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Kate (she/her)
Kate (she/her)

Posted on • Updated on

Awesome resources to learn more about accessibility 📚⚒️

As developers, we have the power to shape experiences with code. We learn about data structures, algorithms, databases, testing, security.... yet accessibility isn't something that's seen as core to engineering. More often than not, a lot of us — including myself — make assumptions about our users and write code based on those assumptions.

Recently, I decided to deep-dive into best web accessibility practices. I've discovered that there are tons of amazing resources and tools out there!

Here are some that I've found extremely helpful in aiding my learning!

Articles & Blog posts 📑:

Two from Max Antonucci on DEV. I HIGHLY recommend his writing:

Neat Videos 📹:

Podcasts 🎧:

Guides / References :

If you know of any other websites known to do accessibility well, let me know!

Accessibility Tooling

  • Google Lighthouse Test: if you use Google chrome, this should be available in your Developer tools tab. You can run this on any web page and generate a report on accessibility which tells you what can be improved.
  • Axe Chrome Extension: Somewhat similar to Lighthouse, but more light-weight.

Final Thoughts

The idea that anyone should be able to access the web is fundamental to inception of the web.

In fact, here's a quote from Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the world wide web:

The power of the web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect.

By not taking time to learn or even think about accessibility, we as developers are likely creating invisible barriers with code. There's an abundance of tools and resources out there to help create a universally accessible experience on the web. It's never too late to start learning.


Thanks for reading! Are there any resources you've found helpful or tools you've enjoyed using? Please share down below!

Top comments (9)

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s_aitchison profile image
Suzanne Aitchison

Great run down of resources! Can I add my site to the list? Up Your A11y has articles and tutorials on creating accessible apps, including a section on React.

Also I did a talk recently that might be useful for people, on Becoming an accessibility-focused developer

Hope it might be interesting!

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kateh profile image
Kate (she/her)

Hey Suzanne! Thanks for sharing! I just got around to listening to your talk. You gave an awesome overview. The pre-push checklist you shared seems very handy.

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s_aitchison profile image
Suzanne Aitchison

I hope it might be useful - thanks for watching!

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myogeshchavan97 profile image
Yogesh Chavan

I simply love the way the university of washington website is made accessible.

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kateh profile image
Kate (she/her)

Awesome! I love how they even have an accessibility checklist available -- washington.edu/accessibility/check....

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justalever profile image
Andy Leverenz

Really great round up. Thanks Kate!

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kateh profile image
Kate (she/her)

Thank you for the positive feedback!

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ender_minyard profile image
ender minyard • Edited

I like to test my sites with wave. Great list!

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kateh profile image
Kate (she/her)

Wow! I just checked this out! It's super neat how the icons visually map onto the web page!!!