A11y Garden Labs

About A11y Garden Labs

A11y Garden Labs exists to design, build, and share tools that make the web — and the world — more accessible for blind and visually impaired people, and for anyone who benefits from inclusive design.

A11y Garden Labs is a small, experiment-friendly studio focused on accessibility, education, and connection. I create open, human-centered tools that help people explore information, test and improve website accessibility, make art, and learn more about the world around them. From developer-facing audit tools, to listening-friendly knowledge apps, to more experimental and edutainment apps, my work is grounded in lived experience of visual impairment and a belief that access is a matter of dignity, not convenience.

All open-source projects are built-in-public, meaning I am as transparent as I can be about the development, launch, and marketing of these products.

That said, I am also open to private development or consulting opportunities, so if that's of interest to you, please reach out.

Values

• Accessibility first
• Open source
• Dignity over convenience
• Building in public

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About Me

Hi, I'm Seth — a legally blind full-stack software developer and the founder of A11y Garden Labs.

And yes, I do occasionally slap the bass, though I don't practice nearly often enough.

My Story

My story is a long and winding one, but I'll try to keep it brief and relevant.

I was born with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia (ONH), meaning my eyes are more or less okay, but my optic nerves largely didn't grow in, so the optical signals aren't reaching my brain. And as I age (I'm 45), even the eyes themselves aren't doing so hot anymore.

My first love was academia. I was raised by a linguist, who read J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings to me when I was young. I was hooked. I wanted to be a medievalist. I earned a Master's Degree in Medieval History from Trinity College, Oxford; and then some years later I earned a Master of Arts in English from the University of Texas at Tyler.

But I wasn't making the impact I wanted in academia, and the prospect of writing a doctoral thesis that only a handful of people would read seemed both daunting and discouraging.

So I pivoted.

Because I grew up with technology, I knew I had some proficiency there, but I had found IT admin work unfulfilling. But in computer programming, I found a way to combine my technical knowledge with my love of creating things.

There's a lot more to the story, but that's enough to go on for now! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to drop me a line.

Get in Touch

Have a question, idea, or accessibility issue to report? Reach out at seth@a11ygardenlabs.dev.