Category: Accessibility

Almost Ready! WCAG 2.2 is one small step away from being officially done!

A new version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is almost ready. WCAG 2.2 should be finalized in August 2023. This is a minor version update. If you are already familiar with WCAG 2.0 and/or 2.1, you probably have a number of questions. And we’ve got up-to-date answers! Why isn’t WCAG 2.2 ready yet?… Continue reading Almost Ready! WCAG 2.2 is one small step away from being officially done!

What Your Organization Needs to Navigate Canada Digital Accessibility Laws

A comprehensive guide to understanding digital accessibility requirements in Canada Digital accessibility is an integral aspect of equality and inclusivity, providing the same opportunity for all in the modern, digital world. In recognition of this, Canadian federal and provincial governments have implemented various legislative acts to ensure that individuals with disabilities have digital access without… Continue reading What Your Organization Needs to Navigate Canada Digital Accessibility Laws

WWDC 2023 Accessibility Goodies for Developers

This year, Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) was a big deal! Among the many announcements this year, Apple introduced the new Apple Vision Pro headset which has arguably and understandably stolen the show this year.  Although Vision Pro may be the big talk of the town post-WWDC, there was also a myriad of exciting… Continue reading WWDC 2023 Accessibility Goodies for Developers

Consumer Duty Implies Digital Accessibility: Are you ready for the deadline?

On July 31, 2023, the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) new Consumer Duty policy comes into force in the United Kingdom (UK). This sets higher and clearer standards of consumer protection across financial services and requires firms to put their customers’ needs first. It applies to all firms in the distribution chain for products and services… Continue reading Consumer Duty Implies Digital Accessibility: Are you ready for the deadline?

An Introductory Guide to Understanding Cognitive Disabilities

“For most people, technology makes things easier. But for people with disabilities, technology makes things possible” – Mary Pat Radabaugh By Glenda Sims and Jennie Delisi Think about the last time you hit “Snooze” on your phone’s alarm. Do you even remember pressing the button? Chances are you successfully went back to sleep for another… Continue reading An Introductory Guide to Understanding Cognitive Disabilities

My Perspective on Apple Live Speech as a Deaf Person

On May 16, Apple released a press release introducing new features for cognitive accessibility including Live Speech, Personal Voice, and Point and Speak in Magnifier. Those features will be available later this year. You can read more about it here: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/05/apple-previews-live-speech-personal-voice-and-more-new-accessibility-features/ Today, I would like to talk about Live Speech because it is valuable to… Continue reading My Perspective on Apple Live Speech as a Deaf Person

Accessibility is Officially Recognized as a Cybersecurity Priority

When I joined Deque almost a year ago as the Director of Security, I became acutely aware of the importance of accessibility in cybersecurity. Through my research, I found that not only are cybersecurity solutions in most organizations not accessible for end users, but most tools used by cybersecurity professionals themselves also are not accessible… Continue reading Accessibility is Officially Recognized as a Cybersecurity Priority

WCAG 2.2 Removes 4.1.1 Parsing and How axe-core is Impacted

Earlier this year, for the first time ever the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) proposed to remove a success criterion from WCAG 2. Success Criterion 4.1.1 Parsing ensures that pages written in markup languages like HTML and SVG are written in a way that allows browsers and assistive technologies to understand them consistently. Let’s take… Continue reading WCAG 2.2 Removes 4.1.1 Parsing and How axe-core is Impacted

AI? Artificial Intelligence? Accessible Intelligence!

What We Can Look Forward To in the New AI World The Journey For the uninitiated, the concept of AI could seem new, but I can remember learning the term in the late 1980s when I took a course in LISP. LISP is a computer language originally developed over sixty years ago at MIT and… Continue reading AI? Artificial Intelligence? Accessible Intelligence!

5 book recommendations to help drive accessibility adoption and strategy

These books helped us help our coaching crews, and they may help you and yours Deque offers a unique accessibility coaching service. We embed coaches in the software development lifecycle (SDLC) across whole teams as well as side-by-side with specific roles. Coaches support teams in incorporating accessibility practices into their design/build/test processes. A coach’s responsibilities… Continue reading 5 book recommendations to help drive accessibility adoption and strategy

Are we there yet? WCAG 2.2 is at the Candidate Recommendation v3

If you’re a regular reader of the Deque blog, you may be asking yourself, haven’t I read this already? Well my friend, you may have. In September 2022, WCAG 2.2 reached the Candidate Recommendation (CR) stage for the first time. Then on January 25, 2023, WCAG 2.2 entered a second round of CR. And, you… Continue reading Are we there yet? WCAG 2.2 is at the Candidate Recommendation v3

Deque Announces Availability for the axe DevTools Linter Free Trial

Catch accessibility issues while you code & automatically block every inaccessible pull request with the axe DevTools Linter. HERNDON, VA – April 26, 2023 – Deque Systems, the trusted leader in digital accessibility, today announced that a free trial of the axe DevTools Linter is now available via a simple, online self-service process. See for… Continue reading Deque Announces Availability for the axe DevTools Linter Free Trial

Top seven free color contrast checkers & analyzers

1. Contrast Checker (Monsido) Contrast Checker (monsido.com) Perfect if you just want a quick and easy contrast measurement without having to download anything. Measure contrast quickly in this web app Very intuitive to use Multiple ways to input colors Screenshot of Contrast Checker (Monsido) 2. Tanaguru Contrast Finder Tanaguru Contrast Finder Perfect if you want… Continue reading Top seven free color contrast checkers & analyzers

143.75% font size sucks

The humble request Nice font size 143.75% on that page. Maybe next they’ll have an article about why that sucks. This graciously worded request was actually not sent directly to me, but to a fellow accessibility guru Nicolas Steenhout, who forwarded it to me in this tweet. So sadly I don’t know who this mystery… Continue reading 143.75% font size sucks

Testing is a scary word

There has been some discussion in the UX community the last few years on what to call the activity that’s arguably the most important one in the UX-toolkit. Ten years ago basically everyone said “user testing”. Then someone thought: Hey! We have a problem with users feeling uncomfortable being tested. Calling it user testing makes… Continue reading Testing is a scary word

What’s new in the European EN-standard update from 2.1.2 to 3.2.1?

Most news are probably not relevant to you If you work with web or apps – which most people who read this article probably do – I’d say about 95% of the update is completely irrelevant to you. Instead it affects other types of ICT (information and communication technologies), like: Two-way voice communication, like intercoms… Continue reading What’s new in the European EN-standard update from 2.1.2 to 3.2.1?

Developer Heroes: Education for All with Clever

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Over the last decade or more, schools across the country have integrated digital tools to connect the dots between students, teachers, and parents and enrich… The post Developer Heroes: Education for All with Clever appeared first on Deque.

Axe DevTools Mobile Now Supports SwiftUI

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Axe DevTools Mobile now supports Apple’s new SwiftUI framework! We’re excited to launch a new iOS framework—axeDevToolsXCUI. Fundamentally different from the UIKit framework, the XCUI… The post Axe DevTools Mobile Now Supports SwiftUI appeared first on Deque.

Research: 73% of Accessibility Professionals See Increase in Accessibility Awareness on Digital Channels Throughout the Pandemic

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Latest Deque report underscores the impact of COVID-19 on digital accessibility, noting an impact on volume of work, budget, users with disabilities and digital services… The post Research: 73% of Accessibility Professionals See Increase in Accessibility Awareness on Digital Channels Throughout the Pandemic appeared first on Deque.