accessibility first. Designing inclusively often sparks creative solutions that improve the experience for everyone. 5. Compliance is the floor, not the ceiling: (I saved the best lesson for last) Many people/organizations believes the goal is to meet WCAG standard and for some, it's just legal compliance. Meeting WCAG standards is important, but accessibility is ultimately about creating equitable experiences, not just compliant ones. Working in this field has shown me that accessibility is not just a checklist, it’s a mindset, a culture, and a commitment to designing for all humans. This is what every person and organization should embrace. I will be posting more and advocating for digital accessibility especially in Africa where it is often neglected. I want to work on a strategic plan to penetrate the region, and I'm open to ideas and collaboration 😊 💬 I’d love to hear from others in the field; what’s one thing working (directly or indirectly) in accessibility has taught you? #DigitalAccessibility #A11y #InclusiveDesign #UX #AccessibilityMatters

74

9 Comments

A thought on AI and digital accessibility. Numerous companies in the digital accessibility field are working on ideas that are doomed to fail. Why? There are two reasons: 1. Testing digital accessibility with AI is, at best, an expansion of the current generation of testing. Frankly, most companies have yet to really reach the limits of what existing technologies can do. For example, when it comes to Web accessibility testing, there's still so much more testing that can be done with JavaScript. The addition of AI to testing will enable greater coverage, but will not be transformative. "AI" in the context of *testing* is little more than a marketing ploy. 2. What most companies are working on right now is already obsolete. They just don't know it yet. If your idea of AI and accessibility is "agentic testing", then you're 3 generations behind where you should be. From a product development perspective, AI is moving too fast. By the time these companies get some meaningful accomplishment on reliable agentic testing, way more interesting stuff will have already made the agentic testing obsolete.

72

13 Comments

Every tech writer here should read this post. (even if you’re an expert or just starting out) Did you know that being a technical writer doesn’t limit you to “just writing docs”? In fact, the skills you already have, like simplifying complexity, structuring information, and translating tech into human language, open doors to multiple career paths. Here are 9 roles a technical writer can explore beyond documentation: 1. Content Strategist ↳ Shaping product, marketing, and support content into one consistent voice. 2. UX Writer ↳ Designing microcopy that guides users directly inside the product. 3. Product Trainer ↳ Turning documentation into live workshops and e-learning programs. 4. Knowledge Manager ↳ Owning the company’s internal and external knowledge bases. 5. Developer Advocate ↳ Using docs, demos, and guides to build relationships with developer communities. 6. Product Manager ↳ You already write PRDs, user flows, and requirement docs. The next step isn’t far. 7. Information Architect ↳ Creating content structures, taxonomies, and navigation systems for easy findability. 8. Instructional Designer ↳ Designing courses, modules, and assessments for professional training. 9. AI Prompt Engineer ↳ Applying your clarity with words to create effective prompts for large language models. Remember: Being a tech writer doesn’t box you in. It equips you with transferable skills that matter wherever clarity, empathy, and precision are needed. Your next role might already be hiding inside the skills you use every single day. ❤️ Let’s stop thinking of tech writing as a “niche” and start seeing it as a foundation for growth. P.S. Share this with another writer. You never know who needs to hear this today.

71

7 Comments

Accessibility Tip: Rethinking Drag-and-Drop Even if your drag-and-drop feature is keyboard-accessible, it's probably not screen reader accessible. My suggestion, don't use drag and drop or always offer a non-drag alternative. Why? Screen readers can't "see" what’s being dragged or where it’s dropped. Without clear feedback and semantics, users are left guessing. It can be done with careful labeling of drop zones; but 9 times out of 10, it's more of a cognitive lift then you think for a screen reader user. So remember: Keyboard access is step one. Screen reader usability is step two. Inclusive alternatives are the real win. WCAG 2.5.7 Dragging Movements Level AA: Actions that require dragging (like reordering) must also be possible using buttons or another method that does not require dragging. Learn more in the comments.

111

35 Comments

I have a quick accessibility tip - it’s better to left align the text on a page! Text that’s centered or justified is often harder for us to read. Centered text can be harder to read because each line starts in a different place. That means it’s easier to miss a line when reading it. And lots of us skim when we’re reading content online already, so anything that makes it harder to read will make people more likely to skip things. This also matters for people who use zoom to see things more clearly. Not having a clear starting point for each line can make it more difficult to figure out where to scroll to next. Justified text can be harder to read because the spacing in between words gets weird. Little “rivers” of white space make it harder to tell which line goes with what. It’s okay for things like titles or text within buttons to be centered. This is more about text that has multiple lines! Left aligned text is easier for most of us to read. And we want people to be able to read the content on our sites, so this is a good way to make it easier for that to happen! Here are some resources if you want to learn more: - Why Justified (or Centered) Text is Bad for Accessibility from BOIA (article) - https://lnkd.in/eaJCuisw   - Supplemental Guidance: Text Justification from the W3C (article) - https://lnkd.in/ezZydj6H - Why You Should Never Center Align Paragraph Text from UX Movement (article) - https://lnkd.in/eHzBPAHp

47

8 Comments

The Accessibility Checklist for Technical Documentation Use this checklist to create documentation that’s clear, inclusive, and user-friendly. Accessibility isn’t an add-on, it’s a necessity. When content is accessible, it benefits all users, And it strengthens trust with diverse audiences. Accessibility improves not only usability, But the overall quality of your documentation. Ready to make your content more inclusive? Here’s what the checklist includes: 📍 Understand why accessibility matters And much more... 📍 Learn essential principles for accessible content: 🗂 Structure with Purpose → Organize content with clear headings. ✍️ Write for Simplicity → Use plain language for all users. 🎨 Design for Readability → Ensure high contrast and legible fonts. 🔊 Include Multimedia Captions → Add captions and transcripts for media. 📋 Test with Assistive Tools → Validate content with accessibility software. 📍 Plus, a detailed checklist to ensure compliance: 1. Logical headings and descriptive links. 2. Alt text for visuals and multimedia captions. 3. Multiple formats for diverse users. 4. Compatibility with assistive tools. TL;DR: Accessible documentation is essential for everyone. What accessibility practices do you prioritize in your work? Let us know in the comments ⬇️ Want more career insights for technical writers: 1. Follow Technical Writer HQ 2. Like the post. 3. Repost to your network.

51

Here are three accessibility related questions you can ask a supplier at any point: 1. “How do you test your product for accessibility?” Look for evidence of both automated and manual testing, including screen reader and keyboard use. 2. “Can you share your latest Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR/VPAT)?” A credible supplier should have one, or at least be in the process of completing it. At this point you are not looking at what fails but more what are they doing about it. 3. “What is your accessibility roadmap for the next 12-18 months?” This shows whether accessibility is just a tick-box or something they’re actively improving. Some suppliers may not have a full 18 months but should know what direction they are going. #Accessibility

55

7 Comments