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Dennis Deacon

When is a Link not a Link?

When is a Link Not a Link

Reading Time: 3 minutesAutomated testing can miss serious accessibility barriers. This article explores how misusing links as buttons breaks keyboard navigation and assistive tech expectations, why semantic HTML matters, and how developers can avoid common pitfalls to create truly accessible user experiences.

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When Accessibility Demand Letters Land on Your Desk: A Framework for Strategic Response

When Accessibility Demand Letters Land on Your Desk. A Framework for Strategic Response

Reading Time: 3 minutesAccessibility demand letters reveal organizational readiness and risk management gaps. This article outlines four response pathways, from non-engagement to structured good-faith engagement, showing how strategic response minimizes litigation, contains costs, and builds long-term compliance resilience.

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Building Accessible WordPress Sites – A Practical Article Series

An illustration of the WordPress ecosystem

Reading Time: < 1 minuteThis series documents the real-world process of building accessible WordPress themes from the ground up. Using two live redesigns, it explores theme development, plugin accessibility testing, and content accessibility, showing how accessibility decisions made early lead to better, more usable WordPress sites.

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From Demand Letter to Lawsuit: Understanding the Digital Accessibility Escalation Path

From Demand Letter to Lawsuit: Understanding the Digital Accessibility Escalation Path

Reading Time: 4 minutesDiscover the predictable path from accessibility demand letters to lawsuits. This guide explains common missteps, escalation patterns, and practical strategies for responding effectively, minimizing risk, and resolving issues before they reach costly litigation.

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Digital Accessibility: The Strategic Imperative Hiding in Plain Sight

The Predictability Paradox: Why Lawsuits Target the Obvious. Common Accessibility Failures; Keyboard Traps, No Alt Text, Screen Reader Issues, Form Fields Missing Labels, Broken Checkout, Confusing Content. High-Risk Targets; Popular Websites, Big Brands, No Accessibility Statement, Overlay “Fixes”. Can You Afford to Ignore the Obvious? Easily Preventable, Entirely Predictable.

Reading Time: 5 minutesDigital accessibility has moved from compliance to strategy. Rising lawsuits reveal systemic design failures and the limits of overlays. Organizations embedding accessibility into design, development, and governance reduce risk, expand markets, improve SEO, and gain durable competitive advantage.

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Testing Methods: Status Messages

A registration for with Full Name and Email text fields, and a blue submit button. A green toast message is presented that says message sent.

Reading Time: 4 minutesTesting WCAG 2.1 4.1.3 Status Messages requires a hybrid approach: automated tools catch structural issues, AI simulates dynamic updates, and manual testing ensures real users perceive meaningful feedback, creating inclusive, accessible experiences that work across devices and assistive technologies.

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Testing Methods: Redundant Entry

The word Redundant repeated multiple times, to be redundant

Reading Time: 3 minutesWCAG 3.3.7 Redundant Entry ensures users don’t repeatedly enter the same information, reducing errors and friction. Testing requires a hybrid approach: automated scans, AI-simulated workflows, and manual review to confirm prefilled data is accurate, editable, and accessible.

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Testing Methods: Help

A blue button with a white question mark, with a mouse cursor over the button

Reading Time: 2 minutesTesting WCAG 3.3.5 Help requires a hybrid approach combining automated checks, AI analysis, and manual evaluation. Automated tools verify technical implementation, AI assesses clarity and relevance, and manual testing ensures guidance is actionable and effective for diverse users.

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Testing Methods: Error Suggestion

A tablet with a form with errors displayed, and a pop-up with error suggestions for resolution

Reading Time: 3 minutesA hybrid approach to testing WCAG 3.3.3 Error Suggestion combines automation for coverage, AI for contextual insight, and manual testing for empathy and precision, ensuring error messages are not just present, but meaningful, actionable, and supportive of every user’s success.

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Testing Methods: Consistent Help

A computer monitor with a web page highlighting multiple access points for help

Reading Time: 3 minutesTesting WCAG 3.2.6 Consistent Help ensures guidance and instructions remain predictable and coherent across digital experiences. A hybrid approach, automated, AI-based, and manual testing, delivers actionable insights, enhancing accessibility, usability, and user confidence.

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