Rachel in Words

My boss once said to a stakeholder, “The developer [me] is a web accessibility expert and that’s one of the reasons why I hired her.” Before I write any further, I would stop short of calling myself an accessibility expert. Yes, accessibility is always the first thing I think of when I build a website or web app, before I even think about gathering business requirements or collaborating with the designer/art director to design the aesthetics. But I’m not part of the disability community. My experience in every day life is not the same as theirs. I only know what I know because of research, experience and actually doing user focus group testing with that particular audience, interacting with them and getting to know them. It’s comprehensive and it ensures that I ensure all bases are covered and we build the best app/website/software possible, but it isn’t the same. But know this, and it’s important that you do: you don’t have to be part of the disability community to keep inclusivit...

Photo by Sai Kiran Anagani “So how does one learn to code?” “I just want to build an app quickly. What do I need to learn?” “I want to build a website for my photography business. Can’t be that hard, right?” “I signed up for a course that says I can learn to code in thirty days. Can I really?” Almost everyone I speak to when they find out I write code for a living. A quick Google search of ‘how to code’ or ‘how to code without a computer science degree’ will yield a myriad of step-by-step quick solutions on how to be a coding wizard in a matter of days. There are websites like  Lynda  and  Treehouse  in which you can learn to code for a small subscription. Some people spend years at University studying programming. Some people are self-taught. All of them are valid. But what people fail to consider is that no solution is perfect. For some people, they could watch a couple of online tutorials and become a coding master. For most, that’s not necessarily pl...

Since becoming an adult all those years ago, at this stage of my life I have not achieved the following, even though I really wanted to: Meet the right guy Get married, with a kid and a white picket fence But I have achieved the following:  Started and ran my own business, which I still do but only on a part-time basis.  Lived in a major metropolitan city on literally the other side of the world. Even if it was only for a short while.  Travelled the world extensively, and yes I do recognise my privilege in being able to do so.  Completed undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at University and technical college.  Was diagnosed with a serious illness and came out the other side alive.  Picked up a camera, which started my newfound obsession with photography. Consequently, I've had my photographs featured in different publications around the world.  Got the Dream Job. Who knows how long I'll keep the dream job but the point is, I got it. ...