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AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast

Natalie MacLees

Learn more about Accessibility with Natalie MacLees — a digital professional with over 25 years of experience developing a more accessible internet and owner of AAArdvark, a tool for professional accessibility experts to perform faster website accessibility audits.

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20 episodes
Avg 13 min
English

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Sep 26, 2025 · 14 min
Adding Digital Accessibility to Your Web Agency Services Part Two
Episode 36 of the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast explores actionable steps for integrating accessibility into various services offered by web agencies, from web development and SEO to branding, marketing, and website maintenance.
Sep 11, 2025 · 13 min
Adding Digital Accessibility to Your Web Agency Services Part One
In the 35th episode of the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast, co-hosts Natalie Garza and Natalie MacLees discuss the critical importance of incorporating digital accessibility into web agency offerings. Natalie MacLees, an expert with over 20 years of experience, explains the increasing legal requirements for accessible websites, the risks of non-compliance, and the benefits of accessibility, including improved SEO and expanded market reach.
Aug 29, 2025 · 14 min
Accessibility Meets SEO: Boost rankings and usability with the same fixes?!
Join co-hosts Natalie Garza and digital accessibility expert Natalie MacLees for episode 34 of the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast. This episode delves into the overlap between accessibility and SEO, highlighting how both can benefit from keyword targeting, content readability, page titles, link purposes, headings, and adaptable content. The hosts discuss various Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) criteria that also enhance SEO and provide practical tips for making your website more
Aug 22, 2025 · 12 min
Keyboard Accessibility 101: Basics You Can’t Ignore
Join Natalie Garza and Natalie MacLees on the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast as they discuss the importance of keyboard accessibility in web design. The episode highlights why some users rely on keyboards instead of mice or touchscreens and provides key insights and practical tips for ensuring websites are fully navigable via keyboard. Topics covered include the importance of using semantic HTML, testing custom components thoroughly, and understanding native keyboard interactions. Natalie Ga
Aug 16, 2025 · 12 min
Making Social Media Posts Accessible
Join Natalie MacLees and Natalie Garza in the 32nd episode of the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast as they discuss how to make social media posts accessible. They cover using emojis, shortened links, adding alt text to images, creating easy-to-read text, avoiding fancy decorative fonts, and ensuring videos have captions and audio descriptions. Learn practical accessibility tips to enhance the inclusivity of your social media content! Social Media Without Barriers Natalie Garza: Hello, every
Aug 8, 2025 · 13 min
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly: Emojis and Accessibility
Join Natalie Garza and digital accessibility expert Natalie MacLees in episode 31 of the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast. This episode talks about the implications of accessible emojis, exploring the good, the bad, and the ugly sides. Learn about specific WCAG success criteria, the role of emojis in aiding comprehension, and the challenges they pose for screen readers. Natalie Garza: Hello, and welcome to the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast. This is Natalie Garza. I’m one of the co-hosts, and wi
Aug 1, 2025 · 12 min
Protect Your Website: Accessibility Lawsuit Insights Part 2
Join Natalie Garza and Natalie MacLees for the 30th episode of the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast to explore statistics and dive into state-level compliance with accessibility laws and the prevalence of ADA lawsuits. The hosts discuss specific state requirements in Texas, Illinois, and Minnesota, and elaborate on the differences between Section 508 and WCAG guidelines. They also analyze the statistics of ADA lawsuits targeting WordPress, Shopify, and custom-coded websites, and provide crucial c
Jul 25, 2025 · 11 min
Protect Your Website: Accessibility Lawsuit Insights
Join Natalie MacLees and Natalie Garza for the 29th episode of the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast. They delve into the significant rise in ADA lawsuits related to digital properties, examining how these lawsuits affect small business websites and government entities. The discussion covers key statistics, including the increase in state-level lawsuits, repeat lawsuits, and the impact of accessibility widgets. They also emphasize the importance of education and proactive efforts in making website
Jul 18, 2025 · 13 min
Web Design for Digital Accessibility Part 2
Join hosts Natalie Garza and Natalie MacLees in episode 28 of the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast as they continue discussing web design for digital accessibility. Topics include the proper use of headings for creating meaningful hierarchy, text spacing and typography principles, consistent navigation design, considerations for limiting motion and animations, and the impact of videos in design. Learn about best practices and resources like WCAG in Plain English and the new AAArdvark Circle commu
Jul 11, 2025 · 13 min
Web Design for Digital Accessibility Part 1
Join hosts Natalie Garza and digital accessibility expert Natalie MacLees in the 27th episode of the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast, as they discuss important considerations for designers in creating accessible websites. They cover topics including color contrast, touch targets, responsive design, hover and focus states, and forms. Also, learn about resources like WCAG in Plain English and the AAArdvark Circle community. Natalie Garza: Hello everybody, and welcome to the AAArdvark Accessibil
