Welcome to Press This, the WordPress community podcast from WMR. Every episode choices guests from around the community and discussions of a very powerful issues coping with WordPress developers. The following is a transcription of the authentic recording.
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Record Pop: You’re being attentive to Press This, a WordPress Community Podcast on WMR. Every week we spotlight people of the WordPress community. I’m your host, Record Pop. I support the WordPress community by way of my place at WP Engine, and my contributions over on TorqueMag.Io where I get to do podcasts and draw cartoons and educational films. Check that out.
You’ll have the ability to subscribe to Press This on Purple Circle, iTunes, Spotify, your favorite podcasting app otherwise you’ll download episodes in an instant at wmr.fm.
In line with the Global Neatly being Staff, spherical 285 million people world have moderate to vital vision impairment that can make it tricky for the ones consumers to get right to use all the content material subject material across the web.
They are able to get right to use parts of it and large parts of it, then again there might however be parts which could be tricky for some consumers to achieve. I consider like web designers are considering further considerably about building further to be had web websites this present day, and it’s been a sizzling topic inside the WordPress community. I believe further to be had web websites make the web further inclusive, then again as well as they make the web a better revel in for all consumers, even those that don’t resolve as visually impaired.
In this day and age we’re gonna be in contact to Bud Kraus, the Chief Coaching Officer at Pleasure of WP. He’s moreover been a Contributor at TorqueMag.io. Bud simply in recent times gave a talk at WordCamp Europe titled “Using Low Vision As My Software To Have the same opinion Me Train WordPress.” And in his be in contact, Bud demonstrated the apparatus, methods he uses to surf the web, then again he moreover talks about how his revel in has made him a better WordPress educator.
So I’m excited to talk with Bud about this, Bud. Why did, why don’t you kick us off by the use of merely telling us how you got into WordPress?
Bud Kraus: Smartly, thanks Record, and thank you for having me to your podcast. I in fact acknowledge it. It all started once more in 2009 when I was having lunch at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central New York The town where a consumer discussed to me, , Bud, you want to learn WordPress. And I discussed, no, I’m a rage against the instrument kind of guy.
And he looked at me significantly and he discussed, no, you’ve got to learn WordPress. Proper right here’s my username and password from my web site. Transfer in there, fiddle spherical with it, see what plugins do. And I did, and I prepare my own WordPress internet web page. And after I found out, oh, in all probability a twelve months later that you just must do something referred to as a child theme and make WordPress your own, I was hooked.
And little did I know what would happen years later too. So that’s how I got started with it.
Record Pop: You may have been already educating web design at the time, or did you get into web design by way of that?
Bud Kraus: Certain, I was. I was educating at Pratt Institute in New York The town. I was in fact educating HTML and CSS and a bit of bit little little bit of JavaScript, and so I merely didn’t see anyplace for WordPress, then again in any case I did, and I started educating WordPress at the Sort Institute of Technology and educating it online and doing all kinds of things.
And once more then, this was once as soon as the early, , 2011, 2012, there was once as soon as a huge market. Everybody wanted to learn WordPress, so that was once as soon as great.
Record Pop: You lately gave a talk, and likewise you moreover primarily based completely it on a Smashing Magazine submit that you simply did once more in 2018, which is a brilliant article. The talk is called The use of Low Imaginative and prescient As My Instrument To Lend a hand Me Educate WordPress. And I’m curious, you mentioned inside the be in contact that you just’ve moderate vision impairment by way of macular degeneration.
I’m curious regarding the apparatus that you simply use to surf the web, can you tell us a bit of bit bit regarding the apparatus that you simply use and the way in which not all visually impaired consumers use the identical apparatus and settings?
Bud Kraus: Smartly, that is totally proper because of vision loss or any disability for that topic could also be very idiosyncratic, so not everybody uses the identical solutions. And I all the time believe don’t use era for something that you simply don’t in fact need. So I don’t in fact need a whole lot, then again I do need problems that, let’s say a normally sighted person doesn’t use.
As an example, I do a lot of zooming in and zooming out so I will be able to see problems. I use a lot of voice overs so I will be able to pay attention problems, and in fact that’s about it. People who are further considerably impacted use JAWS and other technologies like that, which could be much more tricky to learn than what I use.
