Accessibility and Web Standards with Ben Myers

Ben Myers dives into accessibility, web standards, and best practices for creating inclusive experiences, focusing on Eleventy, SPAs, and advanced front-end tools.

Episode Description

Ben Myers dives into accessibility, web standards, and best practices for creating inclusive experiences, focusing on Eleventy, SPAs, and advanced front-end tools.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Ben Myers shares his passion for accessibility, discussing both the personal experiences that drive his advocacy and the technical know-how needed to build inclusive web applications. He introduces essential resources for developers at every stage, highlighting how tools like WebAIM, the A11y Project, and community-driven blog posts can simplify otherwise complex accessibility guidelines. The conversation delves into the nuances of static site generators like Eleventy, underscoring the importance of minimizing unnecessary JavaScript. Ben also emphasizes the challenges posed by single-page apps, especially around routing and focus management, while offering insights into how browsers, frameworks, and developers can collaborate to solve them. Throughout, he encourages a holistic approach that recognizes the interdependence of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, reminding listeners that thoughtful design not only benefits disabled users but elevates the user experience as a whole.

Chapters

00:00 - 06:00 — Welcome and Introduction to Captions

In this opening segment, the host greets listeners and introduces Ben Myers as the featured guest. Ben provides a brief explanation of his experimental live-captioning setup, describing how he uses a combination of web-based tools and audio loopback software to capture Twitter Spaces audio and convert it into captions in real time. The conversation highlights the importance of accessible communication platforms and how developers can hack together workable solutions when native support is missing. This part of the episode sets the stage for a deep dive into accessibility concerns throughout the show, demonstrating the creative, hands-on nature of Ben’s approach right from the start. By emphasizing how such captioning helps a broader audience—including the hard of hearing—listeners are reminded early on that accessibility extends well beyond a checklist, influencing the core user experience from the ground up.

06:00 - 12:00 — Guest’s Background & Accessibility Philosophy

Here, Ben delves into his personal journey and the philosophies that shaped his dedication to accessibility and inclusive design. He describes his role at Microsoft, focusing on the work he does with Microsoft Learn and how his own physical disability and hearing challenges inform his perspective. The discussion touches on the significance of building user-centered websites, with Ben noting that most developers truly want to create inclusive experiences but may not know how. This section spotlights his broader mission to fill knowledge gaps and encourage empathy in software engineering. By explaining the origin story of his blog and livestream, he underscores the importance of demystifying complex topics and making hands-on learning resources available to everyone.

12:00 - 18:00 — Accessibility Tools & Resources

In this portion, Ben and the host swap recommendations for anyone looking to get started or go deeper with accessibility. They outline the spectrum of tools, from essential blog posts and personal websites to more structured approaches like WebAIM or the A11y Project checklist. The conversation addresses how specs and official guidelines can feel daunting, underscoring the value of more approachable, narrative-driven resources. Ben highlights individuals in the community who share concise, actionable tips, emphasizing the role of social media in spreading accessibility awareness. By offering specific URLs and authors to follow, they provide listeners with a curated map of the accessibility landscape, encouraging continuous learning and community engagement.

18:00 - 24:00 — Eleventy & Minimal JavaScript Approaches

Switching gears, the episode explores Eleventy, a static site generator loved for its minimal footprint and focus on clean, semantic HTML. Ben explains how Eleventy represents a “back-to-basics” philosophy, producing static HTML by default, as opposed to frameworks that ship large amounts of JavaScript by default. The conversation touches on Eleventy 2.0’s new features, including improved dev server capabilities and future-facing enhancements like Web C. In addressing the broader movement toward islands architecture and low-JavaScript solutions, Ben points out how Eleventy’s ethos remains centered on sending less code to the browser. This ties directly into accessibility, since leaner pages often translate to better performance and more inclusive user experiences overall.

24:00 - 30:00 — Advanced Accessibility Strategies

In this segment, Ben tackles more complex scenarios that arise when designing for diverse audiences, such as creating meaningful alt text for diagrams and large images. He explains how alt text shouldn’t always be confined to one attribute and how supplementary paragraphs or “long descriptions” can enhance clarity. Ben emphasizes that advanced accessibility also involves bridging the gap between what is presented visually and what is announced by screen readers or other assistive tools. He clarifies that while social media platforms have normalized short alt text fields, developers building robust web experiences may need multi-layered descriptions. This deeper look highlights how strong textual explanations are valuable not only for blind or low-vision users, but for anyone struggling to interpret dense or abstract visuals.

30:00 - 36:00 — Single-Page Apps & Routing Challenges

Here, the focus shifts to single-page applications (SPAs) and the many pitfalls they present for accessibility, particularly around routing and focus management. Ben outlines how the traditional browser behavior of refreshing a page helps screen readers reset content and announce new material—something that SPAs often fail to replicate. The conversation covers how existing routers might attempt to address focus changes and live region announcements but usually fall short. By dissecting real-world examples, Ben shows how the seemingly seamless nature of SPAs can become a barrier for users relying on assistive technology. This crucial segment calls attention to the need for frameworks and libraries to build better defaults, rather than relying on every team to cobble together their own solutions.

36:00 - 42:00 — CSS Frameworks & ARIA

During this chapter, Ben examines the relationship between CSS frameworks and accessibility, arguing that the tendency to rely solely on classes for design can de-emphasize semantic HTML and ARIA attributes. He traces the evolution of frameworks, from older solutions like Bootstrap to more contemporary approaches like Tailwind, noting that while they solve aesthetic problems, they often require additional markup or JavaScript to meet accessibility standards. The discussion also touches on the importance of ARIA states—for example, aria-expanded—and how tying CSS to these attributes can help developers automatically maintain best practices. Ultimately, Ben underscores that a purely class-based approach can overlook users who benefit from explicit, semantic cues, calling for developers to consider the broader context of their UI patterns.

42:00 - 47:39 — Community Q&A & Closing

In the final portion of the episode, the conversation opens to audience questions, allowing listeners to inquire about topics like multi-platform chat integration and capturing multiple streaming channels. Ben shares details on Show My Chat, his own utility that overlays Twitch chat for live-streamers, hinting at possible expansions for other platforms. The wrap-up revisits the core themes of accessibility, urging developers to keep empathy at the center of their work and remain curious about evolving standards. As a final note, Ben invites everyone to attend upcoming events like AxeCon, where accessibility enthusiasts can learn even more about best practices. The show closes on an optimistic message, encouraging continuous improvement and collaboration across the web development community.