Posts By Angela Hooker

5 Tips for Confronting a Problem Co-Worker

It all started with an empty pot of coffee. But let me start at the beginning… Back in the olden days, when I roamed the earth with the dinosaurs, my personality was a bit different. In the workplace, I was shy and timid, and as a result, somewhat reticent. That didn’t last long, thankfully, probablyRead… Read more »

Comfortable…Around People with Disabilities?

I had a friend who always said, “As quiet as it’s kept…” meaning he would call out the so-called “elephant in the room”; the topic that no one wants to talk about. You could expect to hear… “As quiet as it’s kept, the only reason they laugh at Uncle Herb’s corny jokes is because he givesRead… Read more »

Talkin’ Pretty: Design and Accessibility

We’ve got a new twist this week, folks. Since I’ve been blogging mostly about accessibility, I wanted to talk with someone who approaches accessibility from a different perspective than a subject matter expert. I met with a designer who works for a federal government agency and has a refreshing outlook on design and accessibility. SheRead… Read more »

Reality TV and Accessibility Have a Lot in Common

How many times have you heard people say, “I hate reality TV! I want real shows. I wish they’d make something else.”? I don’t understand why people remained glued to reality TV shows despite their professed hatred of them. “But there’s nothing else on,” people say. “I’ve gotta watch something!” Hold out, I say, holdRead… Read more »

I’ve Been Teleworking Since 2001. Here’s How I Make it Work

At my job in the 1900s (you guess the decade), my supervisor told us that she wouldn’t approve our working from home anymore. That was too bad, because I always accomplished much more from my den than I did in the office. I didn’t have the distractions, and amazingly, I had the discipline to toRead… Read more »

My Parents Are on the Internet: Online and Aging

Mom’s battling it out with words, animals, and vegetables on her favorite game site. She’ll be reading the news again later this afternoon and probably paying the bills. I’ve noticed that she leans forward more often to see the screen. Dad’s balling and making it rain on his favorite computer parts site. He gets frustratedRead… Read more »

A Day in the Life of an Accessibility SME

I met a fellow govie recently, and when I told him that I work in digital media accessibility, he said, “OMG, I could not review code all day, every day!” Well…neither could I, and although that’s what most people think we accessibility peeps do, that’s not the case. I may or may not look atRead… Read more »

6 Audiences to Consider When Communicating Your Agency Messages

The Plain Writing Act of 2010 and Executive Order 13563 both require that we communicate clearly, accessibly, consistently so that government information is easy to understand. The principles of plain language help us provide universal access to government information, for many people. We’re told to “write for average comprehension,” when we use those principles. So,Read… Read more »

We Still Need to Convince People About Accessibility

I just read a blog post about the benefits of an accessible site. Despite working in accessibility for the past 15 years, sometimes I still get surprised that we even need to have the conversation about accessibility being necessary and the right thing to do–particularly in government where we’re required to comply with Section 508.Read… Read more »