Record Pop: Yeah. I don’t have great vision myself, so I unquestionably use a lot of the ones accessibility apparatus myself, then again for some reason, even if I’m using a couple of of those apparatus, I however call to mind designing to be had web pages as being alt tags and making sure you’re marking headers as an alternative of merely doing like bold headers, you’re actually marking your problems appropriately and kind of the ones type of problems. And so your be in contact was once as soon as just a reminder that not everyone’s using a show reader.
They all produce other techniques of using the web.
Bud Kraus: Then again for individuals who use markup accurately irrespective of your passion or lack thereof and accessibility, you’re doing problems the fitting way and it’ll get advantages such a large amount of problems at Search Engine Optimization to mention one. So I’ve all the time taught people web design necessities forward of there was once as soon as in fact a time frame referred to as web design necessities.
It’s merely the fitting way of doing problems. So some of the highest techniques to transport.
Record Pop: So how has your revel in helped you be in contact and teach WordPress to others?
Bud Kraus: Smartly, there’s a couple problems. One is I will be able to’t go proper right into a study room and easily wing it. I wish to be super in a position. I’ve to grab exactly what I’m gonna be doing that day and in particular if it’s new subject material, I’ve to in fact rehearse. Because of I will be able to’t go into elegance and browse stuff, I’ve to type of memorize it, and that’s ok.
It makes you a better teacher actually. You’re in fact in a position. And that’s in fact something that I found out from merely having a vision loss isn’t any winging it. You’ve gotta be in a position. You’ve gotta have a good lesson plan entering into and so there’s a disadvantage if students say, well, we wanna do something totally different.
Differently you are saying, no, we wish to type of stick with the plan proper right here. And normally they do. So that’s not a topic. I suggest, that’s just one. There’s other problems too, like as an example, there’s a principle in to be had design, grouping. We like to workforce problems, making it more straightforward for era, for people to grab.
And so I workforce problems too. Like I’ll teach problems in groups, in all probability we’ll do the whole thing about pages, in all probability we’ll do the whole thing about posts, in all probability we’ll do the whole thing about subjects. Roughly love to stick these items together. And I consider it’s every so often a bit of bit further understandable for individuals who use grouping as an idea and that’s something I unquestionably found out from to be had design.
Record Pop: Mm-hmm. So whilst you’re talking about grouping that’s an element that you simply do for practicality, as a teacher. Then again that benefits students because it kind of helps keep problems packed together
Bud Kraus: Certain. I consider it’s further, as an alternative of being all over that students understand where we’re gonna be, and in the event that they’ve a syllabus, they can see nowadays we’re gonna be talking all about pages, or we’re gonna be talking about posts, or we’re gonna be talking about footage.
Now you’ll’t, from a smart perspective, you merely can’t put numerous those problems in nice, neat little silos. Everyone knows that. However while you’ll, to a undeniable extent, keep that idea of grouping things like that, I consider it’s gonna be helpful for the students.
Record Pop: Mm-hmm. I was kind of taken with this as you might have been talking, we’re talking about your revel in as an educator. I’m curious for college students, have you ever ever ever had a host of students that themselves had been in all probability visually impaired, and the way in which did that adjust the way in which you taught them?
Bud Kraus: I’m going to switch your question a bit of bit bit because of I don’t think I’ve had any one that was once as soon as visually impaired, then again I had a deaf scholar.
Record Pop: Mm-hmm.
Bud Kraus: And I assumed that was once as soon as in fact interesting because of what I found out from that experience was once as soon as, whilst you’re deaf, you’ll’t merely be told the words on your ideas.
Because of that’s audio. In order that they don’t have the ability to do that. That’s what American Sign Language is all about. And that’s after I started studying, oh, now I get it. And actually, this scholar who was once as soon as very glossy, who was once as soon as a in fact good dressmaker too, he presented a signer to elegance.
So, each time he were given right here to elegance, someone would sign regardless of I was educating, Which was once as soon as kind of interesting and it worked. I assumed that was once as soon as a in fact interesting revel in. I moreover tried to turn someone who was once as soon as considerably impaired from a cognitive perspective, from a visual and auditory perspective.
And it was once as soon as inconceivable. It was once as soon as in fact, in fact tough. I wanna say there’s highest the sort of lot you’ll do, and I’m not a well informed person in that field, so in all probability that was once as soon as in fact on me. Then again you’ll see where this can be very tricky in some in a very, very tiny minority segment of the population.
