Shaun @sconner.net · 25/09/2026Super stressful week, so I did what was necessary and ordered myself 3kg of sweets. 131
Shaun @sconner.net · 04/09/2026Real life has been unbelievably heavy lately, and I haven’t been doing so well. Getting older sucks. The people around you become unwell and you just need to…deal with it. I’ve been trying keeping myself busy by learning some magic tricks. Pretty happy with this one. It’s a great hobby. 070
Shaun @sconner.net · 20/08/2026My daughter has one of her dancing friends round. She's been here for about half an hour, and they've barely said a word to each other. My wife is trying to break the ice, to no avail. I'm autistic, and even I'm feeling awkward. What do we do? 🤣 100
Shaun @sconner.net · 14/08/2026My kid is obsessed with 'squishies' at the minute. I told her she'd get 50p for every reading plus she did, thinking it'd put her off. Nope. In two days, she's earned the 13 quid required to get the squishy she wants, and reading plus won't let her do any more reading 😂 020
Shaun @sconner.net · 11/08/2026Just got back from visiting my best friend in Spain. He told me to bring my camera for the night sky. The stars aligned over the mountain outside his house, and I captured the galactic core of the Milky Way. Absolutely wild! It was my very first time trying astrophotography, and I'm super happy! 3379
Shaun @sconner.net · 05/08/2026They need to pass a law to stop people eating boiled eggs on the train. Straight to jail, do not pass go. 010
Shaun @sconner.net · 01/08/2026I'm babysitting my brother's dog, Rupert. He might be the most photogenic animal ever. Couldn't resist taking my camera out on our walk today, and he was more than happy to pose for me. 290
Shaun @sconner.net · 22/07/2026I’m babysitting this big lovable space invader this week. He’s the biggest, cuddliest spaniel I’ve ever seen. He nearly falls over when he wags his tail, such a happy boy. Meet Barney! 1110
Shaun @sconner.net · 16/07/2026Three whole years! There was a time I couldn’t go a few days without drinking. It was just too hard. I never thought I’d get this far. It’s the hardest most rewarding thing I ever did, and worth every second of suffering in the early days. I’m unbelievably proud of myself. What an achievement! 3140
Shaun @sconner.net · 10/07/2026If you want to get an idea of the elite line manager I am, I was reminded today of my time at HMRC when I threw a quiz, raised loads of money for an amazing gift and generally made loads of fuss for one of my team's 60th birthdays. I was super proud of myself, until she told me it wasn't her 60th 🤣 150
Shaun @sconner.net · 01/07/2026Join our Services Week talk about how we're scaling UCD impact on GOV.UK One Login. It's an hour-and-a-half session with mini talks, including our work on accessibility, passkeys, triage service patterns, Open Banking, and understanding users at risk of exclusion www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/services-w...eventbrite.co.ukServices Week 2026: Scaling UCD impact on GOV.UK One LoginIn this session of talks, we'll cover some of the brilliant work we're doing on to scale our UCD impact on GOV.UK One Login at GDS. 100
Shaun @sconner.net · 26/06/2026Just finished 14 interviews over 2 weeks, which, alongside regular meetings, have meant I've spent pretty much all of my time for 2 straight weeks in back-to-back meetings. Then throw in the heat. It's a lot. I will be doing zero this weekend to hopefully avoid burnout. Social capacity is near zero. 140
Shaun @sconner.net · 24/06/2026The images didn't load in an email I opened. They all had similarly useless alt text. Yay for AI... 060
Shaun @sconner.net · 19/06/2026Four year old to my wife: Mam, I forgot all my moves at martial arts last night. My wife: (genuinely concerned) oh no, how come?! Four year old: Well, I’ll be five in 33 days. I’m getting old now, so I’m starting to forget everything. Hilarious some of the things that go through their minds 190
Shaun @sconner.net · 11/06/2026The Dutch are living in the future. Double decker trains! How cool?! 320
Shaun @sconner.net · 08/06/2026Are you even in Amsterdam if you don’t eat an apple pie the size of your head? 3150
Shaun @sconner.net · 02/06/2026Currently sifting through a lot of applications. Lots of AI-written stuff. One person even left the AI prompt in. Don't do that. 110
Shaun @sconner.net · 27/05/2026I was on a senior leaders panel today at the Document Accessibility in the Public Sector conference. Had a pretty surreal moment when I was talking about mandatory training. Two other panel members who are much more senior than me walked away from the panel verbally committing to doing the same. 180
Shaun @sconner.net · 27/05/2026I’m up so early for my train that people are still out drinking in Newcastle city centre. Don’t miss those days! 150
Shaun @sconner.net · 25/05/2026Heading to London on Wednesday to speak at a thing. Just checked the weather and it's 34 degrees there today. It needs to settle down by Wed, or I might not actually survive the heat. It's been 25 in Newcastle today, and I can't cope. 150
Shaun @sconner.net · 19/05/2026I've managed to bring on some of the most intense imposter syndrome I've ever experienced. It's Global Accessibility Awareness Day on Thursday, and usually I’d be hyped up, hosting events, posting tips, or helping others. But honestly? I just don't have it in me this year. 4130
Shaun @sconner.net · 16/05/2026Found the spark for one of my first special interests as a kid. Magic. My daughter was blown away by a magician on Britain's Got Talent. I told her I used to be obsessed as a kid. Anyway, one thing led to another, and I am in deep. I'm so happy, though, because she's loving learning with me. 171
