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The accessibility ripple effect
Published 6 months ago • 3 min read
Issue #23 • 3 March 2026
Hey Reader.
Accessibility is deeply personal. As someone who is blind, I live that reality every day. Lately, I’ve also been struck by how powerful accessibility solutions can be for the people closest to me as their lives evolve. My mom has been dealing with leg and back pain that limits how far she can walk and how long she can stand. A few months ago, we visited a specialty walking and running store to explore more supportive footwear, though she wasn’t quite sure what all the fuss was about. That changed quickly. After a foot scan and a properly fitted pair of orthotic sneakers, she stood up, took a few steps, and her expression said it all. The pain was dramatically reduced. She felt steady on her feet again. She has thanked me multiple times since, calling them life-changing.
Around the same time, she tried the brand new Case for Vision Solaris device designed for seniors experiencing age-related vision loss. She found it helpful for reading, watching TV, and enjoying time outdoors with more confidence. I was so grateful that she agreed to record a short video about her experience; you can watch her testimonial here.
Seeing tools that support me also support her has been deeply meaningful. It’s reminded me that accessibility isn’t about special accommodations for “other people.” It’s about practical solutions that meet us, and the people we love, right where we are. And when that happens, the impact doesn't stop with one person. Accessibility has a ripple effect, steadying steps, sharpening screens , gently inviting everyone it touches to discover and participate more fully.
Is there an accessibility feature, app, or device you use that someone in your life might quietly benefit from too?
Upcoming events
Accessible Marketing for Assistive Tech
I’m looking forward to presenting at the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference with Igor Feinberg next week. Our session, “Making a Case for Vision: Accessible Marketing for Assistive Tech,” will explore practical, inclusive strategies for sharing useful tools with the disability community in ways that build trust and drive real engagement. Using the story of Case for Vision as a guide, we’ll walk through hands-on exercises and immediately actionable techniques you can apply to your own outreach efforts. If you’ll be at CSUN, I'd love to see you there.
If you’re seeing the widening circles of accessibility and wondering where to begin on your own site, Pedal Point’s Focused Accessibility Report (FAR) is designed as a clear, confidence-building first step. Instead of overwhelming you with a 100-page audit, FAR zeroes in on the issues that matter most, evaluating key site components and priority pages to surface the highest-impact opportunities for accessibility enhancement. With a FAR, you receive:
The top 5 accessibility opportunities ranked by impact and effort, so you know exactly where to focus
Analysis of your header, footer, and shared components to catch systemic issues that repeat across pages
A deep review of five pages of your choosing tailored to your real user journeys
Clear, plain-language findings your entire team can understand
Actionable recommendations aligned with WCAG 2.2 AA and translated into practical next steps
A live report walkthrough where we review findings together, answer questions, and align on priorities
It’s a practical way to strengthen your foundation, steady your steps, and move forward with clarity and momentum.
This short film reframes what accessibility looks like in practice. Through the voices of real students, it reveals how built-in features from Apple are used in surprising, deeply human ways, turning everyday devices into tools for learning, creativity, and connection. It’s not about extraordinary tech, it’s about what becomes possible when technology gets out of the way. (Song and lyrics by Kittyy.)
A11y nerds unite! Test your WCAG knowledge with this online game based on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." Choose from four choices for each question and receive a helpful explanation after answering each one. Supply your email to join the leaderboard.
If you’ve ever squinted at a design spec and thought, “This looks great, but how do we build it without breaking the web,” this one's for you. In his article, Eric Bailey tackles a deceptively common accessibility pitfall, nested interactive controls, and shows how modern CSS can recreate those roomy, app-like click targets without wrecking semantics or usability. It’s a practical, thoughtfully argued walkthrough that blends real-world UI patterns, a great semantic breakout button technique, and a healthy dose of caution, proving you can have generous interaction areas, clean markup, and a calmer experience for screen reader users all at once.
Have a magical March!
Simon Miner Pedal Point Solutions
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Web designers, developers, and content creators, get the latest in web accessibility news, tools, and techniques delivered to your inbox to help make your websites accessible and inclusive to visitors with disabilities.
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