Then again there are people which could be considerably impaired who want get right to use to the web. And one thing I’ve found out over the years is that if you happen to’re making problems to be had for people like me, you’ll make it upper for everybody. And that’s in fact to me, the vital factor to accessibility, which is in fact, who cares about making web websites for me?
Don’t you wanna make it upper for everybody else? And the answer is bound. And the way in which by which to take a look at that is through accessibility.
Record Pop: Yeah, totally. The analogy I all the time appreciated was once as soon as once they built sidewalk ramps for wheelchair consumers, it ended up reaping rewards everybody. If I sprained my ankle, now I’ve an more straightforward strategy to get down. iIf I had a kid and I had a stroller.
It merely type of makes the revel in upper for everyone.
Bud Kraus: Totally. And it’s the identical issue with curb cuts, that kind of issue. I suggest, don’t we would really like curb cuts? It’s merely the sort of lot more straightforward to step off a curb or travel a bike or regardless of. Smartly, sure. And in addition to wheel someone down in a wheelchair, equivalent issue. All over again, the concept that that of creating problems upper for everybody.
Because of my vision impairment, I type of check out it as a gift actually, in that I will be able to see problems about accessibility and usability that other people can’t see. And so, I don’t check out myself as poor me. I type of every so often think, lucky me because of I get to look problems in a different way and understand problems in a different way, not pronouncing upper or regardless of.
It’s merely different.
Record Pop: And that’s an excellent spot for us to take a to hand information a coarse harm. We’re gonna come once more and continue our discussion with Bud Kraus regarding the conversation that he had at WordCamp Europe about being a presenter and easily educating WordPress most often. So stay tuned for added WordPress knowledge after this harm.
Record Pop: Welcome once more to Press This, a WordPress Community podcast. I’m your host, Record Pop. In this day and age I’m talking to Bud Kraus, the Chief Coaching Officer at Excitement of WP, who’s been educating web design for a couple of years, and simply in recent times gave a talk at WordCamp Europe. Bud, you mentioned at the end of the controversy that this was once as soon as a dream of yours.
Can you tell us about that?
Bud Kraus: Oh, I no doubt can. So, in like 2015, 16, 17, I’d be looking at the motion of WordCamp Europe and I’m sitting at my laptop considering, God, wouldn’t it in fact be cool to seek advice from WordCamp Europe? I suggest, what an revel in that could be. So I don’t know what got into me, then again ultimate twelve months I started considering, well, I’m gonna apply to speak at WordCamp Europe.
What the heck? They’ll in no way choose me, so I don’t have to worry about anything, , merely apply. And I did. I decided on the one topic I felt like I had one story in me to provide. And that was once as soon as how I using low vision as my device to lend a hand me teach WordPress. And I applied and I waited to hear, and the day I heard was once as soon as March 31st. I’ll in no way put out of your mind, 6:15 inside the morning, I’m going into my place of business, I check out the email and the principle there words had been “We’re extraordinarily completely satisfied.”
And I finished correct there and I knew, and I discussed to myself, oh, they must have made a mistake. This is sent to the flawed person. And I stored on finding out and it in fact was once as soon as me and I was very tempted to rise up my partner. And tell her, because of she’d been wanting to seek advice from Greece and Santorini without end. She got up and when she spotted it, she did a double take. And she or he discussed, I assume we’re going to Greece. And of course I had advised everybody that I applied, then again the chances of me getting picked had been like, one in 1000. And it grew to turn into out not that unhealthy of an odds, then again pretty slender odds.
So I’m without end grateful to the WordCamp Europe organizers for choosing me.
Record Pop: Up until this stage, you had in no way even been to WordCamp Europe, which is one of the largest, if not a very powerful WordCamps on the planet ever. And your first time going, you gave a big presentation. Kudos on that.
Bud Kraus: Smartly, my partner discussed I did a in fact good job and she or he’s a very tough critic, so if she discussed I did a good job, I’ll take it. It was once as soon as in fact an honor of a lifetime. It was once as soon as an revel in. It’s inconceivable to put out of your mind. And I don’t wanna put out of your mind it. And I met such a large amount of those that I already know, then again further very important or as very important, I met a lot of new those that I type of met inside the weeks primary up to WordCamp Europe. I was attaining out and meeting new people on Twitter and LinkedIn and somewhere else. And it was once as soon as great. I consider like, geez, I’m so fortunate to have finished all this. I suggest, I get to seek advice from WordCamp Europe and in fact merely discuss myself.
