Gareth Ford Williams
@garethfw.bsky.social
Accessibility Old Timer, ex-BBC Head of UX/Accessibility, Web/Mobile/Games/Fonts/Design Systems. Has #Dyslexia and #ADHD. Director of Ab11y.com and A11yQuest.com #a11y #UXDesign #accessibility
PIP is a lifeline for millions of disabled people, and by its own admission, the government’s Timms review acknowledges that the PIP assessment system is ultimately “not fit for purpose”.
Interim Timms Report brands DWP PIP system "not fit for purpose"
PIP is a lifeline for disabled people, and by its own admission, the Timms review acknowledges that the DWP system is “not fit for purpose”
thecanary.co
🗣️ Upcoming on the Fireside: Over the next few months... @hidde.blog @gerardkcohen.me Brian Kardell (@igalia.com) Wendy Reid @amyhupe.bsky.social @gwitch.bsky.social @garethfw.bsky.social @shepazu.bsky.social
Steve Faulkner@stevefaulkner.eurosky.social · 6mo agoMike[TM]Smith AKA Sideshowbarker – fireside talking #WebStandards #W3C #Browsers #HTML #ARIA #Japan #politics html5accessibility.com/stuff/2026/0...
It's been a busy awards season already. We take a look at the growing number of accessibility awards in the games industry, and what we have to look forward to next year. Congratulations and thanks to all the winners and nominees for making a difference! caniplaythat.com/2025/12/31/a...
Accessibility awards season recap - Can I Play That?
It has been a busy awards season already, we take a look at the growing number of accessibility awards in the games industry.
caniplaythat.com
Pundits are framing the welfare bill chaos as Downing Street’s failure to communicate the moral case for cuts - but there is no moral case. That’s the problem. These plans are staggering assaults on support that won’t help disabled people into work. No one can sell that.
I’m sorry, the DWP announcing “don’t worry, the benefits u-turn means only 150,000 people will be pushed into poverty now!” is just insane. Cruel, incompetent ghouls who shouldn’t be allowed to run a bath let alone a system sick people rely on to live.
‼️ MPs vote tomorrow on the #WelfareReformBill. They must vote to #Scrap TheCuts. Email your MP today and tell them to vote against this cruel bill. takingthepip.co.uk/write-to-you... #TakingThePip #DisabilityBenefits
Thank you Zak Ford-Williams @zfw.bsky.social Listen to the whole of this brilliant podcast episode here : rampsonthemoon.co.uk/podcast-epis...
More than 40 Labour MPs have warned Keir Starmer that planned disability cuts are “impossible to support”, @jessicaelgot.bsky.social @peterwalker99.bsky.social exclusively reports. It sets up Starmer for the biggest rebellion of his premiership next month. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Disability benefit cuts impossible to support, 42 Labour MPs tell Starmer
Exclusive: Backbenchers sign letter calling for change in direction on plans expected to be put to vote next month
theguardian.com
Four years on an iPhone in bed later, Who Wants Normal? is finally out in the world today. Part memoir, part guide, it features 50+ of Britain’s best known disabled women. I hope it makes you laugh, possibly cry, and feel seen. Order all formats here: linktr.ee/WhoWantsNormal
[New blog post] Are CSS Carousels accessible sarasoueidan.com/blog/css-car... In this post, I share some important insights from examining the accessibility of CSS-only carousels that use new features introduced in the #CSS Overflow Module Level 5 spec. #a11y
Are 'CSS Carousels' accessible?
– The personal website of Sara Soueidan, inclusive design engineer
sarasoueidan.com
There’s a few… - Voiceover isn’t announcing the state changes. - Nothing moves focus into the content when expanded auto closes when focus leaves the region. - Everything seems to flatten header semantics inside the <summary> element. I can kinda understand 3, but the rest are baffling.
Hi friends! We are launching our first virtual hangout on Zoom this month for anyone w/ chronic illness to come & make friends! ✨🤍 Sign up below & I’ll try to pick the best day & time for everyone! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Chronic Illness Friendship Club Sign Up Form
Hi friends thank you for being here. 1. We are launching our first hangout and need to gather best time zone for anyone interested! 2. If you'd like to be informed for our mailing list, upcoming mee...
docs.google.com
My friend Kurt Yaeger, known for his role in Sons of Anarchy, has released a new short story. #Disability #axschat youtu.be/I1gcN0_cz4w
THE BEST DAY of MY LIFE - By Kurt Yaeger
YouTube video by Kurt Yaeger
youtu.be
A6. As Sir Ken Robinson said, “If you think of it, the whole system of public education around the world is a protracted process of university entrance.” If you don’t fit the bill you are gently pushed to one side. youtu.be/iG9CE55wbtY?... #AXSChat
Do schools kill creativity? | Sir Ken Robinson | TED
YouTube video by TED
youtu.be
A6. Ableism. People grow up being taught, often with gradual subconscious messaging, that nothing should be expected from disabled people. The twin of this is that when disabled people achieve something it is seen as miraculous. An anomaly. Both are harmful and work in tandem. #AXSChat
A5. I think as a manager of two teams with neurodivergent and disabled members I was always doing some sort of accessibility project with an audience of one. Whether this was removing a lightbulb or getting the volume of security gate alarms turned down because they were breaking someone. #AXSChat
A3 I would say it is pretty important. Stories bind the past, present & future. We need to identify what we value & and how that aligns us with identity & that of our group. "People like us do things like this" as @sethgodin.bsky.social is known to say. #AXSChat
AXSChat @axschat.bsky.social · last yr.Q3 @GarethFW is known for his storytelling about #accessibility, @ZFW.bsky.social has featured in some of these tales over the years before going one better by becoming a successful actor. How important is storytelling in winning people over to #a11y? #AXSChat
A4 Disabled actors in period dramas like Bridgerton challenge false narratives. We’ve always been part of history—representation just makes it visible. #AXSChat
A4. Disability Casting and Portrayal guidelines medium.com/@garethfordw... Disability casting and portrayal guidelines #AXSChat #disability #casting
Best Practice Guidance for Disability Portrayal and Creative Casting in TV Dramas and Movies
The principal purpose of storytelling and characterisation in drama or film is to help us learn about each other and broaden our…
medium.com
A4 proper representation of people with disabilities in media would mean we have nearly 20% of all roles instead of the smattering we have now. Disability is mainstream and should be represented as such not a special character. #AXSChat
A2 I like the idea of having representation & ensuring that there is a diversity of people represented. Age, ability, color, religion, orientation, are all things that impact most modern businesses. Reminding people of that in advertising & service delivery matters. #AXSChat
New #axschat Video: The Father-Son Journey Through Accessibility & Acting. The BBC iPlayer was launched in 2007 with screen reader accessibility, closed captions, & audio description. 20 years later, Zak appears on the very platform his father Gareth helped make accessible vimeo.com/1070490497?s...
The Father-Son Journey Through Accessibility and Acting
Gareth Ford-Williams shares how his son Zak inability to access age-appropriate BBC games sparked a career revolutionizing digital accessibility, culminating in…
vimeo.com
Boosting as #AXSChat Is a valuable resource for accessibility information.
Neil Milliken@neilmilliken.bsky.social · last yr.Hi @jay.bsky.team I run #AXSChat accessibility chat every Tuesday here on Bluesky we moved here from TwiX many of our guests are newbies to Bluesky and they are being classified as spam because they are active and engaging in discussions like @janehatton.bluesky.social please don’t silence us.
This is an #AXSChat 10th unbirthday we wanted to welcome back our first ever guest @garethFW@bsky.social to celebrate 10years but in typical style we are a few months late.
