…Honestly, I Didn’t Plan to Think About This Stuff

It’s weird how some topics sneak into your work without you deciding anything. Accessibility was one of those for me. I wasn’t trying to “be better” or follow trends. I simply pushed a build one day and got a message from someone saying they couldn’t read a button. One tiny message, almost apologetic. And somehow it stuck in my head more than any bug report ever has.

After that, I started… noticing things. Not intentionally checking or auditing — just noticing. The way a modal traps you. The way a heading jumps from h1 to h4 for no reason. The way I had to squint at my own UI on a bright train ride.

None of this was part of a “plan.” It just happened the way some things slowly get under your skin when you build interfaces for long enough.

How You Build Changes When You Notice People

Once your brain switches modes, it’s hard to go back. You start writing HTML like someone might actually look at it. Or hear it. Or rely on it. You stop turning everything into divs, not because you read a guideline, but because it suddenly feels… silly.

And keyboard navigation — oh man. I don’t know how I wrote frontend for years without tapping Tab like a maniac. Now I test things the way I check if the stove is off: almost unconsciously, mildly anxious if something feels wrong.

Color contrast? Yeah, I argue less with designers now. Some fights aren’t worth it. If someone can’t read something, no amount of “aesthetic purity” saves it.

Tools? I Mean… Yeah, Sometimes

People ask about tools a lot. I don’t really “use” tools the way tutorials describe. Lighthouse runs in the background of my brain at this point — I see warnings before it does.

axe DevTools? Sure, sometimes. Tailwind? Accidentally helpful. Screen readers? Only when something in my gut tells me it’s time.

But honestly, tools aren’t the thing that changed anything for me. It was this moment of realizing: if someone can’t use what I built, what exactly did I build?

Nothing Profound, Just… Different

I still don’t think of myself as “accessibility–focused.” I’m just a frontend dev who’s a little more aware of things than three years ago. And that awareness creeps into your files, your components, your reviews — almost quietly.

Sometimes I think accessibility is less about following rules and more about remembering there’s another human on the other side of your divs and spans. That simple thought has changed my work more than any checklist I’ve read.