WordPress powers over 43% of sites on the internet today, making it a powerhouse web technology. Its simplicity attracted bloggers and do-it-yourselfers who navigate the platform by Googling code snippets. That knowledge gap comes with a whole host of accessibility issues. Amber Hinds, Founder and CEO at Equalize Digital, quit her part-time gig as a freelance developer when she found WordPress was an easier way to manage content. She’s been doing accessibility work on the platform since 2016 and has seen a boom in the past two years of companies searching for accessibility experts. Amber built the Accessibility Checker plugin as a guardrail to help DIYers avoid common mistakes by auditing a site and flagging accessibility issues. The plugin is also an education tool for content managers, and developers to learn about accessibility. In this episode, Amber talks to Chuck and Robbie about web accessibility on WordPress, making accessibility a priority in colleges and boot camps, and RVing around the country with her family. Key Takeaways [00:35] - An intro to Amber Hinds. [00:54] - A whiskey review - Weller Special Reserve. [07:49] - What it’s like working with WordPress in 2022 compared to earlier years. [10:47] - Amber gives an overview of WordPress. [13:36] - Amber explains unique accessibility problems in WordPress. [15:47] - How Equalize Digital’s plug-in audits WordPress sites. [21:55] - Amber’s thoughts on how to make accessibility a priority. [35:33] - Chuck and Amber talk about RV life and being on the show, “Going RV”. Quotes [08:43] - “I think the recent number that I saw was that 43% of websites are built in WordPress.” ~ Amber Hinds [23:53] - “I feel like having more general visibility about the broad range of disabilities and also putting people's faces to things is super helpful.” ~ Amber Hinds [28:33] - “Companies need to realize that accessibility is everyone's responsibility.” ~ Amber Hinds Links Amber Hinds LinkedIn Amber Hinds Twitter Amber Hinds Equalize Digital WordPress Accessibility Checker Weller Special Reserve Pappy Van Winkle Maker’s Mark Buffalo Trace Distillery React Absolut Vodka Shopify Square Space Drupal Matt Mullenweg Automattic Magic Mouse Logitech Lift Mac Darci USB Colorado State University Java Script Dream Weaver Next Js Tumblr WAVE WordPress Accessibility Day Shutterstock  Gutenburg Nicolas Steenhout A11y Rules Podcast Colorado State Google GitHub Roomba Going RV House Hunters HGTV America's Got Talent Property Brothers Matthew McConaughey HBO Netflix Hulu PBS Kids NewsHour NFL ESPN New England Patriots Astro Nuxt 3 Google PageSpeed Google Tag Manager Google Fonts Lighthouse WordPress accessibility Meetup Connect with our hosts Robbie Wagner Chuck Carpenter Ship Shape Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Whiskey Web and Whatnot Top-Tier, Full-Stack Software Consultants This show is brought to you by Ship Shape. Ship Shape’s software consultants solve complex software and app development problems with top-tier coding expertise, superior service, and speed. In a sea of choices, our senior-level development crew rises above the rest by delivering the best solutions for fintech, cybersecurity, and other fast-growing industries. Check us out at shipshape.io.

WordPress powers over 43% of sites on the internet today, making it a powerhouse web technology. Its simplicity attracted bloggers and do-it-yourselfers who navigate the platform by Googling code snippets. That knowledge gap comes with a whole host of accessibility issues. Amber Hinds, Founder and CEO at Equalize Digital, quit her part-time gig as a freelance developer when she found WordPress was an easier way to manage content. She’s been doing accessibility work on the platform since 2016 and has seen a boom in the past two years of companies searching for accessibility experts. Amber built the Accessibility Checker plugin as a guardrail to help DIYers avoid common mistakes by auditing a site and flagging accessibility issues. The plugin is also an education tool for content managers, and developers to learn about accessibility. In this episode, Amber talks to Chuck and Robbie about web accessibility on WordPress, making accessibility a priority in colleges and boot camps, and RVing around the country with her family. Key Takeaways [00:35] - An intro to Amber Hinds. [00:54] - A whiskey review - Weller Special Reserve. [07:49] - What it’s like working with WordPress in 2022 compared to earlier years. [10:47] - Amber gives an overview of WordPress. [13:36] - Amber explains unique accessibility problems in WordPress. [15:47] - How Equalize Digital’s plug-in audits WordPress sites. [21:55] - Amber’s thoughts on how to make accessibility a priority. [35:33] - Chuck and Amber talk about RV life and being on the show, “Going RV”. Quotes [08:43] - “I think the recent number that I saw was that 43% of websites are built in WordPress.” ~ Amber Hinds [23:53] - “I feel like having more general visibility about the broad range of disabilities and also putting people's faces to things is super helpful.” ~ Amber Hinds [28:33] - “Companies need to realize that accessibility is everyone's responsibility.” ~ Amber Hinds Links Amber Hinds LinkedIn Amber Hinds Twitter Amber Hinds Equalize Digital WordPress Accessibility Checker Weller Special Reserve Pappy Van Winkle Maker’s Mark Buffalo Trace Distillery React Absolut Vodka Shopify Square Space Drupal Matt Mullenweg Automattic Magic Mouse Logitech Lift Mac Darci USB Colorado State University Java Script Dream Weaver Next Js Tumblr WAVE WordPress Accessibility Day Shutterstock  Gutenburg Nicolas Steenhout A11y Rules Podcast Colorado State Google GitHub Roomba Going RV House Hunters HGTV America's Got Talent Property Brothers Matthew McConaughey HBO Netflix Hulu PBS Kids NewsHour NFL ESPN New England Patriots Astro Nuxt 3 Google PageSpeed Google Tag Manager Google Fonts Lighthouse WordPress accessibility Meetup Connect with our hosts Robbie Wagner Chuck Carpenter Ship Shape Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Whiskey Web and Whatnot Top-Tier, Full-Stack Software Consultants This show is brought to you by Ship Shape. Ship Shape’s software consultants solve complex software and app development problems with top-tier coding expertise, superior service, and speed. In a sea of choices, our senior-level development crew rises above the rest by delivering the best solutions for fintech, cybersecurity, and other fast-growing industries. Check us out at shipshape.io.