Digital accessibility watch August - September 2025

A new WCAG 3.0 Working Draft has been released, and it's getting clearer... (en): https://www.w3.org/TR/wcag-3.0/.
Some reactions (en): https://a11yblog.com/2025/09/11/what-to-expect-in-wcag-3-0/, https://medium.com/@chukreiev/new-wcag-3-0-in-september-2025-what-changed-how-it-differs-from-wcag-2-x-and-what-to-do-next-fc13824aa821.

An update of WCAG EM: https://w3c.github.io/wai-wcag-em/.

Good news: a new version of Comfort Plus is now available at https://confort-plus.orange.com/.

By the way, Orange was a silver partner of the Paris Web 2025 conference for this twentieth edition. Always a lot of great talks, especially Tamara Sredojevic's (https://www.iamtamara.design/)!
A few other reviews (fr): https://www.alsacreations.com/actu/lire/1966-Paris-web-2025-inclusivite-au-coeur.html, https://www.sfeir.dev/front/paris-web-2025-deux-jours-parmi-les-bisounours-jour-1/, https://access42.net/paris-web-2025-compte-rendu/.

Lots to read during these two months, which should have been quiet!

Accessibility in Laws, Standards, and Guidelines #

• WCAG 3.0, too early, we must wait: https://afixt.com/why-now-is-not-the-time-to-think-about-wcag-3/
• WCAG 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication criterion, explanations:
  • https://auth0.com/blog/an-accessible-guide-to-wcag-3-3-8-authentication-without-frustration/
  • https://afixt.com/accessible-authentication/
• WCAG 4.1.2 Role, Name, Value, to read: https://html5accessibility.com/stuff/2025/07/08/short-note-wcag-aria-state-of-confusion/
• 2.4.3 Focus order: https://tarnoff.info/2025/08/25/a11y-101-2-4-3-focus-order/
• 2.4.11, 2.4.12 Focus not obscured, details: https://a11y-blog.dev/en/articles/wcag-focus-not-obscured/
• 1.4.4 Resize text: https://www.dennisdeacon.com/web/accessibility/testing-methods-resize-text/
• The laws of a11y: https://www.tempertemper.net/blog/making-sense-of-accessibility-and-the-law
• 2.4.1 Bypass blocks: https://tarnoff.info/2025/08/04/a11y-101-2-4-1-bypass-blocks/
• What are/are not the WCAG and the EAA: https://www.getstark.co/blog/wcag-vs-eaa/
• 2.4.4 Link Purpose: https://tarnoff.info/2025/09/22/a11y-101-2-4-4-link-purpose-in-context/

Accessibility Implementation Strategy #

• The different means of remediation in a11y, great: https://equalizedigital.com/how-to-scope-accessibility-remediation/
• Everything about accessible emails, a real treasure (fr): https://www.badsender.com/guides/accessibilite-et-email/#h-les-bonnes-pratiques-d-accessibilite-a-mettre-en-place-dans-le-code-de-vos-emails
• Accessible components?: https://hidde.blog/component-conformance/
• Figures and data on the economics of a11y: https://www.nascio.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/NASCIO_The-Economic-Case-for-Digital-Accessibility_2025_a11y.pdf
• Complex datas, how to make them accessible: https://blog.pope.tech/2025/09/08/how-to-make-complex-data-accessible-for-users-with-disabilities/
• The biggest flaws in a11y that are leading to legal action (in the US): https://tarnoff.info/2025/09/01/how-to-minimize-legal-risks-in-accessibility-compliance/
• Longevity of WCAG and video: https://yatil.net/blog/wcags-longevity
• A11y is a journey, with no final destination: https://www.dennisdeacon.com/web/accessibility/digital-accessibility-is-a-journey-not-a-destination/
• Why are there so few a11y bug bounties?: https://chrisyoong.com/blog/why-is-big-tech-not-running-accessibility-bug-bounties
• How much should you spend on a11y?: https://karlgroves.com/how-much-should-you-spend-on-accessibility/
• Horizontal scroller, not a good idea: https://adrianroselli.com/2025/08/horizontal-scrolling-containers-are-not-a-content-strategy.html
• LMS (Learning Management System) accessibility strategy: https://blog.pope.tech/2025/09/30/learning-management-system-lms-accessibility-strategy/
• Universal Design and Inclusive Design, two levers for accessibility: https://www.tpgi.com/universal-design-vs-inclusive-design/
• Accessibility benefits everyone, yes, but it's not the primary objective (fr): https://ideance.net/blog/4393/accessibilite-confort-recentrer-les-priorites/