Jun 27, 2025 · 12 min
Understanding the European Accessibility Act: Important June 2025 Deadline!
Join Natalie MacLees and Natalie Garza for the 26th episode of the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast, where they delve into the European Accessibility Act (EAA), discussing why it matters, who needs to comply, and what compliance involves. Natalie Garza: Hello everybody and welcome to the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast. I’m Natalie Garza, one of the co-hosts, and with me today is, Natalie MacLees: Natalie MacLees, the other co-host. Natalie Garza: and she is an accessibility expert here
Jun 20, 2025 · 11 min
Quick Wins for Web Accessibility
Join Natalie Garza and accessibility expert Natalie MacLees for the 25th episode of the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast, where they dive into quick wins for making websites more accessible using WCAG’s Easy Checks, designed especially for non-developers. Natalie Garza: Hello, everybody, and welcome to the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast. This is episode 25, I’m Natalie Garza, and joining me today is, Natalie MacLees: Natalie MacLees. Natalie Garza: And she is an accessibility expert her
Jun 9, 2025 · 14 min
Disabilities and Digital Accessibility: It’s Not Just Blind People!
Join hosts Natalie MacLees and Natalie Garza for the 24th episode of the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast, where they discuss the various types of disabilities that affect web accessibility. They explore common misconceptions, highlight the specific needs and best practices for users with vision, auditory, cognitive, physical/motor, and seizure-related disabilities, and discuss additional considerations for temporary and situational disabilities. Natalie Garza: Hello, everybody, and welcome to
May 15, 2025 · 11 min
Celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025
Join hosts Natalie Garza and Natalie MacLees for the 23rd episode of the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast as they celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day. They discuss the day’s origins, its purpose, and current statistics on digital accessibility from WebAIM. Listeners will also learn why accessibility is vital and find practical steps and resources to make digital content more inclusive. Natalie Garza: Hello everybody, and welcome to the AAArdvark Accessibility podcast. My name is Natal
May 9, 2025 · 13 min
What to Expect in WCAG 3.0
Join Natalie Garza and Natalie MacLees for the 22nd episode of the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast. In this episode, they delve into the history of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), covering versions 1.0 through 2.2, and offer an in-depth discussion on the structure and objectives of the upcoming WCAG 3.0. They explore the changes in guidelines, requirements, and vocabulary and discuss the draft state of WCAG 3.0. Natalie Garza: Hello everybody, and welcome to the AAArdvark Accessi
May 2, 2025 · 13 min
Starting a Career in Digital Accessibility
Join Natalie Garza and Natalie MacLees for the 21st episode of the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast, where they delve into the realm of digital accessibility careers. They clarify the distinction between digital and physical accessibility, explore various roles within digital accessibility, and provide advice on how to start a career in the field. From the absence of formal education paths to the importance of continuous learning and certification, they cover it all. Also, get tips on resources a
Apr 25, 2025 · 13 min
Launching WCAG in Plain English
Join co-hosts Natalie Garza and accessibility expert Natalie MacLees in the 20th episode of the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast. They discuss their latest project, WCAG in Plain English, a collection of simplified articles derived from the official WCAG guidelines. The project aims to make WCAG requirements more understandable and accessible to everyone, with clear language, illustrations, and a redesigned organization. Natalie Garza: Hello, everybody, and welcome to the AAArdvark Accessi
Apr 16, 2025 · 13 min
The Importance of User Testing with People with Disabilities
Join Natalie Garza and accessibility expert Natalie MacLees in the 19th episode of the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast. In this episode, they discuss the vital practice of user testing, especially with people with disabilities. From defining user testing to its execution and why it’s indispensable, learn how involving disabled users can uncover specific issues that would otherwise be missed. They also explore how to find and recruit disabled testers, the help available from specialized organizat
Apr 11, 2025 · 14 min
Accessibility Testing Tools: Browser Extensions
Join Natalie Garza and accessibility expert Natalie MacLees on the 18th episode of the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast as they discuss various browser extensions that aid in digital accessibility testing. They provide a comprehensive overview of popular tools like the Web Developer extension, aXe by Deque, WAVE by WebAIM, and IBM’s Equal Access Accessibility Checker. The episode also introduces AAArdvark’s tool for automated and manual accessibility audits and highlights the importance of combin
Mar 31, 2025 · 13 min
“I Want My Website to Be Certified as Accessible,” And Why It Can’t Be!
Join hosts Natalie MacLees and Natalie Garza on the 17th episode of the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast as they discuss the misconceptions about website accessibility certifications and why they don’t exist. Natalie Garza: Hello, everybody, and welcome to the AAArdvark Accessibility Podcast. This is episode 17. I’m Natalie G, the host and mic MC. And with me today is Natalie MacLees: Natalie Mac, accessibility expert. Natalie Garza: yes, she is an accessibility expert here to answer all

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