Hi there! I'm David A. Kennedy, but my friends call me DK. I work as a Manager of Design at Ad Hoc, focusing on creating inclusive experiences, and helping designers grow. You can reach me at the usual place.
I’m an accessibility advocate who loves the open web and open source design and code. I curate a popular newsletter called Accessibility Weekly. Before working on the web, I wrote words instead of code as a journalist.
What I Do as a Designer
I have more than a decade of design and front-end development experience, spanning non-profits, start-ups and government agencies. The connecting line in my work has been a knack for understanding where people are coming from, running toward “sticky” problems and having an accessibility-first mindset.
I approach my work through a few principles:
- Stay curious. Progress happens because of new questions or questions asked in a different way. Keep at it.
- Be the glue. Be present, and don’t take up space. Fill the gaps.
- Apply constant, intelligent pressure. Magic doesn’t exist. Everything worthwhile gets created because people show up every day and do the boring stuff.
My Interests
- Working in the open with open source design and code
- Creating inclusive and accessible experiences
- Helping people level up
- Building healthy teams and cultures that foster growth
Learn more about my side projects
Writing Highlights
Speaking of words, I’ve collected a few of my favorite posts I’ve written elsewhere. You might enjoy reading them or my favorites from this site.
- Accessibility and MVPs
- Designing for Web Accessibility in 60 Seconds
- Practicing Web Accessibility Differently
- Talking About Web Accessibility Differently
- Thinking About Web Accessibility Differently
- Screen Reader Tips for Web Designers and Developers
- Accessibility Tunnel Vision
- Testing for Web Accessibility in 60 Seconds
If that’s not enough, here are some of the latest posts from my blog.
- Acoustic Guitars are Fun
- A Decade of Accessibility Weekly
- More on What Makes a Good Accessibility Designer
- Be a Good Link
- What Makes a Good Accessibility Designer?
Now
I’m currently:
- Designing experiences related managing dependents on VA.gov, helping Veterans obtain their benefits.
- Taking guitar lessons, learning small parts of songs like I Won’t Back Down and Water’s Edge.
- Slinging kettlebells around even more. I’m starting to use the 20 kg bells more for some workouts.