Accessibility Craft is a podcast exploring the art of creating accessible websites and craft beverages from the team at Equalize Digital, a WordPress accessibility company and maker of the Accessibility Checker plugin.
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August 17, 20261 hr 30 min
Creating a Digital Accessibility Program in Higher Education with Jesse Loesberg
This episode is a recording of an August 2026 WordPress Accessibility Meetup, brought to you by Equalize Digital . In this presentation, Jesse Loesberg will give you an inside look at how the UC Berkeley Library built and implemented a digital accessibility program following a Title II ADA lawsuit and a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice. WordPress Accessibility Meetups are a 100% free and virtual community resource that take place via Zoom webinars twice a month. For show notes and a full transcript, go to AccessibilityCraft.com/177 .
August 10, 202637 min
AI, Screen Readers, and the Real User Experience | Fentimans Sparking Victorian Lemonade
How is AI actually changing the way people use assistive technology, and what happens when AI lets developers move faster than they can realistically review their own work? In this episode of Accessibility Craft, Chris is joined by DevOps engineer and accessibility consultant Alex Stine, along with returning guest and Equalize Digital team member William, for a wide-ranging conversation about AI, accessibility, screen readers, coding agents, and the growing tension between speed and reliability. Alex shares firsthand examples of using AI to make inaccessible PDFs, charts, weather data, and other visual information more usable in his own day-to-day, while the group digs into the accessibility problems that still exist in many AI interfaces. They also compare how they use ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, GitHub Copilot, and other AI tools professionally and personally, including AI-assisted coding, research, automation, and building custom software. They don't shy away from the messy bits: excessive context switching, enormous AI-generated pull requests, production outages, unreliable output, and why "the AI did it" is not a very convincing excuse. For the beverage tasting, Chris and Alex try Fentimans Victorian Lemonade, while William attempts a homemade substitute. Reviews are... mixed. For show notes and a full transcript, go to AccessibilityCraft.com/176 . Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction (00:00:45) - Welcoming Special Guest Alex Stine, and Also William! (00:02:03) - Today’s Beverage (00:05:10) - How We’re Actually Using AI Personally and Professionally (00:11:51) - Is AI Changing Things for Assistive Technology Users? (00:14:39) - Brought to You by Accessibility Checker (00:15:52) - AI Interfaces and Assistive Technology: All’s Not Well (00:19:50) - Context Switching, Overwhelm, and Consequences of Letting AI Run Wild (00:25:40) - Closing Thoughts and Advice for Heavy AI Users and the AI Curious
August 3, 20261 hr 8 min
A Practical PDF Remediation Demo with Samantha Merrett
This episode is a recording of a July 2026 WordPress Accessibility Meetup, brought to you by Equalize Digital . In this practical session, veteran #WPA11yMeetup presenter Samantha Merrett worked through how to remediate a PDF step by step. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of PDF accessibility and the confidence to start improving your own documents. WordPress Accessibility Meetups are a 100% free and virtual community resource that take place via Zoom webinars twice a month. For show notes and a full transcript, go to AccessibilityCraft.com/175 .
July 27, 202646 min
Beyond the Scan: 7 Manual Accessibility Tests to do Right Now | Meridian Hive Peach Ginger Wine Cocktail
Automated accessibility testing is important, but it cannot tell you whether real people can successfully use your website. In this episode of Accessibility Craft, Amber, Chris, and Steve explain how manual accessibility testing fills the gaps left by automated tools and share practical tests that anyone can begin performing today. The conversation covers keyboard navigation, browser zoom, screen reader testing, dynamic components, focus management, heading structure, and the accessibility problems that automated scanners frequently miss. The hosts also examine several developments from Converge Accessibility’s June 2026 legal update, including a case that demonstrates why documenting ongoing accessibility work can matter during litigation. Before talking about manual accessibility testing, the team tests Meridian Hive’s Peach Ginger Wine Cocktail, a lightly carbonated mead cocktail that produces surprisingly divided opinions about sweetness, peach flavor, and for one host, a mysterious lingering funk. For show notes and a full transcript, go to AccessibilityCraft.com/174 . Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction (00:01:49) - Today’s Beverage (00:10:58) - Converge Accessibility’s Hefty June 2026 Legal Update (00:17:40) - Wait, We’ve Never Talked About This Before? (00:18:35) - Brought to You by Accessibility Checker (00:19:59) - Why Automated Tests Can’t Catch Everything (00:26:22) - If You Have 15 Minutes to Manually Test (00:31:56) - Don’t Forget the Screen Readers (00:36:19) - Common Accessibility Problems Only Manual Testing Identifies (00:43:30) - Whoever You Are, You’ve Got This
July 20, 20261 hr 7 min
Throwback: Six Levels of Accessibility Maturity with Nick Croft
This episode is a throwback recording of a 2024 WordPress Accessibility Meetup, brought to you by Equalize Digital . During this session, senior developer and accessibility advocate Nick Croft explored what he called the six stages of the accessibility journey. WordPress Accessibility Meetups are a 100% free and virtual community resource that take place via Zoom webinars twice a month. For show notes and a full transcript, go to AccessibilityCraft.com/173 .
