Selling Accessibility Panel Discussion

Ensuring accessibility in WordPress projects isn’t just a legal or ethical responsibility—it’s a powerful value-add for clients. But how do you effectively communicate its importance and integrate it into your sales process?

Join us for a panel discussion where agency owners and freelancers will share insights on positioning accessibility as a competitive advantage, overcoming client objections, and pricing accessibility services effectively. Whether you’re struggling to get client buy-in or looking to refine your sales approach, this conversation will provide actionable takeaways to help you confidently sell accessibility in WordPress projects.

About the Speakers: Amber Hinds, Bet Hannon, Gen Herres, Ron Zasadzinski, and Scott Tobin

Amber Hinds
CEO of Equalize Digital
Amber Hinds is the CEO of Equalize Digital, Inc., a company specializing in WordPress accessibility and maker of the Accessibility Checker plugin. She is the lead organizer of the WordPress Accessibility Meetup, board president/co-lead organizer of the WP Accessibility Day nonprofit, and participates in the WordPress core accessibility team. Through her work at Equalize Digital, Amber is striving to create a world where all people have equal access to information and tools on the internet, regardless of ability. Since 2010, she has led teams building websites and web applications for nonprofits, K-12 and higher education institutions, government agencies, and businesses of all sizes, and has become a passionate accessibility advocate.

Bet Hannon
CEO and Founder of AccessiCart
Bet Hannon had a first career in nonprofit management but was downsized in the 2008 financial crisis. She stumbled into freelance web development, bootstrapped an agency, and in 2016 when a client needed web accessibility, got her team up to speed with that. Today, she's the CEO and founder of AccessiCart, a services agency that focuses on accessibility and eCommerce (or anything with a checkout form). She lives in Bend, Oregon, and loves hiking and snowshoeing.

Gen Herres
Founder of Easy A11y Guide
Gen Herres is the Founder of Easy A11y Guide, which helps website owners & agencies to improve their accessibility. With 15 years of WordPress development experience, and 5 years of accessibility, Gen brings practical knowledge from working on over 1,000 websites to the accessibility space. She's a DHS Trusted Tester for Section 508, a well-known speaker, and an accessibility advocate. She’s spoken at meetups, on podcasts, at WordCamp US, and WP Accessibility Day, and is an IAAP member. She’s helped plugins, themes, and web agencies refine their accessibility processes and websites that real people can use. She also organizes the Baltimore WordPress meetup group.

Ron Zasadzinski
Founder and CEO of CodeGeek
Ron started CodeGeek in 2002, and since then, he and his team have worked with clients all over the U.S. to create custom websites and web apps.
Whether in business or in life, Ron’s goal every day is to help people be the best they can be. He’s passionate about making the web more accessible and inclusive for everyone. Ron is involved in several ventures, including co-founding the Fort Collins Internet Professionals (FCIP) Meetup and being a flight instructor with over 30 years and 8,000 hours of flying experience. In his free time, Ron enjoys following NASA missions with great interest, hiking, skiing, and traveling with his wife to see the many wonders this world has to offer.

Scott Tobin
Founder and President of Sector45
Scott Tobin is the Founder and President of Sector45, a specialized medical marketing agency serving the aesthetic industry. With over 18 years of experience in medical marketing and more than 25 years in digital marketing, he brings deep expertise in internet services, strategic planning, SEO, search marketing, and practice growth. Scott is dedicated to helping medical professionals enhance their online presence and achieve long-term success in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Thank you to our sponsors:

• Live captions: GoDaddy
• Organizer and post-event transcription: Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker
• Your Business here! Learn about sponsorship

Event Details:
This meetup will be held at 8 PM Eastern via Zoom webinars.

Registration on Zoom is required to attend. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/9117430941034/WN_SgMOk8DjRWmQow4s5RW5iA

Accessibility & Accommodations:
This meetup will be held virtually over Zoom and live captioned.
Slide links will be provided when applicable, and presenters are encouraged to make slides as accessible as possible with alternative text for images, etc.

We're working to secure sponsors so that we can offer ASL interpretation.

All are welcome to attend. If you need specific accommodations to make this meetup work for you, please contact an organizer, and we will try our best to accommodate you.

Code of Conduct:
Please note that this group is a welcoming space for all, and all members must follow the WordPress Online Code of Conduct.

By RSVPing to this meetup, you agree to abide by these guidelines. If you have concerns that the Online Code of Conduct is not being followed, please contact an organizer.