Web Design Update: March 11, 2025

[Laura Carlson]

+++ WEB DESIGN UPDATE.
- Volume 25, Issue, March 11, 2025.

An email newsletter to distribute news and information about web
design and development.

++ISSUE 37 CONTENTS.

SECTION ONE: New references.
What's new at the Web Design Reference site?
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/
New links in these categories:

01: ACCESSIBILITY.
02: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS.
03: DRUPAL.
04: EVALUATION & TESTING.
05: EVENTS.
06: JAVASCRIPT.
07: MISCELLANEOUS.
08: TYPOGRAPHY
09: USABILITY.
10: WEBWASTE & SUSTAINABILITY.

SECTION TWO:
11: What Can You Find at the Web Design Reference Site?

[Contents ends.]


++ SECTION ONE: New references.

+01: ACCESSIBILITY.

Top 10 Common Accessibility Issues in Websites
By Michael Beck.
"…To help you get started on improving your website's accessibility,
we've compiled a list of the ten most common accessibility issues we
see and how to fix them…"
https://afixt.com/top-10-common-accessibility-issues-in-websites/

Be A Digital Ally: Designing Content and User Experiences for Optimal
Cognitive Function (Video)
By Knowbility.
"Hi, folks, I'm glad to... Glad to see you're here. Welcome to our
restart of our BADA - Be A Digital Ally series…"
https://knowbility.org/blog/2025/be-a-digital-ally-designing-content-and-user-experiences-for-optimal-cognitive-function

Navigating Dyscalculia: Designing With Empathy in Mind
By Faye Gardner.
"…I'm Faye Gardner, an accessibility specialist within the team that
leads the work on the Accessibility Empathy Hubs. I knew I wanted to
create more personas based on cognitive impairments or learning
disabilities. After some time thinking, I decided that dyscalculia
would be a great choice for the next persona…"
https://accessibility.blog.gov.uk/2025/03/06/navigating-dyscalculia-designing-with-empathy-in-mind/

An Aura of Accessibility
By Adam Saucier.
"…Implementing the design strategies described in this post and paying
more attention to Success Criteria at the AAA level can help so many
people, including (but not limited to) those with epilepsy and
migraines."
https://www.tpgi.com/an-aura-of-accessibility/

For Review: Accessibility Roles and Responsibilities Mapping (ARRM)
By Shawn Lawton Henry.
"W3C WAI invites you to comment on the first draft of: Accessibility
Roles and Responsibilities Mapping…"
https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-wai-announce/2025JanMar/0001.html

The Fallacy of Balance: Challenging the Notion of Security and
Accessibility as Opposing Objectives (Video)
By Faith Obafemi and Aliyu Yisa.
"When accessibility is discussed from a cyber security perspective, a
common question that comes up is how do we 'balance' accessibility and
security? In this talk, we challenge the notion that accessibility and
security are opposing goals that must be balanced. Instead, these two
aspects are inextricably linked, and prioritizing accessibility is
essential for creating a more secure digital environment. We hope to
enlighten the audience that by rethinking our assumptions about the
relationship between accessibility and security, we can create a more
inclusive and resilient digital landscape that benefits everyone…"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwAGKldV4ng
Faith and Aliyu's Slides (PDF):
https://www.deque.com/axe-con/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/The-Fallacy-of-Balance-Challenging-the-Notion-of-Security-and-Accessibility-as-Opposing-Objectives_a11y-1.pdf

The State of Mobile App Accessibility in 2025 (Video)
By Mark Steadman and Ben Ogilvie.
"…We will discuss industry-specific trends, areas that require
improvement, and provide actionable recommendations for organizations
to begin addressing these issues. Join us to explore the current state
of mobile app accessibility in 2025 and learn how to foster more
inclusive app experiences for all users…"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1RYIeQ4-qg

Holding-Vendors-Accountable (Video)
By Jaunita George and Jason Page.
"Learn how you can design your own accessibility vendor monitoring
program from the group up and the most effective ways to work with
vendors to create the best digital experience possible. This session
will go over everything from getting buy-in from internal stakeholders
to navigating tough discussions with vendors about digital
accessibility."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hpXyQi1nl8
Jaunita and Jason's Slides (PDF):
https://www.deque.com/axe-con/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Holding-Vendors-Accountable-%E2%80%93-Designing-your-own-accessibility-vendor-monitoring-program_a11y.pdf

Accessibility Maturity Models (Video)
By Matthew Luken and Jenn Evans.
"Accessibility program health measurements, often completed using
maturity models, play a critical role in roadmap planning, success
assessments, and storytelling…"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROIkerYDMXs

AI and Accessibility: the Good, the Bad, and the Bollocks (Video)
By Léonie Watson.
"Depending on what you read, and who you believe, AI is either the
ultimate solution or armageddon in motion, so in this talk, Léonie is
going to cut through the clickbait, dodge the doomscrollers, and focus
on the facts to bring you the good, the bad, and the bollocks of AI
and accessibility…"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij-GLix2QUQ

All Aboard! A Trip Through Europe's 7½ Accessibility Standards (Video)
By Wilco Fiers and Shadi Abou-Zahra.
"Hop aboard for an enlightening journey through the standards that
power the European Accessibility Act. Starting at WCAG Central
Station, we'll travel through seven (and a half!) crucial standards
including EN 301 549, visiting the most interesting sights, and
exploring how they connect to create an accessible digital Europe…"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVzi4h678r8
Wilco and Shadi's Slides (PDF):
https://www.deque.com/axe-con/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/All-aboard-A-trip-through-Europes-7%C2%BD-accessibility-standards_a11y.pdf

WAI A Day
By Eric Eggert.
"…five years after leaving W3C, I created my own low-effort version of
the idea…"
https://yatil.net/blog/wai-a-day


+02: CASCADING STYLE SHEETS.

CSS Relative Colors
By Ahmad Shadeed.
"An interactive guide to learn CSS Relative Colors…"
https://ishadeed.com/article/css-relative-colors/


+03: COLOR.

A11y 101: 1.4.1 Use of Color
By Nat Tarnoff.
"…not all of us see color the same way, and some can't see it at all.
We cannot rely on it to be the sole means of communication…"
https://tarnoff.info/2025/03/10/a11y-101-1-4-1-use-of-color/


+04: EVALUATION & TESTING.

Usability Testing With Disabled Users Is a Good Investment
By Nicolas Steenhout.
"Usability testing with disabled users will highlight accessibility
barriers missed in typical accessibility audits…"
https://nicolas-steenhout.com/usability-testing-is-critical/

A Review of Mobile App UX Questionnaires
By Jim Lewis and Jeff Sauro.
"…In this article, we review how mobile UX has historically been
measured and then review three mobile-specific questionnaires: the
MPUQ, mod-AUG scales, and SUPR-Qm…"
https://measuringu.com/standardized-questionnaires-for-the-ux-of-mobile-apps/


+05: EVENTS.

Accessible Cookie Banners: Research Insights and Best Practices with
Malin Hammarberg and Sara Kjellstrand, Funka Foundation
March 14, 2025.
Online
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KpZfDW-KRKSpPOg4fSaDVw#/registration

How Do Accessible Overlays Impact Assistive Technology?
March 14, 2025.
Online
https://accessingenuity.com/pages/webinar/how-do-accessible-overlays-impact-assistive-technology-digital-accessibility-webinar

Accessibility in Technology Procurement and Use
March 25, 2025.
Online
https://webaim.org/training/procurement/

Screen Reader Testing with DM Lavoie and Luke Kudryashov, University
of Minnesota
March 27, 2025.
Online
https://umn.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FdH-odlQTOG8vFSIDt46Hg#/registration

Web Accessibility Basics - Understanding WCAG Requirements
April 2, 2025.
Online
https://accessingenuity.com/pages/webinar/web-accessibility-basics-understanding-wcag-requirements-digital-accessibility-webinar

Virtual Web Accessibility Training
April 8-9, 2025.
Online
https://webaim.org/training/virtual/

Get Started with Manual Testing Webinar (via Pope Tech)
April 29, 2025.
Online
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DVZOKLcxSLGwJYMABnQrBg#/registration


+06: JAVASCRIPT.

aria-label Requires a Valid Role
By Chris Ferdinandi.
"The [aria-label] attribute is used to provide an accessible name to
an element that might not otherwise have one…"
https://gomakethings.com/aria-label-requires-a-valid-role/


+07: MISCELLANEOUS.