Now, if I may say, I gave this be in contact in Boston a couple years earlier, and I was terrible and I’d’ve booed myself off the stage. And I discussed to myself, for individuals who ever give that talk all over again, you upper do a a lot better job. So in fact, I rebuilt all the factor, and I consider I did a a lot better job.
Record Pop: Awesome. And so now that you simply’ve got this beneath your belt, are you getting ready to your pitches next twelve months? Are you gonna try to give a talk at WordCamp Asia?
Bud Kraus: Smartly, that’s funny you’ll have to say. Although I haven’t had the power to seek advice from WordCamp Asia, then again I’m considering like It may well be kind of cool to seek advice from Taiwan. So I’m starting to consider, then again then I’m considering like, well, what would you discuss?
Smartly, I actually have two ideas. I suggest, the one I gave at WordCamp, Europe is unquestionably one amongst them. Then again would they cross take a look at to look if I gave that talk already and who’s conscious about. What’s the harm in applying? There’s no harm the least bit.
Record Pop: Mm-hmm.
Bud Kraus: I’ve to say too, after I applied to speak at WordCamp Europe, I in fact spent like no time the least bit striking the topic together because of I merely felt like why waste a lot of time proper right here?
They’re in no way gonna choose you. Nevertheless it definitely came about.
Record Pop: Smartly, let’s go back a bit of bit bit to your revel in as a web dressmaker and any individual who’s been using the web for a long time and got into WordPress and in fact found out area proper right here. As a visually impaired individual yourself, how do you’re feeling about WordPress as a tool for various consumers?
And have you ever ever heard from other people of the community about their revel in?
Bud Kraus: Yeah, fair question. I’m in reality now not the least bit plugged in fact into the WordPress accessibility community. Because of I’m a stakeholder, then again I’m not in fact, you’ll see I’m kind of struggling to articulate this.
I don’t in fact consider myself impaired. I suggest, I know I’m. Inside the twelve months 2000, I was educating a path at Prat Institute referred to as To be had Web Design. So it’s not like I’ve in no way heard of these items. Adequate. I suggest, I was educating it when browsers didn’t support it.
Other people didn’t know what the heck I was talking about. What does that suggest to be had design? What does, so it’s not like, I don’t know the subject, then again I’m in reality now not an expert. I couldn’t permit you to know all the fine details of the web content material subject material accessibility guidelines 2.1 or regardless of it’s now.
I realize it exists and I know the fundamentals of it. I’m a stakeholder and it’s a subject that interests me, and I no doubt know when something isn’t usable or to be had and there’s a difference between the two, however it definitely’s not something that interests me, let’s say on an authorized stage.
So I made the decision rather a while prior to now that I wasn’t going to grow to be an expert in accessibility for the web. And I’m not in any way. So can I permit you to know all about how to be had Gutenberg is? No. I will be able to’t permit you to know.
I’ve heard lots of problems and I’ve not heard good problems, then again I’m not an expert the least bit, so I don’t in reality really feel myself qualified. On each and every instance I see something that I consider is simply, merely terrible, I’ll say something to someone in the community, then again that’s about it. Accessibility isn’t a area of expertise of mine, let’s merely say that, then again I no doubt have familiarity with it,
Record Pop: That’s an excellent spot for us to take our final harm and once we come once more, we can be in contact with Bud a bit of bit bit further about some of the the most important other projects he’s running on and a couple of knowledge he can have sooner or later. So stay tuned for added WordPress knowledge after this speedy harm.
Welcome once more to Press This, a WordPress Community podcast. I’m your host, Record Pop. In this day and age I’m talking to Bud Kraus. We’ve discussed his revel in educating at WordCamp EU and his revel in as a WordPress educator for a couple of years. And now I wanna be in contact regarding the problems, Bud, that you simply’re running on now.
What are some of the the most important projects that you just’ve going on this twelve months, now that you just have been for the reason that talk out of the way in which by which?
