Generated by All in One SEO v5.0.0.1, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # Karl Groves Web Accessibility Viking ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://karlgroves.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [Getting instant return from your accessibility testing](https://karlgroves.com/getting-instant-return-from-your-accessibility-testing/) - This is a repost of an old article on the Tenon blog. Since that's being sunsetted, I'm reposting it below. The Accessibility Business Case is something I’m very interested in thinking and talking about. Historically, many in the web accessibility field have produced various facts and figures providing a business justification for accessibility. On my - [Web Accessibility in High-Risk Segments](https://karlgroves.com/web-accessibility-in-high-risk-segments/) - This is a repost of an old article on the Tenon blog. Since that's being sunsetted, I'm reposting it below. A Quick History There have been over 230 lawsuit settlements that relate directly to web accessibility. More specifically, that’s the number that have been publicized. The real number is likely double or even triple that, - [Interoperability with specific assistive technologies or: "Does the website work on JAWS?"](https://karlgroves.com/interoperability-with-specific-assistive-technologies-or-does-the-website-work-on-jaws/) - TL; DR: "Does the website work on JAWS" is a bad goal, a bad judge of accessibility, and a bad defense in a lawsuit. Recently, I had the opportunity to work on an accessibility lawsuit on behalf of the plaintiff. The defense counsel in this case attempted to have the case dismissed because, they argued, - [There's no such thing as a "normal" user](https://karlgroves.com/theres-no-such-thing-as-a-normal-user/) - In the world of web development, we strive to create experiences that cater to the needs of our users. We segment them into different categories, define personas, and make assumptions about what we consider "normal." However, the truth is that "normal" doesn't really exist when it comes to web users. The vast array of operating - [Human Resources Concerns: Accessibility of Job Sites](https://karlgroves.com/human-resources-concerns-accessibility-of-job-sites/) - This is a repost of an old article on the Tenon blog. Since that's being sunsetted, I'm reposting it below. One of the most impactful ways that we can work towards achieving total accessibility on the Web is by improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The online job application process should ensure ease of - [Tips & Tricks for Testing Accessibility with Assistive Technologies](https://karlgroves.com/tips-tricks-for-testing-accessibility-with-assistive-technologies/) - This is a repost of an old article on the Tenon blog. Since that's being sunsetted, I'm reposting it below. There are many ways to perform testing for accessibility, each one with their own strengths and weaknesses. Testing with assistive technologies is a great way to get a clear understanding of how your system behaves - [4 Ways to Improve Mobile Accessibility](https://karlgroves.com/4-ways-to-improve-mobile-accessibility/) - This is a repost of an old article on the Tenon blog. Since that's being sunsetted, I'm reposting it below. Ensuring that your website is ADA compliant on desktop computers accounts for only one piece of the puzzle. With mobile devices garnering more than half of all web traffic worldwide, improving your site for mobile - [Core Components of an Effective Accessibility Statement](https://karlgroves.com/core-components-of-an-effective-accessibility-statement/) - This is a repost of an old article on the Tenon blog. Since that's being sunsetted, I'm reposting it below. During one of our recent sales meetings, one of our sales staff informed me that one of his customers had asked us to create an accessibility statement that they could put on their website. So, - [6 Quick tests you can do to test your forms for accessibility](https://karlgroves.com/6-quick-tests-you-can-do-to-test-your-forms-for-accessibility/) - Whenever I do a full audit for a website, I have almost 40 individual, highly granular, form-related checks. Those checks can be boiled down to the following 6 high level goals. 1. General Structure Check that the form has a logical structure, with headings and subheadings used to group related fields and information. Ensure that - [A quick guide to reviewing a VPAT ACR](https://karlgroves.com/a-quick-guide-to-reviewing-a-vpat-acr/) - The Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) based on the ITI VPAT® is the leading global reporting format for assisting buyers and sellers in identifying information and communications technology (ICT) products and services with accessibility features. Version 2 of the VPAT was expanded to include the leading ICT accessibility standards: Section 508 (U.S.), EN 301 549 (EU), - [Establishing metrics for accessibility ROI](https://karlgroves.com/establishing-metrics-for-accessibility-roi/) - This post is a follow-up to my prior article titled "Understanding the cost of not being accessible". If you haven’t read that one, then this one will make a lot less sense, so please check that one out first. At the conclusion of the previous post, it is logical to determine that we've now come - ["Notice and Cure" Violates Civil Rights](https://karlgroves.com/notice-and-cure-violates-civil-rights/) - A new ADA "notice and cure" bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives, and while the stated motivation is to curb abusive litigation, the mechanism it uses is fundamentally hostile to the purpose of civil rights law. The bill is H.R. 8396, the ADA Compliance for Customer Entry to Stores and Sites Act - [How long does it take to test 25 Billion web pages](https://karlgroves.com/how-long-does-it-take-to-test-25-billion-web-pages/) - If you started it during the reign of Thutmose I of Egypt, you’d be done soon. Or you could invest several million dollars. Or maybe doing it is just a stupid idea in the first place On July 6, 2016, Michelle Hay of the company Sitemorse published an “article” (a term I’m using loosely here) … - [A new attempt at ADA reform to protect small businesses](https://karlgroves.com/a-new-attempt-at-ada-reform-to-protect-small-businesses/) - If you've been involved in digital accessibility at all for the last few years, you've undoubtedly heard about the very frequent ADA lawsuits filed every day. Every day approximately 2-dozen new lawsuits are filed against website owners alleging that their website violates the ADA. Many of those lawsuits are against small businesses who lack the - [The business case for issue prevention: Extreme Accessibility](https://karlgroves.com/the-business-case-for-issue-prevention-extreme-accessibility/) - I originally posted this on LinkedIn. It turns out that LinkedIn is a poor place for me to reach my audience, as my average post gets 10x as many views as this post first got on LinkedIn. There have long been discussions on the accessibility industry surrounding the business case for accessibility. The Education and … - [The overlay personalization farce](https://karlgroves.com/the-overlay-personalization-farce/) - Important Note The original intent of this article was to provide full examples of the overlay widgets' features in active use, including details on how they operate and before-and-after screenshots. However, due to the litigious nature of some overlay vendors and their continued bullying of their critics, I've chosen to provide this information without mentioning - [Understanding the cost of not being accessible](https://karlgroves.com/understanding-the-cost-of-not-being-accessible/) - I've been writing on this site for a long time. In that time, I've written over a dozen times on the accessibility business case. Time and again, the message I've hoped to convey is that issue prevention is the best way to save money. Once lawyers become involved, all roads lead to one destination - - [The truth about the ROI of Web Accessibility](https://karlgroves.com/the-truth-about-the-roi-of-web-accessibility/) - This isn't the first time that I've talked about the "Business Case" for accessibility. In 2011, I created a series of about a half-dozen posts on the topic. Some of my thoughts have refined over the years, though the general message remains the