Shaun @sconner.net · 15/05/2026Yay! I'm hiring two Senior Accessibility Specialists to join my team on GOV.UK One Login. You'll be working with great people, solving complex problems for tens of millions of users. Salary of £70,834 - £74,317 (London) / £63,240 - £66,610 (National). Please share!civilservicejobs.service.gov.ukQuick Check Needed 03337
Shaun @sconner.net · 09/05/2026My 8-year-old has discovered Gala - Freed from desire. Absolute classic, but ruined forever by her interpretation of the lyrics. "My lover's got no money, he's got a trampoline", and I can't unhear it. 1101
Shaun @sconner.net · 07/05/2026I'm going to be speaking at Identity Week Europe next month in Amsterdam. I'll have some downtime after the conference, and it'd be cool to hang with any folks based in Amsterdam and interested in accessibility and inclusion? Hit me up! 111
Shaun @sconner.net · 30/04/2026My Rosemary has got no chill this year. For years it hasn’t flowered at all, and this year they are covered. Apparently, it’s still edible. 030
Shaun @sconner.net · 13/04/20261000 days alcohol free. I’m so unbelievably proud of myself. Today, I won’t drink. Powerful! 1210
Shaun @sconner.net · 09/04/2026We've had no TV or internet for two days, and my 8-year-old nearly induced a panic attack when she asked me "Dad, is this how it used to be in the olden days?" Olden days. 2193851258
Shaun @sconner.net · 02/04/2026Yikes, Claude's source code was leaked in it's entireity. Pretty interesting to see how much of it is hard-coded, and how much effort they put in to make it "behave". www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBHR...youtube.comTragic mistake... Anthropic leaks Claude’s source codeYouTube video by Fireship 140
Shaun @sconner.net · 01/04/2026My daughter just got her 800m swimming badge. Literally blows my mind that she can swim 32 lengths of a swimming pool. I got my 200m when I was like 14. She's only 8! 150
Shaun @sconner.net · 01/04/2026This is absolutely wild, btw. If wait lists were bad then, I can't imagine how bad they are now! 040
Shaun @sconner.net · 01/04/2026I've been reading the interim report on the independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism published yesterday. Some really fascinating stuff in here. I'll post some of the findings in this thread if you're interested. Here's a link to the full report. www.gov.uk/government/p...gov.ukIndependent review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism: interim reportInterim report outlining progress on the independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, ADHD and autism. 240
Shaun @sconner.net · 31/03/2026When I was a developer, I'd always fix issues while doing other tickets. A lot of the issues found in audits are really easy to resolve. It's why I get so wound up when I see tickets for accessibility issues that are 21 pointers but actually take someone less than a minute to fix. 3153
Shaun @sconner.net · 26/03/2026Current mood: robertjmccaffery.com/fucking-wcagrobertjmccaffery.comFucking WCAG 130
Shaun @sconner.net · 22/03/2026Does anyone know if there is an update on supporter who received CPR outside of the ground today? It happened right in front of me. They worked on him for a good 20 minutes before eventually taking him away in an ambulance. Praying he survived. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him. #nufc 230
Reposted by Shaunxirclebox @xirclebox.com · 13/03/2026Just submitted my color blind and low vision simulator browser extension to the Edge store. Once approved, it will be available on Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. To give it a try, check out colorblind.fyi #Accessibility #A11y #DevToolscolorblind.fyi Understanding Color Blindness & Low Vision | Accessibility Guide Accessibility information about designing for color blindness and low vision. 02511
Shaun @sconner.net · 12/03/2026I’m finding this latest Slack update hard to use. The notifications don’t make sense to me anymore. I do like the indicator that I’ve replied to a message though. 001
Shaun @sconner.net · 10/03/2026The latest version of the GOV.UK One Login app now features Apple accessibility nutrition labels. These labels help users make an informed decision on whether the app will be accessible to them before downloading it. 1132
Shaun @sconner.net · 09/03/2026Just submitted a talk for SD in Gov, my first one since Camp Digital! It's all about our approach to scalable and sustainable accessibility. Pretty excited about it! 090
Shaun @sconner.net · 18/02/2026My daughter's school get the kids to do a show and tell, and the theme for this month is space. She's going to draw a galaxy, and I've just nearly made her combust with excitement when I told her I have a real meteorite she can take in. My wife got me it for Christmas a few years ago, how cool!? 170
Shaun @sconner.net · 14/02/2026Just had one of the kids at a party and their goody bag had glitter, slime AND a whistle in it. That might just be the most passive aggressive party bag we’ve ever had 🤣 1100
Shaun @sconner.net · 13/02/2026Attempted to teach my 8 year old the concept of snitches get stitches and it backfired spectacularly when she immediately told her mother on me. 250
Shaun @sconner.net · 11/02/2026I talk about this a lot. It's also, unfortunately, the rationale of a lot of suppliers whose products are 'accessible' until YOU 'configure' them. 050
Shaun @sconner.net · 10/02/2026On the precipice of burnout. Finished work and immediately fell into a deep sleep. Not a good sign. I never sleep during the day. Urgh. 220
Shaun @sconner.net · 03/02/2026In today’s episode of reasons why I’m rarely on LinkedIn, some dude is outraged that his 8 grand business flight only had a burger in a brioche bun and a bit of salad for his meal. If it’s not AI slop, it’s rage bait and world leaders in narcissism, all in the name of engagement. 270
Shaun @sconner.net · 28/01/2026My local council let the residents name the bin lorries. The people South Tyneside did not disappoint! 😂 171