Harm Reduction Principles for Digital Accessibility Practitioners
By Eric W. Bailey.
"I debuted these principles in my axe-con 2025 talk…"
https://ericwbailey.website/published/harm-reduction-principles-for-digital-accessibility-practitioners/

Hold On to Disappearing Words
By Sarah Horton.
"On March 7, 2025, The New York Times posted a list of words
referenced in recent government memos and other documents as words to
limit or avoid…"
https://sarahhortondesign.com/2025/03/09/hold-on-to-disappearing-words/

Help! Even My AI Is Ableist
By Sarah Massengale.
"…Here is my challenge to you. If you are a tech company or a person
that trains AI, include disability in that training, and if you're not
sure how, then reach out…"
https://at-newswire.com/help-even-my-ai-is-ableist/

Combating Ableism and Driving Positive Change (Video)
By Alice Wong.
"Join us for a thought-provoking session with Alice Wong, a celebrated
disabled activist, author, and founder of the Disability Visibility
Project. In conversation with Glenda Sims, Alice will share her
journey as a self-described disabled oracle and cyborg, offering
unique perspectives on combating ableism and reimagining disability as
a source of joy…"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgwCNHVzg4k

A Conversation with Senator Duckworth and Former Representative Coelho (Video)
By Senator Duckworth and Former Representative Coelho.
"Join us for an insightful discussion with disability rights leaders
in the U.S. Government: Senator Tammy Duckworth and former
Representative Tony Coelho (primary sponsor of the ADA) as they share
their journeys, the impact of recent policy changes, and their
perspectives on the future of the ADA and Section 508…"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLTQDHhYwAs

On Ethics in Web Development (With a Brief Overview of Ethical Theories)
By Jens Oliver Meiert.
"Ethics, the philosophical science of morality and moral acting,
matters in technology, in information technology, in software and in
web development. It does so not just because of potential misuse of
AI, or perceived reckless conduct by tech millionaires. It does so
because being used by actors, technology enables and influences
(im)moral acting…"
https://meiert.com/en/blog/on-ethics-in-web-development/


+08: TYPOGRAPHY.

Don't Use Fake Bold or Italic in Social Media
By Adrian Roselli.
"I posted something on Mastodon that uses Unicode math symbols to
produce fake bold and fake italic text. I used YayText.com to generate
it, but I am not linking it because you I don't want you to use it…"
https://adrianroselli.com/2025/03/dont-use-fake-bold-or-italic-in-social-media.html


+09: USABILITY.

Less Effort, More Completion: The EAS Framework for Simplifying Forms
By Huei-Hsin Wang.
"Use the EAS framework - Eliminate first, Automate where possible, and
Simplify what remains - to minimize user effort and improve form
completion rates…"
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/eas-framework-simplify-forms/

Accessible Solutions Benefit Everyone: Here's How (Video)
By Megan Chan.
"Designing for specific needs, like accessibility, ends up benefiting
everyone by making products easier to use for all."
https://www.nngroup.com/videos/accessible-solutions-benefit-everyone/


+10: WEBWASTE & SUSTAINABILITY.

AI Energy Measurement for Beginners (Podcast)
By Chris Adams.
"Host Chris Adams is joined by Charles Tripp and Dawn Nafus to explore
the complexities of measuring AI's environmental impact from a
novice's starting point. They discuss their research paper, A
Beginner's Guide to Power and Energy Measurement and Estimation for
Computing and Machine Learning, breaking down key insights on how
energy efficiency in AI systems is often misunderstood…"
https://podcasts.castplus.fm/e/1820rl98-ai-energy-measurement-for-beginners


[Section one ends.]


++ SECTION TWO:

+17: What Can You Find at the Web Design Reference Site?

Accessibility Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/accessibility.html

Association Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/associations.html

Book Listings.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/books.html

Cascading Style Sheets Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/css.html

Color Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/color.html

Drupal Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/drupal.html

Evaluation & Testing Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/testing.html

Event Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/events.html

HTML Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/html.html

Information Architecture Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/architecture.html

JavaScript Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/javascript.html

Miscellaneous Web Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/misc.html

Navigation Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/navigation.html

PHP Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/php.html

Sites & Blogs Listing.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/sites.html

Standards, Guidelines & Pattern Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/standards.html

Tool Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/tools.html

Typography Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/type.html

Usability Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/usability.html

WebWaste & Sustainability Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/webwaste.html

XML Information.
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/xml.html

[Section two ends.]


++END NOTES.


+ SUBSCRIPTION INFO.

WEB DESIGN UPDATE is available by subscription. For information on how
to subscribe and unsubscribe please visit:
https://www.d.umn.edu/itss/training/online/webdesign/webdev_listserv.html
The Web Design Reference Site also has a RSS 2.0 feed for site updates.


+ TEXT EMAIL NEWSLETTER (TEN).

As a navigation aid for screen readers we do our best to conform to
the accessible Text Email Newsletter (TEN) guidelines. Please let me
know if there is anything else we can do to make navigation easier.
For TEN guideline information please visit:
http://www.headstar.com/ten


+ SIGN OFF.

Until next time,

Laura L. Carlson
Information Technology Systems and Services
University of Minnesota Duluth
Duluth, MN U.S.A. 55812-3009
mailto:lcar...@d.umn.edu


[Issue ends.]