Our Latest Blogs

Digital Accessibility is a fascinating, complex subject that can seem to be quite scary but actually, the principles of it are quite logical and straightforward.

The biggest challenge we find is getting people started on their digital accessibility journey.

We love sharing our experiences and our thoughts through this blog.

Whether it is looking at accessible web design, an accessibility audit or any other aspect of digital accessibility, we hope that you find them interesting and engaging.

 

Cartoon of a man with a checklist in front of a car. There is a certificate in the foreground.

The parallels between a website Accessibility Statement and an MOT Certificate

Posted on 27 January 2024

What's the Common Ground? At glance a website accessibility audit and a cars MOT test certificate may seem unrelated.. Upon...

Cartoon drawing of a computer screen with a speaker symbol in front of it

The challenges faced by screen readers

Posted on 26 January 2024

What are screen readers? Screen readers are assistive technologies designed to enable individuals with visual impairments to access digital content,...

a cartoon drawing of a wooden bridge

Bridging the Gap: The Unified Principles of Physical and Digital Accessibility

Posted on 25 January 2024

Introduction Creating spaces, products and technologies that cater to the needs of individuals is crucial, for ensuring inclusivity. Whether in...

The Access by Design Website Accessibility Audit Team: Krista (Superpower: Blind, Weapon: JAWs Screen Reader),  Mede (Superpower: Blind, Weapon: JAWs Screen Reader),  Iona (Superpower: Cannot use hands, Weapon: Dragon Dictation),  Sara (Superpower: Neurodivergent, Weapon: Dark Mode), Lleona (Superpower: Blind, Weapon: NVDA Screen Reader),

The importance of website accessibility testing with disabled people

Posted on 24 January 2024

Creating Welcoming Websites for Everyone! In a world driven by the digital revolution ensuring website accessibility is of importance. With...

A window with large chain across it

Is it OK to open Links in a new window?

Posted on 15 January 2024

Dealing with link behavior is an issue that my team faces when conducting Website Accessibility Testing. Whenever you click on...

Clive giving his TEDx Talk in 2022. He is standing in front of a lectern. Text reads “New follow-up talk for 2024!”

New Website Accessibility Seminar for 2024

Posted on 11 January 2024

My TED Talk on Website Accessibility Website Accessibility. What it means for your organisation in 2024. I had the enormous privilege...

 website buttons, Shop Now, Book Now, Log In, Contact Us, are positioned around a cartoon of a confused face, scratching its head.

Buttons and Links - common misconceptions

Posted on 10 January 2024

This is an issue. In my website accessibility audits I frequently come across a problem; buttons that visually look like...

The 2 Ronnies in their famous Mastermind parody sketch, Answering the Question Before Last. One Ronnie is asking the questions, the other is sitting in the famous black leather chair.

Answering the question before last

Posted on 9 January 2024

Imagine this scenario You were being asked a series of questions but there is a twist. the answers that you...

Two clenched fists, pointing upwards, in handcuffs that have been broken apart

Click here. Er...click where, exactly?

Posted on 22 December 2023

Think for a moment Have you ever found yourself staring at a webpage, scratching your head, wondering, "Click here? Click...

A hamburger with a big red x on top of it. Next to it is a line drawing of a blind person with dark glasses and a walking stick.

Disabled people do not like hamburgers!

Posted on 7 December 2023

Did you know that disabled people do not like hamburgers? Here is why… Hamburgers are generally not good for your health...

A cute illustration features a grey mouse in the bottom left corner and a large, faint outline of an elephant on the right. Text nearby reads, 'What elephant? There is no elephant!!!' The focus is on the mouse's humorous denial of the obvious elephant.

Dynamic content - the elephant in the room

Posted on 23 November 2023

Has something changed? Web pages are traditionally static. You go to a page, you see what is there and then...

3 images in a line: A person sitting at a table using a computer A group of people sitting at a table A group of young girls running in a hallway

Which of these Alt Tags is the most appropriate?

