The CodeGeek Blueprint: Accessible Web Design with founder Ron Zasadzinski

Founded in FoCo on February 17, 2024

Ron Zasadzinski, the CEO and Founder of CodeGeek.net joins Nick for a discussion on the importance of web accessibility. With over two decades of experience, Ron shares his transition from flight instructor to tech entrepreneur and how his company, CodeGeek.net, prioritizes creating accessible websites.

Ron discusses the challenges and solutions in developing accessible websites that everyone can use, highlighting the need for continuous learning in the ever-evolving tech landscape.

Learn more about Ron and CodeGeek.net at: https://www.codegeek.net/

The Founded in FoCo Podcast is hosted by Nick Armstrong, Lead Organizer of Founded in FoCo and Geek-in-Chief of WTF Marketing (https://wtfmarketing.com). Hear more great interviews with founders in and around Fort Collins at: https://foundedinfoco.com

About the Guest(s):

Ron Zasadzinski is the CEO of Code Geek, a web design and development firm specializing in creating accessible websites for clients with regional, national, and global influence. His professional journey includes a crossover from being a flight instructor to embracing the tech world with Code Geek, which he started over 20 years ago. Ron, with his technical prowess in programming from a young age, leads a team of twelve dedicated professionals at Code Geek, ensuring the company’s emphasis on client relationships and web accessibility services remains steadfast.

Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Founded In FoCo podcast, host Nick Armstrong is joined by Ron Zasadzinski of Code Geek to dive into the intricacies of web accessibility and its significance. Ron shares his transition from a flight instructor to the realm of web design and development, outlining the origins of his company and its expansion over two decades.

Web accessibility, often overlooked, emerges as the focal point of this conversation. Ron illustrates this concept with practical examples, offering a revealing look into the technologies and methodologies that make the internet a tool for all. The discussion uncovers the challenges developers face in creating universally accessible websites and underscores the importance of ongoing education and adaptation in this dynamic field.

Key Takeaways:

Web accessibility is a continual process, integral to ensuring websites are consumable and navigable by the widest possible audience.
Code Geek’s philosophy prioritizes relationships first and embeds accessibility practices from discovery through to post-launch maintenance.
About 30% of website development efforts at Code Geek are dedicated to meeting and maintaining accessibility standards.
Automated tools for assessing web accessibility are only part of the solution, requiring interpretation and supplementation with manual testing.
Ron advocates for resources like the W3C and the Mozilla Developer Network as starting points for those looking to deepen their understanding of web accessibility.

Notable Quotes:

“That’s actually the most important thing to understand about accessibility is that it is an ongoing process.”
“Web accessibility is a large field of action and opportunity to make websites and web content consumable, navigable and understandable by as many people and technologies as possible.”
“We focus on relationships first, both internally and with our clients, as well as building accessible websites for clients with regional, national, and global reach.”
“It takes knowledge and experience to interpret the results from both automating and keyboard testing and screen reader testing.”
“We ballpark roughly that it’s about 30% of the total effort goes into the accessibility pieces to do the things correctly.”