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Accessibility advocate Steve Frenzel applies Stoic philosophy to stay professional when teams cite made-up disability statistics or insist on implementing complex carousel patterns.
What: Steve Frenzel outlines three Stoic principles for accessibility work: manage your emotional response to dismissive colleagues rather than trying to control them, treat obstacles like carousel pattern mandates as opportunities to educate teams on implementation complexity via resources like the ARIA Authoring Practices Guide, and choose documentation over comfort when forced to implement inaccessible patterns. Recommends Devon Persing's 'The Accessibility Operations Guidebook.'
Why it matters: The need for philosophical coping strategies reveals accessibility is still fighting for institutional legitimacy rather than being default practice, with practitioners facing resistance that's cultural and organizational rather than purely technical.
Takeaway: When teams insist on carousels, propose a progressive enhancement approach starting with horizontal CSS scrolling instead of implementing the full complex ARIA pattern immediately.
Original article
Three Stoic principles can improve web accessibility work: manage yourself rather than trying to control external factors, treat every obstacle as an opportunity to educate and find creative solutions, and focus on what you can influence within your constraints. When faced with inaccessible design decisions, such as carousel patterns, accessibility practitioners should respond with patience and provide education on implementation complexity and better alternatives. The key is maintaining professionalism while persistently advocating for users, even when meeting resistance from teams who undervalue accessibility.
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