same. Here are my updated thoughts on the ROI of Accessibility. - [Neutrality isn't an option when it comes to accessibility](https://karlgroves.com/neutrality-isnt-an-option-when-it-comes-to-accessibility/) - Not long ago, a recent Tweet by Accessibility.com and corresponding post on LinkedIn resulted in significant backlash from many prominent voices in the accessibility community. Both postings received dozens of negative reactions due to the organization's proud acceptance of sponsorship money from accessiBe. In reaction, Accessibility.com claimed that "At Accessibility.com, we believe in providing unbiased - [Some thoughts on automated web accessibility testing](https://karlgroves.com/some-thoughts-on-automated-web-accessibility-testing/) - My feelings about automated accessibility testing have vacillated throughout my career. My introduction to accessibility was through automated testing. As a new web developer I began applying to jobs with US government contractors shortly after 508’s grace period ended. I was rejected several times because my work failed a test by Bobby, the most popular … - [Measuring the harm of flawed academic papers](https://karlgroves.com/measuring-the-harm-of-flawed-academic-papers/) - For several years I’ve been interested in finding and reading academic work in the field of web accessibility. I have a very strong belief that the things we say regarding web accessibility must be based on a significant amount of rigor and I hold in higher esteem those who base their statements on fact rather than … - [“Should we detect screen readers?” is the wrong question](https://karlgroves.com/should-we-detect-screen-readers-is-the-wrong-question/) - The recent release of WebAIM’s 5th Screen Reader User Survey has heated up a recently simmering debate regarding whether or not it should be possible to detect screen readers. Currently there are no reliable means of determining whether a user with disabilities is visiting your site and, specific to screen readers, this is because that … - [The 6 Simplest Web Accessibility Tests Anyone Can Do](https://karlgroves.com/the-6-simplest-web-accessibility-tests-anyone-can-do/) - What if I told you that the WCAG 2.0 recommendation by the W3C is 36 pages, printed? In addition, “How to Meet WCAG 2.0” is 44 pages and “Understanding WCAG 2.0” 230 pages. Not only that, but the accompanying Techniques and Failures for WCAG 2.0 is 780 pages, printed. There are approximately 400 Techniques and … - [On Overlays as a means of resolving website accessibility issues](https://karlgroves.com/on-overlays-as-a-means-of-resolving-website-accessibility-issues/) - Recently an article has been making the rounds: Should Accessibility Overlay Tools Be Used as a Strategic Part of your Accessibility Efforts. Some have asked me what my thoughts are on this topic and I feel compelled to share a few comments, because the article discusses a handful of emerging approaches. I’ve already shared my … - [Effectively including accessibility into web developer training](https://karlgroves.com/effectively-including-accessibility-into-web-developer-training/) - In October, energized by having just attended Accessibility Camp Toronto I quickly threw together a post titled Your computer school sucks. Looking back at a handful of my previous posts, they reminds me a bit of reading Nietzsche – not in terms of content, but in terms of consisting of a lot of criticism and … - [When the treatment is worse than the disease](https://karlgroves.com/when-the-treatment-is-worse-than-the-disease/) - I’ve previously discussed the pitfalls and false claims of all those per-site accessibility tools that claim to make your site more accessible. To be blunt, I think the vendors of such products are criminals for selling products that are proven to have little to no benefit. Their customers are duped into believing that the product … - [Drive-by demand letters and lawsuit threats do not help advance accessibility](https://karlgroves.com/drive-by-demand-letters-and-lawsuit-threats-do-not-help-advance-accessibility/) - Over the last 18 months, a handful of law firms in the United States have been sending out demand letters to website owners threatening to sue over web accessibility. The trend for this activity was started by the law firm Carson & Lynch out of Pennsylvania and has gathered enough attention that it has been … - [Automated Web Accessibility Testing Tools Are Not Judges](https://karlgroves.com/automated-web-accessibility-testing-tools-are-not-judges/) - Recently social media has been abuzz regarding an article titled “ITIF: 92% of Top Federal Websites Fail to Meet Security, Speed, Accessibility Standards” – and for good reason. The article cites a study by ITIF which details rampant failings of websites of the US Government. American taxpayers, being both the audience and source of funding … - [Why a Third Party Should Prepare Your VPAT](https://karlgroves.com/why-a-third-party-should-prepare-your-vpatgpat/) - Introduction The Voluntary Product Accessibility Template, or VPAT, was created by the Information Technology Industry Council as a means for vendors to supply information to government agencies regarding the level of compliance with the Technical, Functional Performance, and Documentation & Support requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. This documentation format can help procuring … - [How long until your website is accessible?](https://karlgroves.com/how-long-until-your-website-is-accessible/) - Are you prepared for it to take 7 months (or more) to make your website accessible? If you're like me, you don't go to the store until you're ready to buy something. There's a difference between window shopping and shopping, and I usually don't go into the store and look at specific products until I'm - [The financial argument for using an outside firm for accessibility remediation](https://karlgroves.com/the-financial-argument-for-using-an-outside-firm-for-accessibility-remediation/) - As I established in my prior post, "Understanding the cost of not being accessible", repairing accessibility issues is costly. There are two ways that repairing accessibility issues can get expensive. First, there's the obvious cost of the labor involved in fixing the issues. Second, as I established, is the cost of disruption, which is the - [Affirming the Consequent](https://karlgroves.com/affirming-the-consequent/) - Today I came across a post by Simon Harper titled Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools Only Produce a 60-70% Correctness which is essentially a response to my earlier critique of a seriously flawed academic paper. I submitted a response on Simon’s site, but I want to copy it here for my regular readers. One thing that … - [Links to Resources Discussed in “Improving the Accessibility Game Plan” Presentation](https://karlgroves.com/links-to-resources-discussed-in-improving-the-accessibility-game-plan-presentation/) - In today’s webinar, I mentioned a number of resources on the web having to do with the Accessibility Game Plan. I’ve listed all of those links here for easier access to those items. Materials Materials for this webinar have been archived by the ADA Online Learning website. You can download full transcript and materials on … - [What does it take to call yourself an accessibility expert?](https://karlgroves.com/what-does-it-take-to-call-yourself-an-accessibility-expert/) - Yesterday, February 28, 2012, the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) hosted an event titled Taking Accessibility Mainstream: Making the Case for an International Society of Accessibility Professionals as an all-day pre-conference session as part of CSUN. The context for this event is as follows: This forum is intended to bring focus to the needs of … - [What happens when you get sued for your inaccessible website](https://karlgroves.com/what-happens-when-you-get-sued-for-your-inaccessible-website/) - In the United States, the primary motivator for paying attention to accessibility seems to be risk avoidance. While I’d personally rather see people work to make their ICT systems more accessible because they believe in Universal Usability, litigation (or threats thereof) is what truly gets the discussion (and budget) moving for accessibility. Some argue that … - [How Expensive is Web Accessibility?](https://karlgroves.com/how-expensive-is-web-accessibility/) - Nothing. Done.Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just say accessibility costs nothing? In fact, that’s what some people (including myself) have said. As far as I’m concerned, that’s exactly what it costs when I make websites because I’ve been doing it so long that developing accessibly is just how things get done. But that’s … - [Chasing the Web Accessibility Business Case – Part 2](https://karlgroves.com/chasing-the-web-accessibility-business-case-part-2/) - This blog post is part of a series of posts discussing the Business Case for Accessibility. In order to get a full view of the Business Case for Accessibility, I encourage you to read all posts in this series, links to which can be found at the bottom of this post When hearing discussions regarding … - [Chasing the Accessibility Business Case – Conclusion](https://karlgroves.com/chasing-the-accessibility-business-case-conclusion/) - Somewhere toward the middle of this series, someone tweeted a message to me saying “I’m having a hard time telling exactly what it is you do believe”. It will be this post, the conclusion, where I finally outline what I believe regarding the Business Case for Accessibility. Background In Chasing the Accessibility Business Case – … - [My Challenge to the Accessibility Community: We Need an Accessibility Body of Knowledge](https://karlgroves.com/my-challenge-to-the-accessibility-community-we-need-an-accessibility-body-of-knowledge/) - In my post "Barriers to Improving the Accessibility Game Plan", one of the things I said was: There is a shocking lack of independent and open knowledge out there on accessibility. If we were to assemble a full compendium of information that exists on accessibility on the web, what we’d find is that the information … - [Users Must Become Their Own Advocates](https://karlgroves.com/users-must-become-their-own-advocates/) - Last week, a second United States federal judge ruled that state anti-discrimination laws do not apply to airline websites and kiosks. Following this decision, JetBlue staff have reacted rather crassly to the court’s decision, posting Twitter messages like the following: “We’re glad that the court validated our position that state law should not impact a … - [Reduction of Legal Risk as Web Accessibility Business Case](https://karlgroves.com/reduction-of-legal-risk-as-web-accessibility-business-case/) - This blog post is part of a series of posts discussing the Business Case for Web Accessibility. To get a full view of the Business Case for Web Accessibility, I encourage you to read all posts in this series, links to which can be found at the bottom of this post. In this post, I’d … - [Get a Free Section 508 Waiver Here!](https://karlgroves.com/get-a-free-section-508-waiver-here/) - Download your Section 508 Waiver Download Your Free Section 508 Waiver Now! (PDF) OK, seriously now, where can you get a Section 508 Waiver? Information in the rest of this post is subject to change when the new revised Section 508 comes out sometime later this year or early next whenever the Access Board gets … - [Accessible Form Labeling & Instructions](https://karlgroves.com/accessible-form-labeling-and-instructions/) - When I do an audit of a web-based system against WCAG, I subject each test unit to both automated & manual tests against nearly 250 Best Practices. Of those, 40 of them relate directly to forms. The #1 way which users interact with web-based systems is through the use of forms. Some sites, such as … - [The SEO Benefits of Website Accessibility](https://karlgroves.com/the-seo-benefits-of-website-accessibility/) - This blog post is part of a series of posts discussing the Business Case for Accessibility. In order to get a full view of the Business Case for Accessibility, I encourage you to read all posts in this series, links to which can be found at the bottom of this post In the case of … - [The Social Factors of Website Accessibility](https://karlgroves.com/the-social-factors-of-website-accessibility/) - This blog post is part of a series of posts discussing the Business Case for Accessibility. In order to get a full view of the Business Case for Accessibility, I encourage you to read all posts in this series, links to which can be found at the bottom of this post. The arguments discussing social … - [Website Accessibility and Support for Low Bandwidth Users](https://karlgroves.com/website-accessibility-and-support-for-low-bandwidth-users/) - This blog post is part of a series of posts discussing the Business Case for Accessibility. In order to get a full view of the Business Case for Accessibility, I encourage you to read all posts in this series, links to which can be found at the bottom of this post. The arguments in this … - [Website Accessibility Increases Compatibility with Mobile/ Alternative Devices](https://karlgroves.com/website-accessibility-increases-compatibility-with-mobile-alternative-devices/) - This blog post is part of a series of posts discussing the Business Case for Accessibility. In order to get a full view of the Business Case for Accessibility, I encourage you to read all posts in this series, links to which can be found at the bottom of this post. These arguments focus on … - [Yes, actually, it may be you one day](https://karlgroves.com/yes-actually-it-may-be-you-one-day/) - I could fill a book with transcripts of frustrating conversations I’ve had with executives, project managers, and developers who – to put it politely – exhibited an amazing mastery of stopping a constructive conversation in its tracks by offering up excuse after excuse about why they couldn’t buy or develop an accessible ICT product or … - [Increased Usability through Accessibility](https://karlgroves.com/increased-usability-through-accessibility/) - This blog post is part of a series of posts discussing the Business Case for Accessibility. In order to get a full view of the Business Case for Accessibility, I encourage you to read all posts in this series, links to which can be found at the bottom of this post. Somewhat along the lines … - [Website Accessibility and Reduced Design, Development, Production, Maintenance Costs](https://karlgroves.com/website-accessibility-and-reduced-design-development-production-maintenance-costs/) - This blog post is part of a series of posts discussing the Business Case for Accessibility. In order to get a full view of the Business Case for Accessibility, I encourage you to read all posts in this series, links to which can be found at the bottom of this post. A number of WCAG … - [Web Accessibility and Reduced Resource Utilization](https://karlgroves.com/web-accessibility-and-reduced-resource-utilization/) - This blog post is part of a series of posts discussing the Business Case for Accessibility. In order to get a full view of the Business Case for Accessibility, I encourage you to read all posts in this series, links to which can be found at the bottom of this post. Some argue that relying … - [Website Accessibility and Buying Power of Persons with Disabilities](https://karlgroves.com/website-accessibility-and-buying-power-of-persons-with-disabilities/) - This blog post is part of a series of posts discussing the Business Case for Accessibility. In order to get a full view of the Business Case for Accessibility, I encourage you to read all posts in this series, links to which can be found at the bottom of this post. Numerous statistics are often … - [Web Accessibility Support for Aging Populations](https://karlgroves.com/web-accessibility-support-for-aging-populations/) - This blog post is part of a series of posts discussing the Business Case for Web Accessibility. In order to get a full view of the Business Case for Web Accessibility, I encourage you to read all posts in this series, links to which can be found at the bottom of this post. The “Silver … - [Let’s put down the pitchforks and get some perspective](https://karlgroves.com/lets-put-down-the-pitchforks-and-get-some-perspective/) - Earlier this week, I began working on a new series of blog posts titled ‘Selling Accessibility’. Those who know me or have read my previous posts or have seen me speak know I’m very much in favor of taking a pragmatic approach to accessibility. More specifically, I mean that we must understand that there’s a … - [Selling Accessibility – Embracing the Dark Side](https://karlgroves.com/selling-accessibility-embracing-the-dark-side/) - In