July 13, 202651 min
One Page, Many Problems: Accessibility in SPAs | Recess "Mood" Calming Orange Vanilla
This week on Accessibility Craft, we're taking a behind-the-scenes look at the design and development of the new Issues Explorer in Accessibility Checker Pro. We discuss what it takes to build an accessible single page application (SPA), how React changes the accessibility testing process, and why focus management, live announcements, and state changes are critical to creating a great experience for keyboard and screen reader users. We also share what we learned while updating Accessibility Checker's Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR), how AI fit into the design and development process without replacing human expertise, and why accessibility remains a release blocker for our team. Along the way, we review Recess Mood Calming Orange Vanilla Soda, a sparkling beverage with magnesium and adaptogens that earned unanimous approval from the panel. For show notes and a full transcript, go to AccessibilityCraft.com/172 .
July 6, 20261 hr 23 min
How Agencies Can Turn Their Accessibility Backlog Into Profit with Chris Hinds
This episode is a recording of a June 2026 WordPress Accessibility Meetup, brought to you by Equalize Digital . In this session, Chris Hinds, COO at Equalize Digital, shares a practical, agency-focused approach to website accessibility. From developer tools like automated scanners and linters to larger strategic decisions like rebuilds versus retainers, this session is packed with actionable ways to improve both user experience and business outcomes. WordPress Accessibility Meetups are a 100% free and virtual community resource that take place via Zoom webinars twice a month. For show notes and a full transcript, go to AccessibilityCraft.com/171 .
June 29, 202647 min
How Made Right Media Convinced Clients to Embrace True Accessibility | Spindletap Brewery Stereochemistry DIPA
In this episode of Accessibility Craft, Amber and Chris sit down with Roger Rowles of Made Right Media to talk about what it really looks like for a digital agency to level up its accessibility practices. Roger shares how his team moved from early accessibility assumptions and overlay reliance toward a more thoughtful, proactive, and client-centered approach. The conversation covers how agencies can introduce accessibility without making it feel like an upsell, how to position remediation and rebuilds with legacy clients, why accessibility is an ongoing practice rather than a one-time checkbox, and how better accessibility work can also support technical SEO. Along the way, the crew tastes Stereochemistry DIPA from Spindletap Brewery, a bold double IPA with a bright label, layered hops, and a surprising thumbs-up from our historically IPA-disliking hosts. For show notes and a full transcript, go to AccessibilityCraft.com/170 .
June 22, 20261 hr 2 min
Web Accessibility 101: Small Things That Make a Big Difference with Maria Maldonado
This episode is a recording of a May 2026 WordPress Accessibility Meetup, brought to you by Equalize Digital . Maria Maldonado, Accessibility Specialist at Equalize Digital, broke down the fundamentals of web accessibility in clear, non-technical terms and highlighted simple fixes you can start implementing right away. WordPress Accessibility Meetups are a 100% free and virtual community resource that take place via Zoom webinars twice a month. For show notes and a full transcript, go to AccessibilityCraft.com/169 .
In this episode of Accessibility Craft, Amber, Chris, and Steve talk through the National Federation of the Blind’s lawsuit challenging the delay of federal web accessibility protections, and what six months of real-world accessibility remediation looked like on a large WordPress site built with Oxygen Classic. The conversation covers the practical impact of ADA Title II and HHS deadline delays, why organizations should not treat extensions as a reason to pause accessibility work, and how a large healthcare-related WordPress site went from more than 26,000 automated issues to under 3,500 through steady remediation work. Then the team digs into the messy reality of fixing accessibility problems inside Oxygen Builder, including inaccessible mega menus, autoplaying sliders, ambiguous “Learn More” links, dynamic content limitations, and what was (and wasn't) easy on the remediation side. The featured beverage for this episode is Firestone Walker Brewing Company’s 805 Blonde Ale, a smooth, simple, cookout-friendly beer that earned mostly positive reviews from the crew. For show notes and a full transcript, go to AccessibilityCraft.com/168 .
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