How a 3-Minute A11y Snapshot Helps Me Turn Curiosity into Connection

Over the past several weeks, I’ve had the chance to engage with roughly 75 different potential leads through conferences, workshops, and speaking engagements. Along the way, I’ve been honing a new approach to sparking accessibility conversations, something I’m calling the a11y snapshot.

This quick, action-focused check was inspired by the Lightning Audit from Easy A11y Guides. It’s become one of my favorite ways to start meaningful discussions about digital inclusion because it gives real, actionable value — whether or not someone decides to work with Pedal Point.

How the a11y snapshot works

The a11y snapshot is simple, fast, and practical:

1. Start a conversation. Ask a vendor about their product or service and listen carefully to understand what they offer.

2. Bring up their website. Ask if they’ve made sure it’s accessible to people with disabilities.

3. Offer value. If they’re unsure or say no, offer a complimentary a11y snapshot of their homepage — a quick review for common accessibility opportunities.

4. Do the check. Later, spend 2–3 minutes looking for a few key accessibility items (listed below).

5. Send a short report. Email them a simple summary with three actionable accessibility enhancements and invite them to schedule a brief call to review and discuss next steps.

Common accessibility opportunities

Here’s an evolving list of common a11y opportunities I look for when creating a snapshot.

• Add a skip link. A skip link allows keyboard and screen reader users to jump straight to the main content instead of tabbing through every header menu item. Adding one to the start of the page improves navigation for everyone.

• Add visible focus states to links and buttons. Keyboard users rely on a clear visual indicator to show where focus is on the page. Visible focus outlines for links and buttons help users keep their place and interact with confidence.

• Make sure dropdown menus work with a keyboard. Menus should open, close, and move between options using only the keyboard for smoother, more inclusive navigation.

• Use distinct and descriptive text for links and buttons. Ambiguous link text like “Click Here” makes it hard for users to know where each link leads. Use clear, specific labels to communicate where links go and what buttons do.

• Allow users to stop autoplay media. Give users an easy way to pause or stop moving content to create a calmer, more accessible experience.

• Ensure sufficient color contrast. Good contrast between text and background colors improves visibility for users with low vision while keeping your design strong.

• Provide contextual alt text and flag decorative images. Describe images based on their purpose; mark purely decorative ones with empty alt text so they’re skipped by screen readers.

• Use semantic headings in proper order. Headings (H1–H6) should follow a logical structure so screen reader users can easily navigate page sections. Start with a single H1 for the main topic followed by descending levels to create a clear content hierarchy.

• Add an accessibility statement. A public statement shows your commitment to inclusion and invites feedback from users with disabilities.

What makes the a11y snapshot work

Over time, I’m learning some principles that make these snapshots more effective and more enjoyable for both sides of the conversation:

• Keep the tone encouraging. Frame accessibility issues as opportunities to enhance user experience rather than mistakes to fix. Everyone is at a different stage in their a11y journey, and a hopeful tone helps spark curiosity and build trust.

• Be clear and concise. Each snapshot item should briefly explain the opportunity, why it matters, and optionally how to approach it in no more than two to three sentences.

• Make it easy to read. Use bullets, short paragraphs, and plain language so recipients can absorb the insights quickly, even if they only skim.

• Use the first three matching opportunities from the list. The list of opportunities above is prioritized by how quickly each issue appears once you start testing, how long it takes to verify, and how common it tends to be. This minimizes the time it takes to complete the snapshot.

• Limit to three items total. Three actionable enhancements are enough to show value without overwhelming the reader. A little brevity goes a long way.

• Celebrate what’s working. If a site already does most things well, call that out. A quick “great job on…” builds goodwill and shows that accessibility isn’t just about problems — it’s about progress.

An example a11y snapshot email

Here’s an anonymized example of an email I sent after meeting a vendor at a recent conference. This particular message prompted a hopeful reply about the possibility of working together. Fingers crossed.

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A few subtle tweaks can make snapshot emails feel more genuine and personal: Here’s how I did this in the above example.

• Added a note of appreciation. I included a sentence at the end of the opening paragraph to thank the vendor for something specific I enjoyed about our conversation. In this case, the contact referred me to the company’s tech-savvy founders to talk about accessibility.

• Match the language they use. I swapped “Click here” for “Learn more” in the third item to reflect what actually appeared on their homepage.

• Acknowledge connections. Since the lead offered to introduce me to their founders, I mentioned both of them in the invitation to walk through the snapshot together.

I find that simple adjustments like these can turn a routine follow-up into a thoughtful exchange — and help the person on the other end feel seen and respected.

Why I keep offering snapshots

Like most outreach efforts, not everyone replies, even after a couple of follow-ups. Some vendors thank me for the snapshot and say their team will address the findings internally. That’s totally fine, and it still gives me a chance to try and reconnect a few weeks later. Others schedule a discovery call, and some of those conversations turn into client partnerships.

The a11y snapshot has become a light-touch but high-value way to engage new leads. It starts with curiosity, builds trust, and provides something useful even if the conversation ends there, and that’s a win in my book.

What do you think?

I’m continuing to refine this approach and would love to hear your thoughts.

Have you tried something similar to spark accessibility discussions? Do you see ways to improve this process?

If you’d like me to run an a11y snapshot for your website, contact Pedal Point Solutions and let’s get the conversation started.