Testing Accessibility #

• An a11y Audit Guide for projects that require it: https://www.microassist.com/digital-accessibility/web-accessibility-audit-buyers-guide/
• Design System Audit: https://archive.fo/bPvT1
• "Best Practices" to use with precautions:
  • https://www.craigabbott.co.uk/blog/best-practice-is-just-your-opinion/
  • https://yatil.net/blog/about-best-practices
• Test 1.4.5 Images of text: https://www.dennisdeacon.com/web/accessibility/testing-methods-images-of-text/
• Test 1.4.3 Minimum Contrast: https://www.dennisdeacon.com/web/accessibility/testing-methods-contrast-minimum/
• Test 1.4.11 Non-text contrast: https://www.dennisdeacon.com/web/accessibility/testing-methods-non-text-contrast/
• Test 1.4.10 Reflow: https://www.dennisdeacon.com/web/accessibility/testing-methods-reflow/

Technical Points #

• Button or link? Link or button? A final reminder on when and how to use them: https://www.a11y-collective.com/blog/button-vs-link/
• An accessible flip card: https://www.tpgi.com/creating-a-truly-accessible-flip-card/
• Secrets of the output tag, how to use it: https://denodell.com/blog/html-best-kept-secret-output-tag
• When a11y isn't so easy, video: https://a11ytalks.com/posts/2025-sep
• Polite/assertive, live regions explained: https://rightsaidjames.com/2025/08/aria-live-regions-when-to-use-polite-assertive/
• Data table with clickable rows, accessible: https://www.oidaisdes.org/table-with-clickable-rows.en/
• Issue with audio description in WCAG: https://adrianroselli.com/2025/08/1-2-5-adversarial-conformance.html
• No nested scroll bars, never: https://buttondown.com/access-ability/archive/nested-scroll-bars-are-the-one-of-the-biggest/
• Making accessible CAPTCHA : https://ozewai.org/blog/technical-articles/accessibility-issues-of-captcha/

Feedback #

• The a11y is primarily cultural, more than technical. I really liked this one, read it (fr): https://a11yconcern.substack.com/p/laccessibilite-un-enjeu-plus-culturel
• CAPTCHA, a11y and Luxembourg (fr): https://accessibilite.public.lu/fr/news/2025-09-22-captchas.html
• Threats to a11y: https://alice.boxhall.au/articles/a-threat-model-for-accessibility-on-the-web/
• Rendering a11y graphs: https://blog.khanacademy.org/rebuilding-graphs-for-accessibility-inside-khan-academys-inclusive-design/

Mobile app, mobile web #

• A reminder of the main recommendations for making mobile apps WCAG 2.2 compliant: https://blog.usablenet.com/mobile-app-accessibility-guidelines
• Why early versions of Apple's Liquid Glass interface posed readability issues: https://blog.pope.tech/2025/08/11/5-heading-accessibility-issues-to-avoid/
• Speaking of Liquid Glass, tutorial for disabling it: https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/turn-off-liquid-glass-in-ios-26/