which I say a whole bunch of things that are unpopular. “I find your lack of faith disturbing” Let’s face it, there are some people who have read the previous posts in this series and thought “This advice is fine and dandy, but there are so many roadblocks to accessibility where I work that … - [Links are not buttons. Neither are DIVs and SPANs](https://karlgroves.com/links-are-not-buttons-neither-are-divs-and-spans/) - Quick: what is this? If the word “Button” comes to mind, you might be right. Unfortunately we’ve been seeing a lot of instances in our testing where an image or CSS styling is used to trigger an action of some kind. Here are some markup samples: - [Even custom overlays have questionable value](https://karlgroves.com/even-custom-overlays-have-questionable-value/) - A friend of mine recently asked me about my opinion on "Custom" overlay products such as Deque's Amaze or Alchemy by Level Access. Below is a lightly-edited version of my response. - [Selling Accessibility: Framing the message](https://karlgroves.com/selling-accessibility-framing-the-message/) - Yesterday I was doing some cleaning of my computer’s files and came across the slide deck for Selling Accessibility (which you can see under Presentations). It also reminded me of two things littering my desk for a while which I “borrowed” from my room at the Marriott in San Diego during last year’s CSUN Conference: … - [One. Simple. Question. (and a follow-up)](https://karlgroves.com/one-simple-question-and-a-follow-up/) - Several weeks ago, Bryan Garaventa made a post to the WAI-IG mailing list. The email thread went somewhat sideways, because some list members didn’t “get it” but it died down quickly enough. AccessIQ reignited the issue, wondering “…do web accessibility professionals have a sense of humour?” My response? Clearly the answer is NO. Even when … - [Everything you know about accessibility is wrong (Part 3)](https://karlgroves.com/everything-you-know-about-accessibility-is-wrong-part-3/) - In the previous post in this series, I ended with a discussion that “current automatic accessibility testing practices take place at the wrong place and wrong time and is done by the wrong people” but really this applies to all accessibility testing. Of course every organization is different, but my experience substantiates the statement quite … - [WTF-ARIA?!?](https://karlgroves.com/wtf-aria/) - Recently, I saw someone Tweet that “…ARIA should be last” when working to make a website accessible. As you learn in Logic 101, generalized statements are particularly false. Such a broad statement, though mostly correct at least in spirit, is wholly incorrect in certain situations. ARIA is clearly the right choice in cases where native … - [The End User Uber Alles or, you got your reality in my idealism](https://karlgroves.com/the-end-user-uber-alles-or-you-got-your-reality-in-my-idealism/) - As a web developer, one of the biggest sources of frustration is developing a website that works across the wide array of user agents and operating systems the visitor may be using. The web standards movement was supposed to "fix" that. It did make good progress and then CSS3, HTML5, and HTML5 multimedia and mobile … - [Ten blunt things I wish I could tell clients](https://karlgroves.com/ten-blunt-things-i-wish-i-could-tell-clients/) - Talking with clients & potential clients is always tricky. The last thing I want to do is offend someone, but there are some things I wish I could say up front and with frankness. As the saying goes, sometimes the truth hurts, so in the interest of politeness these messages are often skipped or glossed … - [Custom UI Widget Accessibility Problems](https://karlgroves.com/custom-ui-widget-accessibility-problems/) - In this 33 second video, I demonstrate the differences between a native UI element vs. a custom UI widget. In the video, I access a SELECT element containing country options. At the 16 second mark, I switch to a customized UI widget which allows the user to select from the same country options. While I … - [Selling Accessibility – Positive Factors (External)](https://karlgroves.com/selling-accessibility-positive-factors-external/) - This is the third post in a series of posts on Selling Accessibility. If you haven’t already, head on over to Selling Accessibility – An Introduction to get caught up. As promised in my last post, I’d like to switch focus to positive factors. In this case what I want to talk about are external … - [Selling Accessibility – Negative Factors](https://karlgroves.com/selling-accessibility-negative-factors/) - This is the second post in a series of posts on Selling Accessibility. If you haven’t already, head on over to Selling Accessibility – An Introduction to get caught up. Negative Factors are those which stand in our way from effectively gaining buy-in for accessibility across the organization. These are things which must be addressed … - [Selling Accessibility – Positive Factors (Internal)](https://karlgroves.com/selling-accessibility-positive-factors-internal/) - This is the third post in a series of posts on Selling Accessibility. If you haven’t already, head on over to Selling Accessibility – An Introduction to get caught up. As I mentioned in my previous post in this series, Positive Factors are those things that have been found to have a positive influence in … - [Tracking Web Accessibility Success](https://karlgroves.com/tracking-web-accessibility-success/) - I’ve previously talked about Prioritization and even given presentations on the topic, which I quite enjoy. Prioritization is a topic which I enjoy thinking about because I like to think about ways to get the most benefit from accessibility efforts in the shortest possible time. For me, the end goal is always a more accessible … - [Efficiency in Accessibility Testing or, Why Usability Testing Should be Last](https://karlgroves.com/efficiency-in-accessibility-testing-or-why-usability-testing-should-be-last/) - Accessibility testing is the testing of a system to determine how the system will perform when accessed by persons with disabilities. Testing of all ICT products and services is important to determining what issues exist and what risk any accessibility issues create for the organization. In my experience, the majority of testing efforts are undertaken … - [Web Accessibility Testing: What Can be Tested and How](https://karlgroves.com/web-accessibility-testing-what-can-be-tested-and-how/) - The Short Version Read this if you’re disinclined to read the entire list of specific WCAG Success Criterion and look at how each can be tested. If someone was to ask me what I consider to be my biggest strengths when it comes to accessibility, I’d say it is in testing. I’ve been involved in … - [Diagnostic.css – Super quick web accessibility testing](https://karlgroves.com/diagnostic-css-super-quick-web-accessibility-testing/) - In my quest to make accessibility accessible, I’ve created a super-easy-to-use tool that people can use to do accessibility testing. If you can view the page in the browser, you can use this tool. Diagnostic.css is a CSS (Cascading Stylesheets) file which, when applied to a web page, will highlight accessibility errors in the page. … - [Web Accessibility Testing Tools: Who tests the DOM?](https://karlgroves.com/web-accessibility-testing-tools-who-tests-the-dom/) - Earlier this year, I put up the Mother Effing Tool Confuser to help those who may be looking for an automated web accessibility testing tool make an educated decision. I’ve recently decided to do some of my own testing to see which tools do and don’t test the DOM. To do so, I used the … - [Ridiculously easy trick for keyboard accessibility](https://karlgroves.com/ridiculously-easy-trick-for-keyboard-accessibility/) - One of the more frustrating things about accessibility is how ridiculously easy most things are to do. While most developers tend to see accessibility as nebulous and time consuming, the truth is some of the most impactful issues are actually easy to deal with. As a case-in-point: consider simple keyboard accessibility for custom controls otherwise … - [What to do when you get sued… (revisited)](https://karlgroves.com/what-to-do-when-you-get-sued-revisited/) - Rather than re-write my post What happens when you get sued for your inaccessible website, I wanted to revisit the topic