Community, corporations and more

Summer 2023 I made an overview of things I was doing. Summer 2024 is behind us, and now I've got a new list. And my goodness, what a list it is. How much can one person do in a year?

• Community
• Sharing
• Europe
• Corporations
  • Writing, research and advice
  • Training
  • Audits and research
  • And more
• What else?
• Was it all accessibility?

Retrospectives are so very useful. I know I've done quite a few things, but writing this out? It really puts things in perspective. To keep things a bit structured, I've grouped activities together into subjects.
And yes, I probably picked the worst AI-image I could find.

Community

This goes first, obviously. The Dutch inclusive design & accessibility meetup (Ideally) has had a rough time during the height of the COVID-pandemic. I'm happy to report it's going better! Much thanks to the help of Diede and Thomas (thanks both!) we're building up a regular schedule of meetups again. We're even exploring adding a track of English meetups in and around Amsterdam, with the help of some great new people. Let me know if you want to contribute in any way!

Sharing

There's more on the topic of sharing. A few years ago I wrote Solid Start. It's a method of low effort and high impact accessibility testing that anybody can do. I've applied it a lot this year, and I want to share it even more.
I gave a presentation on the subject at an IAAP EU Event in Paris. Then I gave an extensive workshop at Accessibility Club Summit (where I also contributed to the CfP-jury). I'm currently writing a course on this subject (and another, and introduction to accessibility). Other venues that I've been exploring is a Dutch chapter of the IAAP.
I've also been exploring working together with some other amazing accessibility professionals. I think it would be amazing if we could set up a foundation and improve the position of people with disabilities in the Netherlands.

Europe

If you're not aware yet, June 2025 is when the European Accessibility Act (EAA) comes in effect. That's less than 9 months or 3 quarters for lots of organizations to do lots of work. EN 301 549 is a European standard for accessibility that will play a key role in this.
Last year I spent quite some time making an accessible HTML version of it (instead of a horrible PDF-file currently). I hope setting up a foundation opens a route for me to contribute to this standard even more. I think I'm already the first individual to have an account for their GitLab-repository.

Corporations

With the EAA-deadline coming up, companies are waking up! I've been happy to contribute to several large organizations (think e-commerce, telecommunications, television, sports and such).

Writing, research and advice

Large organizations have lots of needs. I've contributed to knowledge base and brand portals. I've supported people on subjects such as QR codes, dark mode, infinite scroll, responsive tables, HTML validation, (text) alternatives for video, forms, CMSs, apps vs websites, design systems and impact analysis.

Training

I've trained writers, designers, developers, editors, communication teams, billing departments and conversion rate optimization (CRO) specialists. The last one was a particularly interesting subject.
We've discussed everything from designs to websites, and apps to PDFs.

Audits and research

Compliance audits seem to be the bread and butter of accessibility experts. So I've done those, but my range of tools has been much broader!
I've done lots of quick scans. Basically going through Solid Start with a team, and see how much they can improve quickly. I loved doing this. Lots of quick scans give a great impression of the status of accessibility within an organizations. They've also been great as a preparation for trainings! They result in actionable findings, give an impression of broader accessibility, and can make trainings laser-focussed and applied!
As a counterpart, I've also done large sample tests. Extensive dives into entire platforms, and turning generic findings into specific actions and user stories.
Global and specific. Overall and in-depth. I've had lots of fun navigating accessibility at so many levels. I've even done reviews of physical products!

And more

Organizations need personal attention but also strategy and vision. The field is broad and deep. So even with all the tools applied, and meetings with all the disciplines, and all the people I've met, there can always be surprises. I've had the pleasure of regular office hours and joining (internal) communities to uncover some of those!

What else?

I'd say that was quite a lot already. But I did do a few more things. I visited Nationaal Congres Digitale Toegankelijkheid (NCDT). I joined the enjoyable AXSChat. I also gave some in-house talks and live demo's. Contributed to Definition of Done's for easy and continuous accessibility testing. I renewed my certification as the first Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS) in the Netherlands. And yes, I'm pretty sure I didn't mention everything. Apologies for any omissions!

Was it all accessibility?

Pretty much yeah, but I do have some hobbies. I very much enjoyed the garden this year. I've done multiple hikes, including a vacation in Austria. I bought an amazing set of Lego on April 1st that I still haven't finished. Because yeah, it's been quite busy. It probably also didn't help that I shattered my elbow in January.
For the near future, I'm really looking forward to do work as (part of) a foundation. I want to finish my course(s), and really help some large organizations get ready for EAA. Also, ambitious none-work goal: I want to drive a car of my own.

If you made it this far, let me know what you're working on. I enjoy working together!