Equalize Digital Web Accessibility Meetup Los Angeles

Samantha Merrett will walk you through how to create digital documents that are truly accessible, sharing practical tips and hands-on guidance you can use right away. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how to meet global accessibility requirements while making your documents easier for everyone to read, navigate, and use.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand why document accessibility is critical for compliance and inclusion.
• Identify common accessibility barriers in PDFs, Word, and PowerPoint files.
• Apply practical techniques: heading structure, alt text, color contrast, tables, and links.
• Use built-in tools and checkers to test and improve accessibility.
• Gain insight into real-world examples and best practices.

About the Speaker: Samantha Merrett
Samantha Merrett is a Senior Accessibility Specialist at the Ministry of Justice, where she leads strategic initiatives to embed accessibility across digital services. With over 7 years of experience championing accessible documents and inclusive design, Samantha has developed cross-government training programs, created hands-on learning spaces like the MoJ Accessibility Bar, and co-organises the Document Accessibility Community of Practice, a network spanning 65+ public sector organisations.

She is CPACC certified and passionate about moving accessibility beyond compliance by fostering empathy-driven experiences. Samantha has presented at major conferences, including WordPress Accessibility Day and the MoJ Digital Accessibility Conference, and regularly collaborates with government teams to improve accessibility standards and capability.

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Ever wondered what actually goes into a professional accessibility audit? Looking for tips to include in your own auditing process? In this session, Amber Hinds, CEO of Equalize Digital, pulls back the curtain on the real-world process her team uses to audit web pages for accessibility.

Amber will walk through how a single page is evaluated from start to finish—covering automated tools, manual testing techniques, screen reader usage, and how findings are documented in a way that’s clear, actionable, and aligned with WCAG. You’ll get an inside look at the audit site Equalize Digital built to manage their issues library, which speeds up report creation.

This behind-the-scenes session is ideal for:

• Accessibility testers and auditors
• Developers and designers who want to understand audit expectations
• Agencies and teams delivering accessibility reports to clients
• Anyone curious about what makes an audit thorough, accurate, and trustworthy

Attendees will leave with a better understanding of how to test and report findings, along with remediation guidance that teams can actually use.

About the Speaker: Amber Hinds
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.

Thank you to our sponsors: