iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Laura Wissiak

The Game Accessibility Conference @gaconf.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

GAConf USA date is set! Two days of accessibility talks and networking, October 19th & 20th. Fully online across Zoom and Discord. FREE registration open now at www.gaconf.com. Speaker announcements coming soon!

GAConf, advancing accessibility for disabled players. Online conference, Oct 18th - 19th 2026. Seattle social, Sept 2026.

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 22/04/2026

Session 6: Repetitive Content + Content Structure ✅ Repetitive Content: Learning to identify and skip repeated navigation blocks efficiently ✅ Content Structure: Verifying proper heading hierarchies and logical reading order for screen readers Join us to sharpen your testing toolkit!

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 22/04/2026

Session 6 of the Section 508 Trusted Tester Study Group 🗓️ April 24, 4:00 PM (GMT+2) 📍 Hosted by GDG Vienna 🔗 Register: gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-vienna-presents-dhs-trusted-tester-study-group-6-repetitive-content-content-structure/cohost-gdg-vienna/ #a11y #WebAccessibility

gdg.community.dev

DHS Trusted Tester Study Group 6: Repetitive Content + Content Structure | Google Developer Groups

Virtual Event - Welcome to the DHS Section 508 Trusted Tester Study Group. This series builds on our previous Accessibility Webinar Seri...

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 31/03/2026

This is part of a 12-session series covering the full DHS Section 508 Trusted Tester methodology. • Session 1: Section 508 Basics • Session 2: Auto-Play & Flashing • Session 3: Keyboard Access • Session 4: Forms ➡️ Session 5: Links, Images & Time Materials: github.com/Laura-A11y/G...

github.com

GitHub - Laura-A11y/GDG-Study-Group: GDG Vienna is studying hard! Current topic: DHS Section 508 Trusted Tester Program + Certification

GDG Vienna is studying hard! Current topic: DHS Section 508 Trusted Tester Program + Certification - Laura-A11y/GDG-Study-Group

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 31/03/2026

Session 5: Links + Images + Adjustable Time Limits ✅ Links: Evaluate if link text describes its destination clearly (no more "Click Here"!) ✅ Images: Verifying alt text and ensuring decorative images are handled correctly ✅ Time Limits: Understanding when users need more time and adjustable limits

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 12/03/2026

Taming the Moving Parts: A recap of the last study group session where we covered Auto-Playing, Blinking, and Flashing Content according to Section 508! open.substack.com/pub/a11ynews...

open.substack.com

Taming the Moving Parts: Auto-Playing, Blinking, and Flashing Content according to Section 508

DHS Trusted Tester Study Group Session 2 (feat. my criticism of how the Trusted Tester Process examines flashing content)

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 11/03/2026

⌨️ What You'll Learn: ✅ Identify interactive elements & verify keyboard access ✅ Detect keyboard traps that lock users in ✅ Ensure visible focus indicators are present ✅ Prevent unexpected context changes on focus ✅ Validate logical navigation order

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 11/03/2026

Session 3: Keyboard Access and Focus Keyboard-only users need full access to ALL functionality on web pages. This session covers the 6 critical tests for Section 508 compliance: 4.A Keyboard Access 4.B Keystroke Timing 4.C Keyboard Trap 4.D Focus Visible 4.E Focus Change of Context 4.F Focus Order

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 11/03/2026

Join DHS Trusted Tester Study Group Session 3! 🧵 We have a number of interactive pass/fail and DNA examples this time. 🗓️ Mar 12 | 6:00-7:00 PM (GMT+1) Register: gdg.community.dev/events/detai...

gdg.community.dev

DHS Trusted Tester Study Group 3: Keyboard Access and Focus | Google Developer Groups

Virtual Event - Welcome to the DHS Section 508 Trusted Tester Study Group. This series builds on our previous Accessibility Webinar Seri...

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 10/03/2026

Summary of the latest study session is now up: Auto Playing Audio Control & ARIA Live Regions Testing according to the Section 508 Trusted Tester Process: dev.to/laura-wissia...

dev.to

Stop the Noise: Auto PLaying Audio Control and ARIA Live Region Testing

Tools to follow along: ANDI test page Study Group Session 2 Last week,...

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 02/03/2026

DHS Trusted Tester Study Group Session 1 Recap: What is Section 508? Functional Performance Criteria Web Standards Testing Tools open.substack.com/pub/a11ynews...

open.substack.com

DHS Trusted Tester Study Group Session 1 Recap: What is Section 508?

Join the study group again on March 6

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 16/02/2026

Whether you’re a developer, QA engineer, UX designer, or accessibility advocate, this hands‑on walkthrough will sharpen your testing toolkit and keep you on track for the Trusted Tester exam. gdg.community.dev/events/detai...

gdg.community.dev

DHS Trusted Tester Study Group 2: Auto-Playing and Auto-Updating Content + Flashing | Google Developer Groups

Virtual Event - Welcome to the DHS Section 508 Trusted Tester Study Group. This series builds on our previous Accessibility Webinar Ser...

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 16/02/2026

What’s the Trusted Tester? The DHS Section 508 Trusted Tester credential validates that you have the skills to evaluate digital products against Section 508, WCAG, and the POUR principles. It’s the industry‑recognized badge that says “I can reliably test for accessibility compliance.”

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 15/02/2026

The Trusted Tester certification course equips professionals with the skills to evaluate websites and applications for compliance with Section 508, WCAG, and the POUR principles. DHS Trusted Tester Conformance Test Process: www.dhs.gov/trusted-tester

dhs.gov

Section 508 Trusted Tester Conformance Test Process | Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Customer Experience Directorate (CXD) Accessibility & Language Services Division developed the DHS Section 508 Trusted Tester as a common testing approach for...

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 15/02/2026

DHS Trusted Tester Study Group – Session 2 🔔 Topic: Auto‑Playing and Auto‑Updating Content + Flashing 🗓 Date & Time: March 6, 4 to 5 PM (GMT+1) 📍 Join us online: gdg.community.dev/events/detai...

gdg.community.dev

DHS Trusted Tester Study Group 2: Auto-Playing and Auto-Updating Content + Flashing | Google Developer Groups

Virtual Event - Welcome to the DHS Section 508 Trusted Tester Study Group. This series builds on our previous Accessibility Webinar Ser...

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Reposted by Laura Wissiak

Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 29/01/2026

🗓️ February 2026 Accessibility Events – a curated guide that lists every conference, workshop & meetup driving real change for people with disabilities. 🔗 open.substack.com/pub/a11ynews... #a11y #accessibility #disability #EventGuide

open.substack.com

Accessibility Events in February 2026

A curated guide to the February events driving real change for people with disabilities.

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 29/01/2026

👥 Who should attend? • Accessibility auditors looking for certification prep • Developers, designers, product managers wanting a solid Section 508 foundation • Anyone interested in building an inclusive digital world 🗓️ Date: Feb 6, 4‑5:30 PM GMT+1 📍 Live stream via GDG Vienna (link above)

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 29/01/2026

🔎 Session 1 covers: • Overview of Section 508 & why it matters for digital services • The conformance test process & exam structure • Quick recap of WCAG & POUR principles (the essential theory) • Intro to practical testing tools (how they work, demo snippets)

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 29/01/2026

🗓️ DHS Trusted Tester Study Group 1: What is Section 508? Functional performance criteria & testing tools Kickoff: Feb 6, 4‑5:30 PM GMT+1 (Vienna) – free via GDG Vienna 🔗https://gdg.community.dev/gdg-vienna/

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 29/01/2026

🏢 Hybrid Event A11y NYC Meetup – “Every Jira Ticket Is Your Accessibility Policy” – Feb 3, 7:30‑9 PM EST (YouTube + in‑person) 🔗 open.substack.com/pub/a11ynews...

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 29/01/2026

📍 Conferences • ILO GBDN Europe Conference – Feb 17, 9 AM‑4:30 PM • Zero Project Conference – Feb 18‑20 (live‑streamed, recordings available) • Axe‑Con – Feb 24‑25 (design, development & org‑wide accessibility) 🔗 open.substack.com/pub/a11ynews...

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 29/01/2026

📍 Online Events (part 1) • DHS Trusted Tester Study Group – Feb 6, 4‑5:30 PM GMT+1 • Building for Everyone – Feb 10, 6 PM CET (Google & Deaf/Hard‑of‑ hearing partnership) • Document Accessibility Webinar – Feb 26, 4 PM UK‑time. 🔗 open.substack.com/pub/a11ynews...

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 29/01/2026

open.substack.com

Accessibility Events in February 2026

A curated guide to the February events driving real change for people with disabilities.

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Reposted by Laura Wissiak

Jen Simmons @jensimmons.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

It’s wild to me just how much wrong information there is out there (written by humans in the later half of 2025) about using CSS to create masonry layouts. There is no property named `grid-lanes` (as in grid-lanes: repeat(4, 200px)). There is no `masonry-direction` property. Or `masonry` anything.

