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‘Can I Use…’, but for ARIA!

Three years ago we announced our work on the ARIA-AT program to develop an interoperability testing system for assistive technologies, starting with screen readers. Last year we completed a redesign of the ARIA Practices Giude (APG), which web developers use for guidance on making accessible websites and apps. We’ve been hard at work along the […]

Making Zoom Calls More Accessible

Our co-worker thought we were heartless monsters. This is a slight exaggeration, but an important lesson about what gets lost in translation when apps aren’t entirely accessible. During an experimental Zoom call, we learned that screen readers and the reactions feature aren’t quite compatible. That means that every time during a call when someone mentioned […]

Interop 2023

After a successful launch in 2022 we’re extremely excited to continue the journey in 2023! Interoperability across browsers is not just frustrating for web developers, but also for users whose experience can vary wildly. Interop 2023 will continue the effort to increase interoperability, especially in high priority areas. Better interoperability is an issue of access […]

2022 Year in Review

Our 2022 This past year we continued to fine tune our commitment to accessibility, inclusion and justice on the web through our projects, processes, and team trainings. We grew our team substantially, partnered with some very rad folks, and committed to worker-ownership and a four day work week. Growing our Team We added three new […]

Co-op Series Part I: Our decision to pursue worker-ownership

Bocoup is incorporated in the United States – a country with no worker safety net. The damning scarcity of federally protected labor rights means that employers are often the ones determining whether workers get quality health care, a fair wage, or time off after having a child. Companies in most states are protected by anti-worker […]

“I want to spend time living life, instead of working on living”: Life as an Accessibility Tester

Friday, August 24, 2012, marked the closing of a chapter. It also opened the door to a new life that I never thought was ever in my reach. Courtesy of The Hatlen Center’s independent living program I was able to establish a foundation that allowed me to create the life I am living today as […]

No Neutral Map

So geographers, in Afric maps With savage pictures fill their gaps And o’er uninhabitable downs Place elephants for want of towns This snippet from 18th century writer John Swift’s epic poem “Poetry: A Rhapsody” demonstrates that for centuries we have grappled with the politics of drawing borders, naming places, and mapping. There is no such […]

Redesigning ARIA Authoring Practices Guide

We are excited to announce the launch of a redesign of the ARIA Authoring Practices Guide (APG), an essential resource that shows web developers how to make accessible versions of common user interface design patterns, such as comboboxes, dialog modals, and menu bars. In coordination with the W3C APG Task Force and Education and Outreach […]

What if Technology was Created for the Benefit of All Life on Earth?

Earth Day 2022 My generation was raised in the bosom of corporate greenwashing. Every year on Earth Day I remember gathering with my classmates to learn about our role in protecting the environment. We were constantly reminded of the dire need for us to separate our recyclables (and to shame our parents in to doing […]

Bocoup and Interop 2022

In 2019, Bocoup, Google, Microsoft, Mozilla, Samsung, and W3C together conducted a survey for web developers called MDN Web Developer Needs Assessment. A key finding from that survey was that browsers behaving differently or not supporting the same features was among the top frustrations for web developers. The next year there was a follow-up Browser […]