🍬 Sweet temptation

Sent 31st October 2026

It’s Halloween and we’re going out with our son and his wee pals this evening. I’ve been trying to resist biscuits and other sweet treats, so tonight is going to be a challenge! Anyway, two articles for you this month:

1. Fully customise your select elements
2. A better way to handle select behaviour

From the archives

Should a person’s profile photo always have alt text? As with so many things in accessibility, it depends on the context! Here’s something I wrote a couple of years ago about avatars and alt text, and why providing the same content doesn’t always mean providing the same experience.

Elsewhere on the web

And finally, here are some of the more interesting bits and bobs I came across around the web during October:

• Screen Reader User Survey #11 Results
• Inclusive Design 24 (#id24) 2026
• TetraLogical’s Accessible components library
• Native HTML and CSS Features That Replaced JavaScript
• Spotting Accessibility Issues Early
• Decorative Images… [aren’t a thing]
• Why I wait for research to prove something is needed before it’s added to the UI

Anyway, I’m off to practise some deep breathing: the chocolate is for the kids; the chocolate is for the kids… Catch you again at the end of November! 🧘‍♂️🍫