entirely. A few years ago, I wrote a series of blog posts about the “Accessibility Business Case” Ultimately, I determined that reduction of legal risk was the most powerful business case argument. Recent events … - [This one secret will save you $100,000 on accessibility](https://karlgroves.com/this-one-secret-will-save-you-100000-on-accessibility/) - I’ve historically been very critical of the various Business Case arguments for accessibility given their lack of actual evidence. There’s one business case argument that I think is rock solid: The cost of remediation. The cost of remediation actually has two faces: The actual time-on-task it takes to fix issues, of course, but also the … - [To Hell With Compliance](https://karlgroves.com/to-hell-with-compliance/) - A few weeks ago, Asa and I added a page to Tenon’s documentation that lists What Tenon Tests in reaction to questions about “How much WCAG coverage” Tenon has. I had already covered, at a high level at least, what can be tested and how quite a while ago and, while Tenon only tests a … - [Should you use more than one automated accessibility testing tool?](https://karlgroves.com/should-you-use-more-than-one-automated-accessibility-testing-tool/) - If you’re already aware of Betteridge’s Law, then you know the answer already. There are some that would argue that you need to use multiple tools because automated accessibility tools can’t find everything and because each tool takes its own approach to testing – including what they specifically test for. This sounds spot on, but … - [Automated Lies, with one line of code](https://karlgroves.com/automated-lies-with-one-line-of-code/) - In 1998, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act came out, as did the first version of WCAG. In the time period of 1998-2000, a number of new companies were created around Web Accessibility. Major players in the US like Deque, The Paciello Group, and Bartimeus Group (later acquired by/ merged with SSB Technologies, becoming SSB … - [On Certification](https://karlgroves.com/on-certification/) - At CSUN 2012, the ATIA, Microsoft, and other companies laid forth a proposal plan to create a professional organization around the Accessibility profession. Among the topics of discussion on that day was certification. The next day I posed the question on this blog What does it take to call yourself an accessibility expert?. Cyndi Rowland … - [Accessibility Business Case: Spending your money intelligently](https://karlgroves.com/accessibility-business-case-spending-your-money-intelligently/) - Frequent readers know I write a lot about the business case for accessibility. In fact, 5 years ago I published a series of posts called Chasing the accessibility business case. The first post in the series outlined the core considerations for building a business case. In general, the value of an effective business case should … - [Management: Avoid making this costly accessibility mistake](https://karlgroves.com/management-avoid-making-this-costly-accessibility-mistake/) - In a few months, I begin my 15th year doing accessibility work and my first year 100% self-employed. As I reflect on the path that brought me here, I’m reminded of so many people who work at accessibility consulting firms that had similar experiences. In 2003-2004 I worked as E-Commerce Manager for NASA Federal Credit … - [5 Approaches to Dealing with 3rd party (in)accessibility](https://karlgroves.com/5-approaches-to-dealing-with-3rd-party-inaccessibility/) - I have an embarrassing confession to make. Tenon has accessibility problems. Some of them are our fault. Some of them are based on conscious decisions. Some of them are due to our use of 3rd party content and controls. But regardless of where the issues come from, once they’re on our system they’re ours to … - [Understanding WCAG Level](https://karlgroves.com/understanding-wcag-level/) - With the upcoming eventual issuance of a Final Rule for Section 508 Refresh and deadlines for compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), as well as increasing rate of Web Accessibility-related lawsuits, I’ve become increasingly aware of people’s frequent misunderstanding of the purpose of what the term ‘Level’ represents in the Web … - [Core Accessibility Concerns for Human Resources](https://karlgroves.com/core-accessibility-concerns-for-human-resources/) - On September 3, 2019, Maryann Murad and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) filed a lawsuit against Amazon.com for Employment discrimination. If accessibility is a relatively new topic for you, this might seem like yet another example of the current pattern of ADA troll lawsuits that have been getting a ton of attention lately. - [Investment in the accessibility industry](https://karlgroves.com/investment-in-the-accessibility-industry/) - I've been contacted by Elephant Partners, Armour Capital, Volition Capital, Ridgepeak Partners, Insight Partners, Level Equity, Elesewhere Partners, and more. Each time an equity firm has reached out this year, I've sent that exact message in response - not to be a jerk, but to make sure neither of us are wasting the other person's time. - [New Series Coming: Selling Accessibility](https://karlgroves.com/new-series-coming-selling-accessibility/) - One of the things that has bothered me for a while during my career is that situation each of us has all too often found us in: Everywhere you turn, someone is throwing up roadblocks to accessibility. People always seem to have some excuse about why they cannot make something accessible. In my experience few … - [Everything you know about accessibility testing is wrong (part 2)](https://karlgroves.com/everything-you-know-about-accessibility-testing-is-wrong-part-2/) - In Everything you know about accessibility testing is wrong (part 1) I left off talking about automated accessibility testing tools. It is my feeling that a tool of any kind absolutely must deliver on its promise to make the user more effective at the task they need the tool to perform. As a woodworker, I … - [Is WCAG 2.0 too complicated?](https://karlgroves.com/is-wcag-2-0-too-complicated/) - A couple of weeks ago now, an article was posted on LinkedIn that implied WCAG was “Impossible”. Numerous others, including myself, levied sharply negative responses to the article, but not to this specific claim about WCAG being “impossible”. I’d like to help my readers understand WCAG a little bit better. Generalized statements are particularly false … - [Everything you know about accessibility testing is wrong (part 1)](https://karlgroves.com/everything-you-know-about-accessibility-testing-is-wrong-part-1/) - My first experience with accessibility and, therefore, accessibility testing, came from Bobby. In 1995, CAST launched Bobby as a free public service to make the burgeoning World Wide Web more accessible to individuals with disabilities. Over the next decade, Bobby helped novice and professional Web designers analyze and make improvements to millions of Web pages. … - [The form field validation trick they don’t want you to know](https://karlgroves.com/the-form-field-validation-trick-they-dont-want-you-to-know/) - Yes, that was a purposefully click-bait headline. One of the most frustrating things for users is unclear or unintuitive form constraints. My personal pet peeve are phone number, credit card, or SSN/ EIN fields which ask for numeric-only entry. While it may very well be necessary that your field use only numeric data, you don’t … - [The incredible ugliness of political bias and our abandonment of logic & reason](https://karlgroves.com/the-incredible-ugliness-of-political-bias-and-our-abandonment-of-logic-and-reason/) - Wise people (namely, Jennifer Groves) often say that you shouldn’t discuss politics or religion in a professional environment. Since most of the stuff I post about on this blog is work-related, I suppose this post is a little unwise. Those who know me on Facebook know that I post a fair amount of political stuff … - [Is WCAG too long?](https://karlgroves.com/is-wcag-too-long/) - Yes. And no. But mostly it just feels that way. I just got home from this year’s CSUN Conference and, as always, it was a wonderful time. Like many people, I find myself feeling very energized. The overall feeling of camaraderie at CSUN leaves you feeling like you have an army standing behind you as … - [Extreme