Hello again, I hope you and the people you care about are all doing well.
I’m writing to share another first in my continuing entrepreneurial journey.
As you can read in the post about being invited to join Audio Eye and write for them on the subject of accessibility, I didn’t used to see myself as an expert in this field.
In spite of the fact that I had dealt with hundreds of websites and their owners over the years. And despite the fact I had always been the one who had to educate them on accessibility and advocate for a better user experience.
The folks at Audio Eye helped me understand my value in the field and they encouraged me to lean into my future role.
I first connected with one of their team in August of last year, and they published my first post on their site on October 26, 2022.
Speaking Events?
This lead me to see if there were any speaking opportunities for me in the area of online accessibility.
I have been subscribed to Speaker Hub. for two years.
I decided to keep my eyes open for speaking events that either requested a speaker on accessibility or an event where adaptive technology or accessibility for disabled users was mentioned as a required topic.
About the same time that first article was being published I ran across a call to speakers from PHP Architect.
They were looking for speakers for an event they call PHP [TEK].
You can read more about the event below. And you can visit their conferences page if you want to see about sharing your own knowledge or want to learn from their experts at an upcoming event.
PHP [TEK]
This event has occurred annually since 2006 and has been held in Orlando, Chicago, and St. Louis.
We like to think of php[TEK] as a professional PHP conference with a community flair.
You will find high-quality presentations by the brightest experts in the PHP world, coupled with a welcoming and friendly community of attendees and speakers.
Speakers, organizers, sponsors and attendees mingle and learn from each other as much in the “hallway track”, as in the sessions themselves.
I think it was that last line that sold me on applying. Well, that plus they offered to cover hotel and travel expenses for accepted speakers.
I discovered this event only one day after that first Audio Eye post went live.
Applying Anyway
When I applied, I honestly didn’t think I would get accepted. My main purpose was to start putting myself out there while learning some of the language of the developers community.
I do firmly believe that achieving a truly inclusive online world has to begin by communicating with the people who actually build the websites and apps that are such a big part of our lives.
There was one other reason I talked myself into submitting. The application had a check box asking if I would be willing to share my thoughts in an article on their website if not selected for the conference.
So, I checked the box yes, finished my submission, and hoped for the best.
Denial Leads To Acceptance
In December I got two great pieces of mail in my inbox.
Speaker Submission Rejection
The first came on December 15th 2022, and was the email telling me I hadn’t been selected to speak in 2023.
That was wonderful because the CTO Eric Van Johnson took the time to tell me how important the topic of accessibility was to him and to the community.
He expressed how he wished they could have included me, but there weren’t enough slots in the upcoming event.
This was unlike a lot of emails I get saying thanks but no thanks from speaking events and other opportunities.
I really believed him. His message was sincere, and I felt like I had taken a small step forward.
I also thought that Eric and the folks at PHP Architect actually get the need for inclusive websites and apps.
To Disabled people like myself that part of the denial letter was incredibly powerful.
Being Accepted To Write
Aa week later, on December 22nd, I received a follow up message from Eric.
He asked me if I remembered the opportunity to share my thoughts in a post on their website.
He reminded me how committed he and his site are to accessibility, and asked if I was still interested in sharing my thoughts about inclusion through collaboration and communication.
But then he took it one step further. He said Max we have actually been looking for someone to write a regular column on accessibility for our magazine.
He wanted to know if I would be interested, and of course, I said heck yes!
Eric scheduled a zoom meeting with me and his business partner CEO John Congdon.
We had a great conversation, and we started the process of adding me and my column to the PHP Architect roster of contributors.
Barrier Free Bytes
They decided on the title Barrier Free Bytes, and I am happy to announce that my first article just went live!
This first post is strictly an introduction. It tells people about me, shares my background, and tells them what they can expect from my column going forward.
They do charge for the publication. You can purchase either a single digital download or an electronic subscription.
Or you can order print copies of each issue or subscribe to the print version.
I was so excited about writing for them, that I didn’t even ask if their magazine was still offered in print or not.
Its a cool surprise to know my words will be in print too.
And I can’t wait to get my first print copies so I can frame one of them and hang it on my wall.
Speaking With Developers
I’m so excited that I get to share my knowledge about accessibility with a whole new audience.
An audience of people who contribute to the apps and websites that we all depend on.
I’m also hoping this column acts as a means to meet those amazingly talented people and become friends.
Because the more we can talk to each other about our challenges and how to overcome them; the more we can make the online world better for everyone.
Saying Thanks
I’m so thankful to the great people at PHP Architect for deciding to give me this opportunity.
I’m also grateful to the people at Audio Eye for helping me realize that I am an expert in the field of accessibility and inclusion.
And most f all I want to thank my dad for teaching me to never be afraid to ask.
Because as he used to say If you don’t ask, they can’t say yes.
Final Thoughts
I hope this encourages you to keep your eyes out and your heart open for that next opportunity.
They won’t all be perfect for us. And we won’t always be able to say yes.
We just shouldn’t be too quick to say no.
I look forward to hearing your stories. Until next time, take care out there, Max