Ahmed Khalifa
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iamahmedkhalifa.com
Ahmed Khalifa
@iamahmedkhalifa.com
- Works as a Digital Experience Manager
- Solves web accessibility/a11y at https://PurpleByte.io
- Discusses deaf awareness at https://HearMeOutCC.com
- Live in Edinburgh, UK

On a mission to make the internet more accessible, one byte at a time.
I've noticed Goodreads has launched a new logo. Normally a rebrand sparks lots of discussion and pushback from loyal fans and design pros. I’m neither, but I do have thoughts on two claims from their blog. Let’s break it down.

🧵
July 24, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Case in point is in the image attached:

in one episode, Phil tries to pronounce a German word but totally butchers it. Instead of just writing [attempting to speak German], the caption reads [speaks German-flavored gibberish]. It’s a small detail, but it made me laugh but also appreciate it.
July 4, 2025 at 8:25 AM
anyone else in the tech industry to make a positive impact within the community and the wider world.

I still had my challenges where it's so noisy, I wasn't able to keep up with conversations or attend as much talks as I wanted to. But when I did, it was a blessing.
June 24, 2025 at 10:11 AM
It's not often I speak at an event where there is a sense of belonging amongst the attendees. That's what happened when I spoke at a recent Muslim Tech Fest.

You can see and feel it, when people are comfortable with each other, knowing that we are all in it together.
June 24, 2025 at 10:11 AM
5/5: As such, "human review remains essential for meeting accessibility standards".

Otherwise, it can get ugly...very ugly, as I will demonstrate at the #MTF2025 event. 🫣

You can get your ticket here: muslimtechfest.com/tickets/

And I hope to see you there.
June 14, 2025 at 8:25 AM
One week (on 21st June 2025) today is Muslim Tech Fest , and if you haven't gotten your ticket, you can get one now using the following discount code:

Ahmed

Oh, how is my first name used as a discount code?

🧵
June 14, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Guess what happens when you've been a customer of a software company for a decade? You get to deliver a talk about accessibility. So of course, I had to bring my A-game for FreeAgent.
June 10, 2025 at 9:45 AM
I first noticed the Muslim Tech Fest community last year and was really impressed by their sense of unity, drive and ambitions. Now, I have the honour of speaking at their event in London on 21st June 2025 about digital accessibility.

[1/4]
May 1, 2025 at 9:43 AM
I read multiple books at the same time (currently five).

But on my hand is the fascinating book @peterfrankopan.bsky.social

A brilliantly researched book on the history of the world we live in.
April 13, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Some of my most happiest place in the world is to be in the middle of nowhere, high up a big hill or mountain, on my gravel bike.

Bonus if there's sunshine and blue sky...and yes, that can happen in Scotland.

A huge benefit of living in this country is the number of places that fits this criteria.
April 10, 2025 at 9:37 AM
This comic strip by Chris Ruden perfectly captures the essence of accessibility and how it can benefit everyone.

This is generally called "the curb cut effect". It is a phenomenon where solutions designed to help people with disabilities end up benefiting everyone.
December 12, 2024 at 3:32 PM
It doesn’t matter why you are designing what you are designing, there will always be a human on the other side.

So design for real people, not perfect scenarios.
December 6, 2024 at 10:48 AM
'tis the season where brands go over the top with their Christmas-themed content by making them so inaccessible.

You don't have to be blind to realise that the text in the image is not readable, not just because of the colour contrast, but the heavy snow patterns in the background too.
December 5, 2024 at 2:10 PM
Accessible design signals to your customers that you care about everyone. 💜

When your website works for everyone, it speaks louder than any mission statement.
November 21, 2024 at 10:39 AM
The simple things in life that I absolutely love.

Good book + good coffee.
November 18, 2024 at 2:26 PM
I underestimated how hard it is to throw an axe effectively.

Vikings make it look so easy: at least, that's what the video games are portraying. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Still, excellent service at @boombattlebar.bsky.social in Edinburgh.
November 18, 2024 at 8:55 AM
VD: Ahmed inspecting a wheelchair-friendly merry-go-round on an, surrounded by orange leaves, wearing casual outdoor clothing."

#ThinkAccessibility
November 12, 2024 at 3:22 PM
Some people can paint pictures with a brush. But we can all paint pictures with words.

Alt text is like poetry: every word matters, and the best ones paint a picture.
November 7, 2024 at 1:13 PM
It doesn't matter who you are serving:

Everyone deserves a 1st class experience on your website regardless of how they access it.

Even if it's little by little, we should all do our bit to make our digital products a better and more accessible experience.
November 5, 2024 at 9:45 AM
There's nothing beneficial about having ineligible text on top of a patterned background on your website.

It may seem cute at first, but it's making it difficult to read, even if you are not blind or have low vision, which highlights the importance of how accessibility can benefit everyone.
November 4, 2024 at 3:03 PM
Most businesses don't realise that their websites are preventing people from accessing them. This is the equivalent of not allowing everyone into your store.

Don't you want your business to be accessible to as many people as possible?

#WebAccessibility #a11y
November 2, 2024 at 9:45 AM
My background may have been in digital marketing, but web accessibility is in my heart.

So I've decided to make make more of an effort: introducing PurpleByte, a place to make the internet more accessible one byte at a time, starting with your site ➡️ purplebyte.io/

#Accessibility #a11y
October 28, 2024 at 10:00 AM