Accessibility, Revisited](https://karlgroves.com/extreme-accessibility-revisited/) - I’m really terrible about responding to emails. I get (and send) a lot of email and lots of it just sits and sits for embarrassingly long times. After CSUN I got a great email with some questions from Vincent François about some of the things I said during my CSUN 2016 presentation “Extreme Accessibility” Vincent … - [Get your VPAT in a hurry](https://karlgroves.com/get-your-vpat-gpat-in-a-hurry/) - I get several emails per month from Government Contractors looking for help writing a VPAT or GPAT document. Chances are this is the result of good SEO on my blog post Why a Third Party Should Prepare Your VPAT/GPAT. Unfortunately a lot of these contacts follow this pattern: Hi Karl, I’m from XYZPDQ Corp. and … - [Accessibility Lawsuits, Trolls, and Scare Tactics](https://karlgroves.com/accessibility-lawsuits-trolls-and-scare-tactics/) - There has been a lot of discussions in Web Accessibility circles around “ADA Trolls” this year. The massive uptick in web-accessibility related lawsuits that began around October 2015 is certainly a new trend in this space. While lawsuits around web accessibility are certainly not new, the frequency and volume we’ve seen in 2016 definitely is. … - [Website Accessibility in the United States: What are your requirements under the ADA?](https://karlgroves.com/website-accessibility-in-the-united-states-what-are-your-requirements-under-the-ada/) - “Compliance” is a word I’m not a fan of. The reasons are many, but the most important reason is that it puts people into the mindset of “What am I required to do?” vs. “What should I do?” – and the latter mindset is the true path to risk mitigation. When it comes to the … - [How much should you spend on accessibility?](https://karlgroves.com/how-much-should-you-spend-on-accessibility/) - Some recent discussions in the Accessibility Slack, as well as with some customers, inspired me to do some research on what you should spend on digital accessibility. In a business environment increasingly shaped by regulation, risk, and reputation, the question “How much should you spend on digital accessibility?” is more than a budgeting decision—it’s a - [A Deep Dive into the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act of 2025](https://karlgroves.com/a-deep-dive-into-the-websites-and-software-applications-accessibility-act-of-2025/) - In May 2025, a landmark piece of legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives: H.R. 3417. Listed as "To establish uniform accessibility standards for websites and applications of employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, joint labor-management committees, public entities, public accommodations, testing entities, and commercial providers, and for other purposes.", this is basically also - [The European Accessibility Act and B2B Software: What Internal Platforms Must Comply With](https://karlgroves.com/the-european-accessibility-act-and-b2b-software-what-internal-platforms-must-comply-with/) - Many organizations operating in Europe assume that the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) applies only to consumer-facing software. This interpretation, while partially accurate, is incomplete and potentially risky. Internal B2B systems, especially those used by employees or sold to public sector clients, may fall under national accessibility obligations that go beyond the baseline set - [Digital Accessibility is a Civil Right](https://karlgroves.com/digital-accessibility-is-a-civil-right/) - Recently, the City Journal published a critique of ADA-based lawsuits targeting inaccessible websites that paints a picture of legal chaos and unfair burdens on businesses. But beneath its surface-level concerns lies a more problematic argument: that digital inclusion is somehow optional—or worse, exploitative. Let’s be clear: digital accessibility is not a legal loophole. It’s a - [AI is the future of accessibility](https://karlgroves.com/ai-is-the-future-of-accessibility/) - When I was a kid, my mom bought a 1979 Camaro Berlinetta. It was a deep blue color with a 350 cubic inch/ 5.7 liter engine. In 1979, that Camaro had 185 horsepower. The ‘79 Z/28 had 245 horsepower. In comparison, the 2023 Toyota Camry’s base engine is 2.5 liters with 203 horsepower. The sporty - [Tracking the right metrics for measuring sales and marketing team performance](https://karlgroves.com/tracking-the-right-metrics-for-measuring-sales-and-marketing-team-performance/) - Depending on whether your company is product-led, sales-oriented, or hybrid, you need a way to determine if your sales and marketing team are performing, with an eye towards using that data to improve. In a purely product-led company, you'll be measuring mostly whether marketing is driving enough people to the product and whether the product - [ChatGPT is not ready to handle web accessibility remediation](https://karlgroves.com/chatgpt-is-not-ready-to-handle-web-accessibility-remediation/) - Recently a friend shared with me a "Custom GPT" called "Accessibility Copilot". This is one of many interesting applications of ChatGPT that are arriving to market at breakneck speed, but is unfortunately not something I would rely on for effective remediation of accessibility issues. I'd like to preface this by saying that I'm not one - [Agile and the Concept of One True User Story](https://karlgroves.com/agile-and-the-concept-of-one-true-user-story/) - In my career, I’ve been lucky enough to work for companies that did cool stuff. This goes for both my employer and my clients. Nothing is so energizing as to work with really smart people who create really cool products. One that will always stick with me is the Nextel FanView. The FanView started as … - [Certifications should be hard](https://karlgroves.com/certifications-should-be-hard/) - There's recently been some turmoil over on the A11y Slack regarding the IAAP decision (since 2021) to require 3-5 years of documented experience in web accessibility in order to be eligible for the WAS certification. Specifically, the IAAP says: The WAS is an intermediate technical level certification that requires 3-5 years of documented experience in - [California AB 1757 is (currently) unfit for duty](https://karlgroves.com/california-ab-1757-is-currently-unfit-for-duty/) - If you're involved in the field of web accessibility and follow laws and regulations relating to accessibility, California AB 1757 looks like something to celebrate. Among the bigger causes for celebration is that the law allows for service providers to be sued as well. Why is that good news? In my opinion, it is good - [Barriers to Improving the Web Accessibility Game Plan](https://karlgroves.com/barriers-to-improving-the-web-accessibility-game-plan/) - This past March, Jared Smith moderated a session at CSUN titled "Do We Need To Change the Web Accessibility Game Plan". The discussion at and after the session was filled with interesting perspectives. The diversity of viewpoints demonstrates what a complex topic this really is. I’d like to take my stab at addressing this topic, … - [Choosing an Automated Accessibility Testing Tool: 13 Questions you should ask](https://karlgroves.com/choosing-an-automated-accessibility-testing-tool-13-questions-you-should-ask/) - I gave a presentation on this topic at this year’s CSUN Conference on Disabilities. Due to the popularity of that session, I figured I’d share the salient points in a blog post. The below information is mostly relevant for organizations who are in the market for an enterprise level accessibility testing tool along the lines … - [Can we track how many users with disabilities access our site?](https://karlgroves.com/can-we-track-how-many-users-with-disabilities-access-our-site/) - Often when I talk to clients, I am asked the following question: “Can we track how many users with disabilities access our site?”