A powerful lesson for web creators from Breandan Ward’s accessibility journey. In celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Ally by Elementor hosted an extraordinary conversation with accessibility advocate and leadership coach Breandan Ward. What started as a personal story became a striking wake-up call for web creators and businesses alike.

Breandan shared striking contrasts between his experience in the UK and the US. In London, a thoughtful question from his boss changed his outlook:

“My boss came up to me one day and said to me, ‘Breandan, do you think a larger screen would be helpful?’ I hesitated… but it actually made my work a lot easier.”

That simple offer wasn’t just kind — it reflected what Breandan calls the social model of disability, where the burden is on systems, not individuals, to remove barriers.

By contrast, in the U.S., Breandan noticed a more individualistic approach:

“It’s kind of exhausting to be always on the hook for your own advocacy… that to me is not the social model.”

His takeaway for web creators? Don’t wait for users to ask. Build inclusivity from the start.