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The Accessibility Pond
More than a newsletter. Find community, support, resources, and co-conspirators.
Page Contents
Background
I started my business in 2023 because traditional employment has limited me too much in how much broad impact I can make on accessibility.
The most rewarding part of my work is witnessing "Aha!" moments. It doesn't matter if it's in design, engineering, product, marketing, docs, what have you. It is such an honor and priviledge to accompany people on their accessibility journeys.
I want more to witness more of these moments in 2025. It's very hard to predict how the accessibility landscape might change, especially in the United States where Project 2025 poses a major thread to disabled people among many other intersections of people.
Some organizations are waiting to comply with new accessibility rules and others would rather cut corners with AI accessibility tools than hire the experts they need.
I anticipate a sad decline in institutional support for accessibility initiatives this year. Several major US businesses have already announced rolling back DEI policies.
Many individual contributors will have to include accessibility in their work where they're able to find time, space, and energy. It's a really tough spot to be in. It's easy to feel isolated and discouraged. I've been there many, many times!
I have a lot of experience in advocacy at work as a disabled employee, engineering individual contributor, and two-time employee resource group founder. I want to share the wisdom I've gathered over the years and build a space where others can shared theirs too.
Community will be so important to make it through the year.
That's what I want The Accessibility Pond to be. Not just a newsletter for me to send you a bunch of words, but a place where we can gather for mutual support, exchange resources and ideas, have conversations.
The Current Plan
I've been dreaming about this project since November of 2023. It will have a tiered membership structure with free, low-cost, pay-what-you-want (PWYW), and gifting options. Here's how I picture the tiers so far:
- Free Tier
- All newsletter issues with updates, links, & a11y exercises
- Access recordings & transcripts of monthly AMA sessions
- Read all posts & comments made in the community
- Low-Cost Tier
- Everything in the Free Tier, plus...
- Make & comment on posts in the community
- Live access to the monthly AMA sessions
- Suggest & vote on AMA & newsletter topics
- Early access to new content, events, & more
- PWYW Tier
- Everything in the Free & Low-Cost Tiers, plus...
- Discount codes so your friends can come visit
- Your name on a stone in the pond's garden
- Eventually... gifts hand knit by me! (A limited quantity)
Help Me Make It Happen
I'd love to host The Accessibility Pond on an existing membership platform, but the main ones aren't accessible and/or don't enable me to make content accessible (like images).
Good thing I have the server, infrastructure, & skills to build! 😁
I can build what's needed in just a couple of weeks, but I don't have the funds to choose this over finding and completing client work. This is why I'm asking for help.
I won't start selling monthly subscriptions until the site is actually ready for people to sign in and start reading & posting. My family's monthly expenses for rent, utilities, etc. are about $3,000 USD. That's the minimum I need to raise to build and open up The Accessibility Pond.
Ways you can help?
- Donate to my tip jar (Stripe-hosted iframe below)
- Ask your friends to donate to my tip jar
- Hire me for accessibility or software projects
- Ask your friends & colleagues to hire me
Donate To My Tip Jar
As of January 21st at 11:00am Indianapolis time:
- Goal: $3,000 USD
- Progress: $1,616.00 USD