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Reposted by Laura Wissiak

Adrian Roselli, pH0 @aardrian.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

“Barriers from Links with ARIA” adrianroselli.com/2026/01/barr... Tried to capture other ways using `aria-label` and/or `aria-hidden` within links can break them for non-SR users. Corrections, additions welcome. Maybe check before the LLM crawlers turn my site into a gibbering pile of 503s. #ARIA

adrianroselli.com

Barriers from Links with ARIA

Today Temani Afif asked a question: Are the below codes equivalent if we consider all the aspects? (a11y, semantic, something else maybe?) If not, what is missing (or should be changed) in the second ...

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 23/01/2026

1️⃣ Mark Feb 6, 4:00 PM (GMT+1) on your calendar. 2️⃣ Follow the GDG Vienna page for the meeting link and updates: gdg.community.dev/gdg-vienna/ 3️⃣ If you’re new to accessibility auditing, watch the recorded webinars from our previous series to get up to speed on WCAG and the POUR principles.

gdg.community.dev

GDG Vienna | Google Developer Groups

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 23/01/2026

Join the DHS Trusted Tester Study Group: “What is Section 508? Functional Performance Criteria & Testing Tools” 🚀 📅 Kick‑off: Feb 6 | 4:00 – 5:30 PM (GMT+1) 🗓️ Then: 1 hour every other Friday for the next ~6 months 🏢 Hosted by:  Google Developer Group Vienna RSVP: gdg.community.dev/events/detai...

gdg.community.dev

DHS Trusted Tester Study Group 1: What is Section 508? Functional Performance Criteria, and Testing Tools | Google Developer Groups

Virtual Event - Join for the kickoff session of our DHS Section 508 Trusted Tester Study Group. This will set the foundation for underst...

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Reposted by Laura Wissiak

Stef Walter @stephaniewalter.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

The irony of everyone chasing the same AI strategy is that it eliminates competitive advantage. When everyone optimizes for the same thing, nobody stands out. But a company that deliberately chooses humanity over automation? Right now that’s an admirable decision and a signal customers can’t ignore

staticmade.com

Humanity as Differentiator

I just spent a few days in New York City at NRF 2026, the …

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Reposted by Laura Wissiak

Inge Rosenberger @ingerosenberger.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Das Bundesministerium für Digitales und Staatsmodernisierung (BMDS) hat das „EinfachMachen-Portal" eröffnet. Hier können Bürgerinnen und Bürger direkt online melden, wo Staat und Verwaltung unnötig zu kompliziert sind bei Behördenprozessen.

einfach-machen.gov.de

EinfachMachen-Portal - BMDS

Das EinfachMachen-Portal ist ein digitales Angebot des Bundesministeriums für Digitales und Staatsmodernisierung (BMDS). Bürgerinnen und Bürger, Unternehmen, Verbände sowie Mitarbeitende der Verwaltun...

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Reposted by Laura Wissiak

Raul Krauthausen @raulkrauthausen.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

„Warum streicht man funktionierende Lösungen?“ Barrierefreie Mobilität ist kein Luxus, sondern Voraussetzung für Teilhabe. Dass der BVG-Muva eingestellt wird, zeigt: Inklusion ist oft das Erste, was fällt – dabei müsste es das Erste sein, das bleibt. steady.page/de/krauthaus...

steady.page

Wichtig ist, erst mal anzukommen

Warum schaffen wir funktionierende Inklusion ab, statt sie auszuweiten?

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 22/01/2026

Upcoming DHS Trusted Tester Study Group Feb 6 | 4‑5:30 PM (GMT+1) Session 1: What is Section 508? Functional performance criteria and standards, getting familiar with testing tools and how they work (the long but important theory part) RSVP on GDG Community: gdg.community.dev/events/detai...

gdg.community.dev

DHS Trusted Tester Study Group 1: What is Section 508? Functional Performance Criteria, and Testing Tools | Google Developer Groups

Virtual Event - Join for the kickoff session of our DHS Section 508 Trusted Tester Study Group. This will set the foundation for underst...

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Reposted by Laura Wissiak

Craig Abbott @craigabbott.co.uk · 08/01/2026

I’m talking about AI and accessibility at A11y North this month, in Leeds. If it’s something you’re interested in, it would be great to see you there! www.linkedin.com/events/a11yn... www.a11ynorth.com #a11y #accessibility #ai

a11ynorth.com

A11y North

The homepage of the A11y North charity and meet-up group

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Laura Wissiak @laura-wissiak.com · 08/01/2026

Enrolled in the DHS Section 508 Trusted Tester, unfortunately most external links contained in the course material lead to 404 errors. If anyone has materials saved, please share them with me 🙏

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