. The question itself is always asked with good intentions. The client wants to be able to provide an improved experience for persons with disabilities. Here’s my answer to a recent similar query: … - [Can Assistive Technology Make a Website Accessible?](https://karlgroves.com/can-assistive-technology-make-a-website-accessible/) - What is Assistive Technology? Assistive technology or adaptive technology (AT) is an umbrella term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and also includes the process used in selecting, locating, and using them. AT promotes greater independence by enabling people to perform tasks that they were formerly unable to accomplish, or … - [Confusion over HTML5 & WAI-ARIA](https://karlgroves.com/confusion-over-html5-and-wai-aria/) - Recently, Everett Zufelt posted an excellent blog post titled: Are You Confused by HTML5 and WAI-ARIA Yet?. In his post, Everett outlines a number of areas in which the evolving HTML5 specification and the WAI-ARIA specification conflict with one another in ways which can cause confusion among web developers. This is especially problematic, in my … - [Overlay Fact Sheet: What it is and how to make it work for you](https://karlgroves.com/overlay-fact-sheet-what-it-is-and-how-to-make-it-work-for-you/) - The Overlay Fact Sheet is a statement of unity by the accessibility community as a whole. It provides clear facts in an easy to digest format. It provides actual opinions of people with disabilities regarding their experiences with overlays. There are a variety of ways you can benefit from the Overlay Fact Sheet. - [Background on False Claims and Truth in Advertising](https://karlgroves.com/background-on-false-claims-and-truth-in-advertising/) - Truth is the property of being in accord with fact or reality. In everyday language, truth is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise correspond to it, such as beliefs, propositions, and declarative sentences. - [Overlays are here to stay. So are "male enhancement pills".](https://karlgroves.com/overlays-are-here-to-stay-so-are-male-enhancement-pills/) - Recently a friend alerted me to an article by Ken Nakata titled Best Practices for Overlays which functions as little more than free advice to an industry that is populated by scam artists. Specifically, the article outlines a series of "Best Practices" that he recommends overlay companies follow which, outside of this context, would be - [Why using `tabindex` values greater than “0” is bad](https://karlgroves.com/why-using-tabindex-values-greater-than-0-is-bad/) - Recently Tenon received a support request from a customer complaining that their site had thousands of issues in Tenon about their use of tabindex. The customer believed that their use of tabindex was a good thing because the tab order made sense. Here’s a cleaned-up version of the response I sent to them: It creates … - [In Defense of “Checklist” Accessibility](https://karlgroves.com/in-defense-of-checklist-accessibility/) - Frequently on mailinglists, blog posts, and Twitter, I read about accessibility advocates decrying the sins of what they call “Checklist” accessibility. What the arguments attempt to assert is, essentially, that “Checklist” accessibility is not good enough, either because the checklists themselves are flawed or that the checklist takes the disabled user out of the equation … - [Chasing the Web Accessibility Business Case – Part 1](https://karlgroves.com/chasing-the-web-accessibility-business-case-part-1/) - During my 8+ years working in web usability and accessibility, I’ve frequently been party to or witnessed numerous conversations relating to the “business case” or “cost justification” of usability and accessibility efforts. In my opinion, the conversations usually don’t go well – particularly on the side of the usability/ accessibility advocate. Here’s how they usually … - [Prioritizing Remediation of Web Accessibility Issues](https://karlgroves.com/prioritizing-remediation-of-web-accessibility-issues/) - During my career, I’ve performed scores of audits and expert reviews to look at the accessibility of web-based systems (websites, web-based applications, intranets, etc.). Of those, I can count on one hand the number of systems tested that were pre-production. In nearly all cases, the testing was performed on systems that were already released to … - [The Problem with Automated Website Accessibility Testing Tools](https://karlgroves.com/the-problem-with-automated-website-accessibility-testing-tools/) - As I sit here today, running through unit tests on the automated testing capabilities on AQUA (which later became Tenon), I’m left with the feeling that I owe it to anyone who uses such tools to tell them that nothing can replace the eyes of a skilled professional. The issue, in short, is that so … - [Agile & Accessibility](https://karlgroves.com/agile-and-accessibility/) - Agile software development is a group of software development methodologies based on iterative and incremental development, where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing, cross-functional teams. It promotes adaptive planning, evolutionary development and delivery; time boxed iterative approach and encourages rapid and flexible response to change. It is a conceptual framework that promotes foreseen … - [It is time to let go of the waterfall model of accessibility](https://karlgroves.com/it-is-time-to-let-go-of-the-waterfall-model-of-accessibility/) - Today, Henny Swan posted a blog entry titled Accessibility for Project Managers. Henny’s article is a pretty complete overview which discusses all of the steps in the SDLC in which accessibility should be considered. The article mirrors, in many ways, the information I discuss in a training course I’ve created on the topic and also … - [Managing Web Accessibility Compliance in the Enterprise](https://karlgroves.com/managing-web-accessibility-compliance-in-the-enterprise/) - In the 2nd week of March, 2011 I spoke at The 26th Annual International Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference, more affectionately known as “CSUN”. The topic of my presentation was Managing Web Accessibility Compliance in the Enterprise. My presentation discussed the following topics: Defining the problem Solving the Problem Gauging Organizational Maturity Managing Compliance … - [List of Web Accessibility-Related Litigation and Settlements](https://karlgroves.com/list-of-web-accessibility-related-litigation-and-settlements/) - This page lists a number of lawsuits and settlements which relate directly to web accessibility. Each case is listed with its plaintiff(s), defendant(s), the year in which it occurred, and an URL at which you can find out more details. This list may already be out of date. I’ll try to keep it current. Update: … - [Alexa Top 100 Accessibility](https://karlgroves.com/alexa-top-100-accessibility/) - The following data comes from automated accessibility testing of the Alexa Top 100 US websites (minus the pr0n, search engines, social networks and sites primarily driven from user content) using AQUA and lists their performance from worst to best (based on density of errors per page). This information comes with the important caveat that it … - [Text-only is not accessible](https://karlgroves.com/text-only-is-not-accessible/) - Not long ago I participated in a discussion on a W3C mailing list where a participant on the list contended that a site is not accessible because it did not work right in Lynx. Lynx, for those who don’t know, is a text-based web browser – in other words, it offers no support for graphics, … - [Ignorance is the Enemy](https://karlgroves.com/ignorance-is-the-enemy/) - For those who work with me, one thing is clear: Nobody will ever accuse me of being overly positive, optimistic, and forgiving. Some of my Twitter followers even remember me from back when I was in my 20s – a period when anger & negativity were my trademarks. That’s run its course now, for sure, … - [Web Accessibility Testing: Do Automatic Testing First](https://karlgroves.com/web-accessibility-testing-do-automatic-testing-first/) - Ask any ten accessibility people how they test for accessibility and you’re bound to get a different answer from each one . Some people test with JAWS or other assistive technologies and, if they can use the site, they “pass” it. Some people subject the site to a series of ad hoc tests for things … - [Name, State, Role, and Value: What’s it all about?](https://karlgroves.com/name-state-role-and-value-what-is-it-all-about/) - 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value: For all user interface components (including but not limited to: form elements, links and components generated by scripts), the name and role can be programmatically determined; states, properties, and values that can be set by the user can be programmatically set; and notification