Posted on 16 November 2023

3 Alt Tags for 3 images Work, lifestyle and business concept. Good-looking focused european female in trendy glasses sitting...

Clive is 54 years old and has hazel eyes. What little hair he has left is mostly brown, whereas his stubble has far more grey in it. He is wearing a dark blue hoodie and is smiling. His hoodie has Saints emblazoned on it, which is the nickname of his favourite football team, Southampton, who finally seem to be on a decent winning streak in the Championship, after a rather shaky start.

What should be in an Alt tag?

Posted on 9 November 2023

What is an Alt Tag? An Alt Tag is a tag that is attached to an image that helps a...

A man wearing a balaclava is trying to break into a house using a crowbar. Text reads Breaking the law!

Breaking the Law!!

Posted on 2 November 2023

I hate Cookie Banners I do not dislike them. I hate them. They have set Website Accessibility back 10 years. However,...

A cat is relaxing in a treatment room in a spa. Its head is reasting on a rolled up flannel and it has a towel covered its body. It looks calm and peaceful. The words Confirmation Bias are above it.

Confirmation Bias

Posted on 12 October 2023

A pat on the back I would guess that we all like to know we are doing something right. It...

A Weimaraner, a large and sleek grey dog, is in the foreground looking confused. There is a busy office in the background.   

The Importance of Website Accessibility

Posted on 3 October 2023

Ensuring Inclusivity and Compliance In today's digital age, having an online presence is essential for individuals, businesses, and organizations of...

Hand-drawn map lying on grass next to a bow and arrow. The map shows a river, trees, mountains and a dotted line meandering across it, leading to a big red X.

We are going on a scavenger hunt!

Posted on 28 September 2023

Have you ever been on a scavenger hunt? It is an exciting and interactive recreational game in which participants work...

On the left is a screenshot of the Access by Design website, showing their accessibility tool, navigation, and a large interactive graphic displaying some of their portfolio. If a mouse hovers over any one of them, it is raised gently and settles down again as the mouse moves away from it.  On the right is a screenshot of the same website in a plain format, with all of the accessibility options, page links and text over a plain white background

How do you balance aesthetics with accessibility?

Posted on 26 September 2023

Two images, same website There are two images above. The image on the left is of our website. The image...

A lit lightbulb, floating in the air. 4 unlit lightbulbs lie on the floor below it

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, otherwise known as WCAG

Posted on 31 August 2023

What are the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines? This is perhaps the most common starting point when you first come across...

A concrete ramp next to a concrete stair on a University Campus

A staircase and a ramp are both OK!

Posted on 3 August 2023

A perfect world? We would all love it if we lived in a world where every website or web portal...

A web page containing an image of a young girl drinking from a mug. A beautiful dog is peacefully asleep on her lap. An arrow is pointing to a larger version of the same image.

Are having featured images on a web page important?

Posted on 27 July 2023

Asking ChatGPT I asked ChatGPT had to say and it gave me some excellent answers, including why adding an Alt...

Graphic with Devops Logo and Tricentis Logo, Text reads Accessibility in Software Development and Testing. Photos of the participants, from left to right: Simona Domazetoska, Senior Product Marketing Manager – Tricentis,  Paloma Oliveira, Developer Advocate, Software Engineer - Sauce Labs Scott Jehl, Web Product Designer & Developer Clive Loseby, Global Leader in Website Accessibility for Disabled People - Access By Design Alan Shimel, Founder & CEO - Techstrong Group

Website Accessibility Webinar

Posted on 20 July 2023

It is always wonderful meeting like-minded people! It was such a privilege to take part in a webinar about a...

A lit lightbulb, floating in the air. 4 unlit lightbulbs lie on the floor below it

What will a website accessibility audit give me?

Posted on 19 July 2023

Understanding why A website accessibility audit will provide you with valuable insights into the accessibility of your website for users...

A happy cartoon monkey is hanging from a vine. The text reads: Filename: mky4653.jpg

Please do not use Filenames as Alt Text

Posted on 6 July 2023

Hopefully, most of us have heard of Alt Text and how important it is. It is used to provide...