Accessibility articles

How to meet the newest WCAG 2.2 accessibility requirements

November 16, 2023

New guidance was recently published to help make websites more usable and accessible to a wider range of people.

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Become an accessibility champion by using simple mockup annotations

June 28, 2023

Designers can live in the visual world of user interface (UI) design without often considering what’s under the hood

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Using performance testing to build resilient, accessible systems for all

April 19, 2023

A well-maintained, 10-year-old car will work fine to get you from A to B. A well-maintained bike will probably last even longer than the car. A 45-year-old landline phone can still receive and place calls. But what happens if you try to access a web page using a 3-year-old smartphone? How about a 5 or even a 10-year-old one?

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The importance of adding accessibility design reviews to the design process

February 22, 2023

To create accessible and inclusive experiences, you need to pay attention to accessibility throughout your design process, not just at the end.

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Conversation design: A tool for inclusivity

January 19, 2023

It may seem obvious, but often forms feel more like interrogations than conversations. State your name. Next. Phone number. Next. They can lack any sense of dialogue, but also feel downright rude.

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Running usability sessions with assistive technology users: a guide for beginners

November 02, 2022

Even with accessibility specialists at our side, there are additional ways accessibility newcomers can and should prepare to run research with assistive technology users.

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Setting the right benchmarks for site speed in government

April 12, 2022

As we think about ways in which government sites meet the needs of their users, speed is an integral part of what makes a site inclusive and accessible to more people.

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Developing a focus style for a themable design system

February 08, 2022

On a recent project, we had a set of focus styles built into a design system that were inconsistent and ineffective, leading to a not-so-great end user experience.

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Creating a flagship mobile app to meet Veterans’ needs

January 26, 2022

This summer, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched a new flagship mobile app built with the support of Ad Hoc to provide Veterans convenient, seamless, and secure access to their healthcare and benefits information.

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The new Ad Hoc Accessibility Beyond Compliance Playbook

January 19, 2022

Follow our plays to better equip your organization and teams with practices that lead to more equitable digital services for all.

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Meeting security needs through an inclusive approach

December 15, 2021

In keeping with this year’s theme of “Embracing Change: Adapting for the Future,” our panel explored the question of what happens when accessibility isn’t integrated into security practices.

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The right benchmarks

November 30, 2021

While government websites don’t need to match or outpace commercial websites on design novelty or retention metrics, they should aim to outperform on ensuring users accomplish their goals easily and efficiently.

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When to manage focus in an accessible way

September 09, 2021

Popular JavaScript frameworks and tools can’t tell you when to manage focus. If you’re a product manager, designer, or engineer, properly managing focus so users know where to go is on you.

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Staying ahead of the curve on mobile accessibility

September 01, 2021

We know we need to build digital services holistically and inclusively to make them available to the largest possible number of people, regardless where the compliance bar is set.

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Building a federal front door for vaccinations

February 19, 2021

Through research, we’ve landed on a handful of principles that could shape a federal vaccination website and core features the website should provide on launch.

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How to create an inclusive user research environment

June 18, 2020

As researchers, we’re on the front lines of understanding the people who use our services, and that means we need to be inclusive in how we conduct our research.

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Accessible design for cognitive considerations

May 27, 2020

It’s important for designers and developers to consider the more nuanced difficulties that “thinking” disabilities and impairments can cause for users.

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Accessibility Camp 2020

April 20, 2020

This January, 33 Ad Hoc team members came together in sunny Orlando, Florida for the first Ad Hoc Accessibility Camp, a three-day gathering to learn and practice making our services more accessible.

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Accessibility without fear and beyond compliance

February 07, 2020

Accessibility isn’t just about checking a box. It’s about an equitable, inclusive future for all.

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Navigating government barriers to human-centered design

October 22, 2019

Human-centered design practitioners in government face an entirely different world of constraints and incentives than their industry peers. For human-centered design folks entering government work, these constraints can feel like a barrier to designing better services.

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The 21st Century IDEA Act Playbook Part 4: Prioritize modernization with user research

September 04, 2019

The 21st Century IDEA Act mandates that every agency prioritize public services that need modernization. The best way for agencies to prioritize their services is to thoroughly research how users interact with those services.

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The 21st Century IDEA Act Playbook Part 1: Accessibility, appearance, and overlap

August 15, 2019

Reading the IDEA Act, I saw much of how Ad Hoc works with our customers on government digital services. I thought it would be helpful to share our experience in implementing these kinds of digital services.

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A case for incremental change and accessibility

June 18, 2019

As we consider accessibility, we also need to keep in mind the impact of disruptions, particularly for audiences who rely on predictability and for whom recreating their accommodations can be a painful process.

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Developer-driven focus management for single-page applications

February 20, 2018

This post will outline some best practices for focus management, and how it relates to accessibility.

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Guest lecture at the Rhode Island School of Design

October 06, 2017

Ad Hoc Creative Director Danny Chapman recently guest lectured at a Civic Design class at the Rhode Island School of Design.

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Accessibility: Start with the right tools

September 14, 2017

When people ask what I do for a living, I reply “Web accessibility designer.” I’m proud of that fact; I get the chance to make the web better every working day.

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