Bud Kraus: Smartly, one thing I’ve to say is, I’m in reality now not a internet web page developer, ok? So I don’t have projects like that. In reality, I identify myself a reluctant internet web page developer. What I’m doing this present day, and this started about six months prior to now, is providing WordPress content material subject material for WordPress firms.
So a company like Insta WP will say, will you perform a little films on something like the easiest way to transform an elementary internet web page to Gutenberg? Certain. Or will you create a path for us? Let’s say this is OS Training that has a lot of training on WordPress courses and I merely finished something referred to as Elementor 101 for that. or will you write blog posts?
Like at the moment I’m running on or about to begin out one for GoDaddy, which is about the easiest way to make use of ChatGPT to spin up a custom designed submit type plugin, which is in fact cool. I suggest, I merely love that and it in fact problems the way in which by which of how developers will art work going forward. Now, I’m not a developer, then again what’s so great about it’s you in fact don’t wish to be, you merely should understand how to use the instructed in ChatGPT and then in all probability the easiest way to perform a little edits inside the code.
Nevertheless it definitely’s not very tricky. It’s very cool. So I’m interested by doing that. And other projects. I can be doing a webinar for the Be informed WordPress initiative. It’s referred to as “Demystifying the Navigation Block,” which everybody seems to be struggling with, for good reason for individuals who query me.
So I’m all the time looking for choices to each write, create films, any kinda WordPress content material subject material for WordPress firms. So, that’s gonna be my issue any further. And I must say too, it in fact leverages all the contacts I’ve inside the WordPress community. ‘ve been very fortunate to meet and know a lot of people inside the great community.
It’s type of like by chance. I discussed, I might simply art work with the ones people. I wish to art work with the ones people. So that’s in fact what’s in fact taking place now with me. And I’ve type of grew to turn into transparent of constructing web websites cuz for individuals who do it long enough, you’re merely gonna in any case hate yourself and hate web development.
Record Pop: And likewise you’re, you’re gonna be at WordCamp US, not giving a presentation, then again you discussed that you simply had been gonna be part of the Community Summit.
Bud Kraus: Yeah. I’m excited to be going to the Community Summit because of number one, I in fact don’t know what it’s. I know that it’s something that’s been restarted after Covid. I believe it’s principally gonna be two days of talking about the easiest way to toughen the WordPress community.
And I’ve pitched an idea to the organizers about what we could discuss. Then again we’ll see. It is going to must be great. I suggest, I know that I’m gonna be in DC for like 5 days now because of the community summit. And I received’t be at Contributor Day, then again I can be at the two days of WordCamp US.
I’ve been very fortunate this summer season because of I started out at WordCamp Europe and then two weeks after that I went to WordCamp Montclair, which is a small community in New Jersey. And spotted a lot of the WordCamp Europe people there as well, and then onto WordCamp US in August.
So Wow. I in fact in reality really feel like I’ve been at WordCamp all summer season, which is superb.
Record Pop: Let’s wrap this up proper right here. What’s an excellent spot for people as a way to follow the challenge you’re running on? Achieve out to you with any questions they might have.
Bud Kraus: Certain. While you wanna contact me, I’ve a slightly form on my internet web page, which is JoyofWP.com. It’s in fact easy to bear in mind now. And also you’ll moreover email me, which is Bud@JoyofWP.com. So I don’t make it onerous to get a hold of me. It’s in fact easy to get a hold of me.
And please do.
Record Pop: And, and I merely wanna reiterate, because you discussed this too, then again I merely wanna say somebody listening, if you’re looking for some content material subject material, you’re looking for films, you’re looking for articles, Bud is taking orders now, now’s a good time to achieve out to you, correct?
Bud Kraus: Certain. Thanks, Record.
Record Pop: Thanks for being attentive to Press This, a WordPress community podcast on WMR. Once all over again, my identify’s Record and also you’ll follow my adventures with Torque magazine over on Twitter @thetorquemag otherwise you’ll go to torquemag.io where we contribute tutorials and films and interviews like this on a daily basis. So take a look at out torquemag.io or follow us on Twitter. You’ll have the ability to subscribe to Press This on Purple Circle, iTunes, Spotify, otherwise you’ll download it in an instant at wmr.fm each week. I’m your host Doctor In taste I support the WordPress community by way of my place at WP Engine. And I really like to concentrate on people of the community each and every week on Press This.
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