Assistive Technologies #

• I'm not necessarily a user expert: https://nimerblogs.blogspot.com/2025/08/congratulations-youve-unlocked-expert.html
• HTML element support for screen readers: https://codepen.io/stevef/pen/ByoMebv
• AT and adaptative strategies, the basics: https://tetralogical.com/blog/2025/07/28/foundations-types-of-assistive-technology-and-adaptive-strategies/
• Time tag support in SRs: https://ozewai.org/blog/newsletter/accessible-time-format/
• Timer, countdown, and a11y: https://cerovac.com/a11y/2025/07/countdowns-and-timers-forgotten-detail-that-can-make-your-users-really-hate-your-product/

Ergonomics, UI & UX #

• Annotating a11y: https://tetralogical.com/blog/2025/09/23/annotating-designs-using-common-language/
• More ethical alternatives to components: https://designersethiques.org/fr/thematiques/design-persuasif/alternative-patterns
• UX and cognitive a11y, everything you need to know: https://coforma.io/perspectives/give-users-brains-a-break-ux-tips-for-cognitive-accessibility
• Autism and design (fr): https://tamarasredojevic.substack.com/p/autisme-design
• The "don'ts" with modals: https://melsumner.github.io/avoid-modals-in-nested-contexts

AI #

• AI and AT, meh, bad idea: https://www.craigabbott.co.uk/blog/screen-readers-do-not-need-saved-by-ai/
• Neurodiversity and AI, worth reading: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/09/study-finds-neurodiverse-workers-more-satisfied-with-ai-assistants/
• AI Agent and a11y on the web: https://tetralogical.com/blog/2025/08/08/accessibility-and-the-agentic-web/
• An update on AI and a11y: https://boscop.fr/intelligence-artificielle-changer-accessibilite-numerique/
• Accessibility is not and has never been a priority in the chatGPT interface: https://html5accessibility.com/stuff/2025/08/15/ai-effluential/

Resources #

• Some arguments for those who don't want to use a11y: https://chrisyoong.com/blog/types-of-accessibility-push-
• Dyslexia and a11y: https://buttondown.com/access-ability/archive/designing-for-dyslexia-accessibility-requirements/
• From Word to a tagged PDF, everything you need to know: https://accessingenuity.com/blogs/articles-resources-briefs/steps-for-converting-a-microsoft-word-file-to-pdf-to-include-the-tag-structure
• VPAT and ACR explained: https://knowbility.org/blog/2025/accessibility-conformance-report-acr-what-it-is-why-you-need-it-and-how-it-works
• Writing for an a11y web: https://www.a11y-collective.com/blog/accessible-writing/
• Inclusive Design 24 #ID24 videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn7dsvRdQEfFTeoA8kZcsASPbYi2rf4C0
• Digital learning and a11y: https://www.formabilite.fr/
• Rendered PDFs Accessible via free tools: https://piccalil.li/blog/a-guide-to-creating-accessible-pdfs-using-free-tools/
• A11y and movement, for whom, why, and how, informative: https://buttondown.com/access-ability/archive/pseudomotion-motion-sensitivity-and-accessibility/
• Neurodivergence and non-visual blindness, to read: https://buttondown.com/access-ability/archive/the-many-blindnesses-of-neurodivergence-that-have/
• Content headings, explanatory video: https://blog.pope.tech/2025/08/11/how-to-create-better-and-more-accessible-heading-structures/
• Five a11y mistakes in the structure of level headings, video: https://blog.pope.tech/2025/08/11/5-heading-accessibility-issues-to-avoid/
• b, i, em and strong tags, when and how to use it (fr): https://www.alsacreations.com/article/lire/552-strong-b-em-i-quelle-balise-utiliser-et-pourquoi.html
• Field labels: https://www.tpgi.com/more-than-just-text-the-real-power-of-labels/
• The focus indicator, explanations: https://www.a11y-collective.com/blog/focus-indicator/

Other #

• Avoiding the word "help" in a11y (fr): https://yatil.net/blog/avoiding-the-word-help
• Inclusive language, think about it too: https://tetralogical.com/blog/2025/09/09/championing-inclusive-language/
• Dialog tag and role popover, when use them: https://mayank.co/notes/popover-vs-dialog/6