of changes to these items is available to … - [Testimony Provided before Maryland State Senate, House, 2/15/2012](https://karlgroves.com/testimony-provided-before-maryland-state-senate-house-february-15-2012/) - On February 15, 2012 I provided my testimony before the Maryland State Senate and House of Delegates in support of two bills: Senate Bill 287 and House Bill 183 (both links are PDF documents). The below is the testimony I submitted: My name is Karl Groves. I made my first website nearly a decade-and-a-half ago … - [A Challenge to Accessibility Testing Tool Vendors](https://karlgroves.com/a-challenge-to-accessibility-testing-tool-vendors/) - In my 10 year career doing usability & accessibility, I’ve used tools all the way back to Bobby back before CAST sold it to Watchfire. I’ve used all the big expensive tools, all the free tools and toolbars. In fact, it was once my job to know what each tool could and could not do. … - [Issue Reporting: How to ensure your issue report is successful](https://karlgroves.com/issue-reporting-how-to-ensure-your-issue-report-is-successful/) - Issue tracking systems employed by development teams can often be configured in a variety of ways, but they almost always have the same basic configuration that asks for essentially the same information. When creating an issue in an issue tracking system, the following guidance should be followed to ensure that developers can quickly and accurately … - [Tutorial: Replacing Cynthia Says in the Web Developer Toolbar](https://karlgroves.com/tutorial-replacing-cynthia-says-in-the-web-developer-toolbar/) - On May 10, 2013, HiSoftware issued a press release: HiSoftware Gives the Cynthia Says Web Accessibility Testing Tool a Makeover . Eager to find out more about this new version, I eagerly went to the site to check it out. This is what I saw: Who puts a CAPTCHA on an Accessibility Testing Tool? CAPTCHA’s … - [The Accessibility & SEO Myth](https://karlgroves.com/the-accessibility-and-seo-myth/) - No, Accessibility doesn’t lead to better SEO. More importantly, this isn’t a good business case argument. It is time to put this one to rest. In order to formulate a good business case argument, you must be able to prove that Taking action ‘X’ will have ‘Y’ consequences and in this case the argument is … - [Accessibility Consulting is Broken](https://karlgroves.com/accessibility-consulting-is-broken/) - I’ve had an epiphany. Accessibility Consulting, that process where a client hires us to go through their system, test it for accessibility issues, and submit a report to them, is fundamentally broken. My personal interpretation of our goal, as professionals, is to make money doing Good. Our advanced level of knowledge, skills, and experience can … - [The little button that could](https://karlgroves.com/the-little-button-that-could/) - The original issue A link is used to perform the action of a button. The code below is used to show a region of the page which is hidden by default. Screen readers will read this code as a link and expect that it will navigate. Instead, upon activating this link, focus remains on the … - [Everything you know about accessibility testing is wrong (Part 4)](https://karlgroves.com/everything-you-know-about-accessibility-testing-is-wrong-part-4/) - …how many bigger issues have we missed wasting our time fixing this kind of crap? @thebillygregory Literally every single audit report I’ve ever done includes issues relating to the following: Missing alt attributes for images Missing explicit relationships between form fields and their labels Tables without headers or without explicit relationships between header cells and … - [You don’t have accessibility problems, you have quality problems](https://karlgroves.com/you-dont-have-accessibility-problems-you-have-quality-problems/) - On my site and on Twitter, I try to exude positivity and pragmatism. I try to tone down my admittedly strong personality as a way to ensure that what I write is well received. Sometimes I succeed. For the most part I tend to frown upon random bitch sessions about how bad everything is on … - [My testimony at the CSUN 2015 Access Board Hearing: Make Haste](https://karlgroves.com/my-testimony-at-the-csun-2015-access-board-hearing-make-haste/) - My name is Karl Groves. I’ve been involved in Web Development, Usability, and Accessibility since the late 1990s. Living in the Washington DC area, and working in accessibility my professional career in this field has always involved Section 508. In 2006 I was excited to hear about the Refresh process. As a web developer, the … - [Automation is not the enemy](https://karlgroves.com/automation-is-not-the-enemy/) - Before you read this, I want you to spend a few moments looking around where you are right now. Ponder, for a moment, the furniture you’re sitting on, the room you’re sitting in, and the computer you’re reading this on. All of it is the result of technological innovations that have a history that goes - [CAPTCHA-less Security](https://karlgroves.com/captcha-less-security/) - CAPTCHA is perceived as a quick and effective way to stop bots from performing abusive actions on a website. Bots are often deployed to do things like automatically enter spam into email forms or comment forms. They can also be used to submit fraudulent entries in other forms such as registration forms or to voting … - [Five Lessons Learned from the IEP Process](https://karlgroves.com/five-lessons-learned-from-the-iep-process/) - May was a really big month for the Groves family. We got our county school system to agree to place our daughter in a non-public school to address her unique educational needs. She’s never been happier and more enthusiastic about school, which I largely attribute to a combination of better atmosphere and finally feeling like she … - [Applying Utilitarianism](https://karlgroves.com/applying-utilitarianism/) - The greatest happiness of the greatest number is what Jeremy Bentham stated as the goal of Utilitarianism. But this isn’t to say that our goal is simple “pleasure”. John Stuart Mill, for instance, differentiated between “higher pleasures”, which are intellectual and moral, and “lower pleasures”, which are purely physical. In my view, it also implies … - [Utilitarianism, Pragmatism/ Practicalism, and Perfection](https://karlgroves.com/utilitarianism-pragmatism-practicalism-and-perfection/) - I feel strongly that every person has an intrinsic sense of what is “right” and what is “wrong”. Parents can observe this in their children when they’re very young. Take a toy away from a toddler and the result will be a howling child. Sigmund Freud would identify this as the ‘Id’ in action. The … ## Pages - [Resume](https://karlgroves.com/resume/) - An unstoppable force for change and thought-leader in an industry regarded for saying “No”, I’d rather lead by example in saying “Yes, and here’s how…”. I seek to offer solutions to complex problems relating to universal usability. Together we can meet both our goals: your business goals and my goals to lead the way in - [Kudos](https://karlgroves.com/kudos/) - The best part about what I do for a living is the ability it provides me to help others learn and understand more about making technology that is universally usable. I’m proud to have been able to inspire all of the kind words below and thankful for each one. Karl Groves is one of my - [Presentations](https://karlgroves.com/presentations/) - Archive of previous conference presentations. 2024 I never knew a website could hurt someone - TechAccessOK 2023 There's no such thing as a normal user - Build Stuff, Lithuania All Sizzle, No Steak - NationJS 2022 WordPress Accessibility Meetup: So, You Want an Accessibility Score? - Karl Groves All Sizzle, No Steak: Accessibility Overlays - - [Contact Me](https://karlgroves.com/contact-me/) - You can contact me for any reason at the email addresses below Email (Personal): karlgroves@gmail.com Email (Work): karl.groves@afixt.com My company, AFixt offers full accessibility services from testing, training, consulting, and remediation. If you need help, get in touch with me now! - [Cookie Policy (EU)](https://karlgroves.com/cookie-policy-eu/) - This Cookie Policy was last updated on October 21, 2025 and applies to citizens and legal permanent residents of the European Economic Area and Switzerland.1. 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