Author: Equal Entry

This article is based on four lightning talks given at A11yNYC. Raquel Ronzone from Perkins School for the Blind discusses broadening engagement in accessibility innovation. New Jersey Institute of Technology lecturer Keita Ohshiro explores audio engineering for the deaf and hard of hearing. Indira Ardolic of Tech Kids Unlimited explains how access is a practice at the nonprofit organization serving students with disabilities ages 10 to 24. Damian Sian of Adobe shares how he created an accessibility bookmarklet with AI without being a developer.

In this A11yNYC recap, Jeremy Rivera explains how developers and designers can build accessible digital experiences using free tools. Tools help catch common issues like poor color contrast or missing alt text. Linters like ESLint JSX-A11y act like spellcheck for code, flagging problems as you write. But tools alone aren’t enough. Rivera stresses the importance of manual testing and feedback from people with disabilities.

This post explains how traditional tools like the System Usability Scale don’t always work for people with disabilities, so Fable created a new version called the Accessible Usability Scale (AUS). They’ve expanded it to better include people with cognitive disabilities, like those with memory, attention, or reading challenges. The team formed a working group with people who have lived experience and experts to guide the process.

This post explains why audio description in advertising is still rare, even though millions of blind and low-vision people want and need it. Companies often say it’s too expensive or hard to fit into short ads, but the cost is tiny compared to what they spend on production and airtime. The post offers practical solutions, like creating separate AD tracks or getting feedback from the community, and urges advertisers to treat accessibility as a smart business move, not a burden.