Welcome to Beyond Barriers, a community podcast dedicated to breaking down the challenges and successes of creating accessible, inclusive digital experiences. In this episode, we’re joined by Shayna Brown, an accessibility advocate and passionate learner. Her journey into accessibility, driven by curiosity and empathy, offers insights into how proactive accessibility strategies benefit all users, not just those with disabilities.
You can listen to the audio or read the transcript below.
Journey into Accessibility
Brian: "When we first met, it was really exciting to hear your journey into accessibility. I know you're a couple of years into gaining expertise and stepping into a leadership role. Tell me a little bit about what that journey's been like."
Shayna: "The journey has been amazing. I'm always someone who is apt to learning, and I got an opportunity to take some courses through my company. I just was so excited—they were working on updating sites to be more accessible. I never really thought about how inaccessible things are until I was like, 'Oh, I didn’t realize an empty headline would be inaccessible for someone using a screen reader.' That realization made me want to dig in and see how I could be doing better."
Embracing Continuous Learning
Brian: "Twenty-plus courses—that’s impressive! Talk about continuous learning."
Shayna: "I do enjoy learning. Every time I learned something new, I wrote it down and had like 50 pages of notes. Then, I converted them to an online resource, so I could find them quicker."
Shayna: "I took a range of courses, like WCAG 2.0 and 2.1 standards. I’m a freelance designer, too, so it made me think about things I hadn't considered before, like if colors contrast well for someone with color blindness. This learning empowered me to update my own website and portfolio, making sure it’s accessible to everyone."
Educating Team and Peers
Shayna: "I try to pitch why it is necessary and to give examples. When I am presenting and saying, ‘Hey, you have empty headlines on the site and it’s an accessibility issue,’ I want you to understand why that is an issue and how it impacts others. For example, I’ll show what it looks like from a screen reader perspective. If this was you and you were reading with a screen reader, you’d get to a section, and it just reads 'empty headline.'"
Brian: "For myself, if someone can give an example of how it affects them, it helps make it real and relevant. You’re explaining it in a way that shows it’s a vital part of user experience."
Practical Strategies for Implementing Accessibility
Shayna: "Accessibility isn't just for those with disabilities. I’ve realized that little changes, like adding alt text, impact everyone. I include alt text even in emails, so if someone has low internet, they can still understand the content. And when I present, I follow a script. That way, I can easily upload captions, and it's more accessible for someone in a noisy environment."
Challenges in Building Digital Equity
Shayna: "The biggest challenge is the ease of ignoring accessibility. A lot of people don’t realize that 15% of the world has a disability. It’s very easy to overlook issues—an empty headline here, missing alt text there. I try to show them that accessibility benefits everyone."
Accessibility Advocacy Into Community
Shayna: "I was on my city’s website and just thought, let’s turn off all the images to see if they have alt text. And they didn’t. So, I emailed them, pointing out the issues, explaining why color contrast, baked-in copy, and lack of alt text make it hard for anyone with low connectivity or disabilities. I haven’t heard back yet, but I couldn’t help but take the initiative."
Brian: "I think it’s inspiring how you’re taking real-world examples and showing people why this matters. It’s easy to overlook these details, but they impact a lot of people’s experiences."
The Future of Accessibility
Shayna: "We’re getting more into AI, and it’s essential to ensure that AI is accessible to everyone because it’s so new. Everything is still an afterthought—often we build something and then fix the cracks when we find them. Accessibility is the same; it’s often retrofitted rather than integrated from the start."
Final Thoughts on Creating Accessible Experiences
Shayna: "It’s about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. Accessibility ultimately benefits everyone. People who use accessibility tools constantly have to advocate for themselves. It’d be nice if they didn’t have to."
Brian: "I’m taking away what you said about thinking beyond compliance. It’s about providing an inclusive experience for everyone, and that makes for a better, more engaging brand reputation."
