Thank you for being here! Advocacy to me is about small and thoughtful choices.
Lead by example
- Make your own work accessible — which is why we're here!.
- Add an accessibility statement — even one sentence: “This site avoids flashing and uses high-contrast, resizable text.”
- Show your work — pages like this one help the next person.
Speak up — even about small things
- Share resources with friends who build sites — the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) is the friendliest hub.
- Report problems kindly. A polite note often gets a fix.
- Celebrate good design publicly — designers repeat what gets praised.
Broken Braille went unfixed for decades. At my university, a well-visited building had all upside-down braille for at least two decades. Nobody complained! My message is: we should complain sometimes. I saw some incorrect Braille signs on campus, and after writing an email to our accessibility office, they were relatively quick to fix the issue. Do not be afraid to reach out, even if the issue seems small!
Why it's worth the effort
Accessibility decides whether real people can do everyday things on their own terms, like reading a sign, filling out a form, or travelling.
The simple things. Decades ago, my friend Gary's only means to vote involved two parties! A Republican and a Democrat (the two prominent parties in the States) got in the voting booth with him, and he would tell them who he wished to vote for. He always made one person mad, if not both. What a painful process! Innovation and change is hard — but it's why this work matters.
Polymeh's Favourite Organizations
- National Federation of the Blind — community, advocacy, and resources by and for blind people.
- National Library Service (NLS) — free braille and talking books.
- Epilepsy Foundation — support, research, and photosensitivity education.
- ADA.gov web guidance — your rights and the legal backdrop in the U.S.
Keep learning
A couple of beginner-friendly favorites: WAI's tips for getting started, WebAIM, and The A11Y Project, a community-run checklist and resource hub.