Chris Hinds

Chris Hinds

@chrishinds.bsky.social

COO at Equalize Digital, big fan of #WordPress, #a11y advocate, dad to four girls, and gaming enthusiast.

169 followers181 following81 posts

The EU Accessibility Act goes into effect in just five days now. πŸ—“οΈ For those interested in understanding its implications and how you can prepare, be sure to check out the recent episode of Accessibility Craft. You can listen to it here:

buff.ly120: Count Down to European Accessibility Act Enforcement, Saint Arnold Irish Hello - Accessibility CraftIn this episode, we talk about the looming June 28, 2025 deadline for the European Accessibility Act and what organizations doing business in the EU can do with just weeks left to meet WCAG 2.1 AA.

The California Senate introduced a notice and cure period for accessibility lawsuits, allowing smaller businesses to address violations before they face legal consequences. I wonder how this might affect the accessibility lawsuit "industry" if signed. πŸ€”

buff.lyCalifornia Senate Passes Nation’s First Bill for Accessibility Violation Cure PeriodThe California Senate recently passed legislation (Senate Bill No. 84) that would require a plaintiff to give a qualified business notice and 120 days to cure an accessibility violation before filing…

Tackling accessibility remediation isn't just about fixing issuesβ€”it’s about sustaining progress. From third-party vendor challenges to shifting priorities, pitfalls can derail efforts. Thoughtful strategies & ongoing commitment make all the difference.

buff.lyEmpowering Teams During Accessibility Remediation: What Works & What Doesn't - Equalize DigitalAre you hurting your own accessibility remediation progress? We outline the top remediation blockers we've seen in the last few years.

There were thousands of accessibility lawsuits filed in the United States in 2024 alone. Amber and I talked all about accessibility lawsuits with attorney Richard Hunt, who specializes in ADA and FHA litigation. Hear what he has to say on Accessibility Craft. 🐊🍻 buff.ly/Sz0JoW1

accessibilitycraft.com114: Help I Got Sued for Website Accessibility - Now What?, Hazy Cat IPA by Panther Cat Brewing Co. - Accessibility CraftAttorney Richard Hunt, who specializes in ADA and FHA litigation, talks all about digital accessibility lawsuits and how not to get sued for website accessibility

The FTC has finalized a consent order against accessiBe for deceptive claims about its accessWidget. The tool falsely promised WCAG compliance for any website. Now, accessiBe is barred from misleading marketing and must pay $1 million. #Accessibility #WCAG #FTC

Back in February, Richard Hunt with Hunt Huey Law Firm took #WPA11yMeetup attendees through a variety of legal #accessibility topics. Catch the recording on our blog. We'll be releasing an interview with Richard on Accessibility Craft soon. 🐊🍻

buff.lyThe Law of Accessible Websites and Applications: Richard Hunt - Equalize DigitalLearn about the law of accessible websites, legal risks, and best practices to ensure digital accessibility compliance.

I spoke with a community college in Massachusetts last week, and their Director of IT told me he asked Chat GPT who the top accessibility companies were and that we were on the list. Guess our marketing and service teams are doing something right. πŸ˜‰

Tell me about a time when a company did something for you as a customer that made you stop, lean back in your chair, and say, "Wow." (In a good way!) I'm looking for inspiration.

Accessibility isn't just a box to tickβ€”it's a door to open. Having trouble convincing customers why this work is important? Try reframing #accessibility in a way your customers can understand, using metrics you know they already care about.

Well, I didn't get picked for a talk at #WCEU, but I am still excited to go to Switzerland and reconnect with tons of fantastic #WordPress folks. If you want to meet in-person, send me a DM, and we can schedule a time to meet at our booth during the event.

Anyone who tells you that business is easy or that doing this "one" thing will fix all your problems is probably selling you something. Especially if their video contains a Ferrari, mega-mansion, or the inside of a private jet.

Do you know why all of the accessibility folks have been shouting from the rooftops about the EAA June 2025 deadline for over a year now? It's because we know 90% of the firms that will be impacted by this are going to wait until the last second, or worse. πŸ™ƒ

Just recently, we launched a major improvement for our Agency and Enterprise plan customers who run Accessibility Checker on multi-site environments. Our new Multisite Add-on adds new network-level capabilities that a lot of folks have asked for.

equalizedigital.comMultisite Add-on - Equalize DigitalEasier management for WordPress Multisites. See the accessibility status of all sites in your network, bulk activate and license, and copy settings between sites.

I don't know who needs to hear this today, but... Ignoring the cost of accessibility does not make it go away. That cost turns into debt. And the longer you let debt sit, the more expensive it becomes. 😬

At most agencies, new plugins undergo some level of vetting for performance, security, and features. Many don't evaluate accessibility before purchasing. Save yourself the time later. Evaluate plugins for accessibility before you buy.

crm.equalizedigital.comHow to Test a WordPress Plugin for Accessibility Before Buying It - Equalize DigitalLearn how to test a WordPress plugin for accessibility before you buy it. Ensure compliance and usability + save money and time later.

In this conversation episode of the Accessibility Craft Podcast, we dig into when it's a good idea to ask users for feedback on the usability of your website or application. 🐊🍻 Why not tune in the next time you're on a walk, washing dishes, or doing some yardwork?

buff.ly106: When Should You Ask for User Feedback, High Noon Vodka Seltzer Mango - Accessibility CraftWe discuss best practices for surveys and collecting user feedback. We discuss things to do before a user feedback survey goes out.

Bob isn't a real person that I work with. But, if you're going to invest in getting an accessibility evaluation done, please also plan time to fix the issues that get identified. Otherwise, what's the point? πŸ˜…

Just a little while ago, AccessiBe was the subject of a class action lawsuit because their tool failed to make sites accessible, and their customers got sued anyway. Now, another #accessibility overlay company (UserWay) is being targeted by a similar class action lawsuit.

And it's the same story: They made similar promises about accessibility, and like AccessiBe, they seem to think it's OK to leave their customers holding the bag when their technology inevitably fails.

Modals are a super helpful piece of functionality. They're also a major vector for the introduction of #accessibility errors. There's a lot to consider. But, you don't have to figure it all out yourself. We've got a tutorial for that! 😎 buff.ly/3Xj3Vvi

buff.lyHow to Code Accessible Modals and Popups - Equalize DigitalEasy tutorial with video: learn how to code accessible modals that are Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA conformant.

When you don't plan #accessibility into a project from the beginning, what often happens is there won't be enough (or any) budget to actually do it the right way. Join me, Roger Williams, and the Kinsta team on February 26th to learn a11y budgeting basics!

On February 26th, I'll be chatting with Roger Williams / Kinsta about how to effectively budget for accessibility if you are an agency or freelancer. Follow Roger and Kinsta's social feeds. I'm going to pack as much helpful information as I can into ~30 minutes.

What do Complianz, Moove GDPR Cookie Compliance, Real Cookie Banner, and Usercentrics all have in common? They're exaggerating (if not outright lying about) their levels of accessibility conformance. If you use or recommend these solutions, watch out.

buff.lyWordPress Cookie Banner Accessibility Lies - Equalize DigitalYour WordPress cookie banner may not be as legally compliant as you think. Usercentrics, Complianz, GDPR Cookie Compliance, Real Cookie Banner compared.

It may be an inconvenient truth for some, but that does not make it any less true. Also, if I had a nickel for every time I've seen an accessibility "feature" get de-prioritized...

If you have more than ten employees or more than $2mil in annual revenue and you do certain types of business in the EU, this law may apply to your organization. If you don't have a firm plan for how you will ensure your website is accessible, send me a note, and I'll do my best to help.

Chris Hinds reposted

We did it! @chrishinds.bsky.social and I finished our first 5k. I almost managed to jog the whole time with only a couple of 30 second walking breaks. Finished in the middle of the pack for women my age at 34:51. They gave out participation medals which I gladly accepted. πŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸ…

Are you building a new software product? Getting early accessibility evaluations done can save your team a lot of time in the long run. I've seen devs have to refactor significant chunks of their code due to overlooked #accessibility. 😬 Don't make the same mistake.

I know they're highly processed, and I know better homemade options exist, but damn. I still have trouble controlling myself around Thin Mints. An entire sleeve is a serving size, right?

Accessibility journeys often begin with trying to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. What about after you've covered the basics? What then? Chris Scholtens with Enghouse Video is going to tell us tomorrow at #WPA11yMeetup. Be there!

buff.lyDigital Accessibility: Thinking Beyond WCAG and Compliance: Chris Scholtens - Equalize DigitalMove beyond mere WCAG compliance to create genuinely accessible digital experiences. While WCAG provides an essential baseline, focusing solely on checklists can limit meaningful user impact. By…

What do Dungeons & Dragons and accessibility have in common? As it turns out, quite a lot at the conceptual level. When you roleplay as a user who interacts with the web differently than you, I promise your perspective will shift. Watch Nick's talk!

buff.lyUsing D&D to Improve Accessibility and UX in Every Development Phase: Nick Croft - Equalize DigitalNick Croft explores how role-playing in D&D can improve accessibility and UX, introducing Access & Barriers, a tool that simulates real-world accessibility challenges.

In 2024, we evaluated 17 WordPress websites, 2 large JavaScript web apps, and 5 commercial WordPress plugins for #accessibility. We found 255 unique accessibility issues, with only 16% detectable by automated tools. 🚨 You can't skip manual testingt! πŸ‘

Maybe it's just a cold weather thing, but I swear as I've gotten older, I've started appreciating hot beverages more and more. Piping hot coffee really hits different, compared to just a few years ago.