Women in WordPress Rachel Cherry - CourtneyR.dev's 2nd Brain

Women in WordPress: Rachel Cherry 🔗 **Source:** [Women in WordPress: Rachel Cherry](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B776s1sbquI) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: [wordpress, accessibility, women-in-tech] > author: WP Coffee Talk > source: YouTube > reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B776s1sbquI > date created: 2024-12-19 15:30 > > # 🏷️ Title: Women in WordPress: Rachel Cherry >  ## 🧰 Action Inbox - [H1] Register for WP Campus conference July 23-25 in Rochester — upcoming event #wpcampus - [H2] Break down learning goals into small chunks — confidence building advice #learning - [H3] Share ideas and write them down to move forward — overcoming mental blocks #confidence ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📚 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ### 🔗 References - [WP Campus](https://wpcampus.org/) - [University of Rochester](https://rochester.edu/) ## 📝 Summary - Interview with Rachel Cherry, digital accessibility developer at University of Rochester and founder of WP Campus - Discussion of her $30,000 fundraising effort in 2019 to audit Gutenberg accessibility - Advice for women entering WordPress and tech focusing on confidence building - Announcement of upcoming WP Campus conference July 23-25 in Rochester - Emphasis on WordPress's value in higher education through open source collaboration ## 📖 Main Content Rachel Cherry serves as the University of Rochester's digital accessibility developer and founded WP Campus, a community for higher education WordPress users. She gained recognition for leading a successful 2019 fundraising campaign that raised over $30,000 to conduct accessibility audits of WordPress's Gutenberg block editor, resulting in significant improvements to the platform. Cherry emphasizes WordPress's importance in higher education due to its open-source nature, which enables decentralized organizations to share code and solutions effectively. Her work focuses on ensuring accessibility compliance, particularly important for universities with strict accessibility policies. For women entering tech, Cherry advocates breaking down goals into manageable chunks and emphasizing action over perfection. She addresses confidence barriers that often hold women back, noting that uncertainty is universal and progress comes through consistent small steps forward. ## 🗒️ Notes #### ⏱️ [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B776s1sbquI&t=0) — [H1] Introduction and Location - Key idea: Rachel Cherry is located in Rochester, New York, working at University of Rochester - Evidence: "I am located in Rochester, New York... I work for the University of Rochester as the university's digital accessibility developer" #### ⏱️ [00:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B776s1sbquI&t=45) — [H2] Role at University of Rochester - Key idea: Works indirectly with WordPress in accessibility capacity, manages content rather than development - Evidence: "I do work kind of indirectly with WordPress at the university... I'm like a website manager and not a developer" #### ⏱️ [01:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B776s1sbquI&t=90) — [H1] WP Campus Founder - Key idea: Founded WP Campus community for higher education WordPress users - Evidence: "you may also know me as the founder of WP Campus. It's a community and organization that's for people that use WordPress in higher education" #### ⏱️ [02:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B776s1sbquI&t=120) — [H2] Upcoming Conference Announcement - Key idea: Planning WP Campus conference in Rochester July 23-25 - Evidence: "I'm planning this year's conference which is going to be actually in Rochester... July 23rd through the 25th" #### ⏱️ [02:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B776s1sbquI&t=165) — [H1] 2019 Accessibility Audit Project - Key idea: Raised over $30,000 to audit Gutenberg accessibility in 2019 - Evidence: "That was like 2019... We raised over $30,000 to do an audit of uh Gutenberg or the block editor" #### ⏱️ [03:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B776s1sbquI&t=210) — [H2] Impact of Accessibility Work - Key idea: The audit led to significant improvements in block editor accessibility - Evidence: "a lot of good work was done on the editor as a result of that audit and report" #### ⏱️ [05:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B776s1sbquI&t=300) — [H1] WordPress Value in Higher Education - Key idea: Open source enables code sharing and collaboration in decentralized university environments - Evidence: "open-source is powerful tools especially for uh higher education environments... enables us to not only create good work, but create work together" #### ⏱️ [06:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B776s1sbquI&t=375) — [H2] Information Transparency Goals - Key idea: The audit provided necessary information for policy compliance decisions - Evidence: "we weren't making decisions for people on whether or not they should use it but... giving our community that power to make decisions" #### ⏱️ [07:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B776s1sbquI&t=450) — [H2] Higher Ed Adoption Patterns - Key idea: Universities adopted block editor gradually after accessibility improvements - Evidence: "I know a lot of universities are using the block editor now some are still kind of waiting around things move kind of slow in higher ed" #### ⏱️ [08:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B776s1sbquI&t=525) — [H2] Community Value - Key idea: Annual conference connections enhance learning and professional growth - Evidence: "getting to hang out with these people in the summer every year and learning from them... Makes me feel smarter" #### ⏱️ [10:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B776s1sbquI&t=600) — [H1] Confidence Barriers for Women - Key idea: Lack of confidence is a primary barrier holding women back in tech - Evidence: "a lot of what holds us back is is confidence and and the reality is that like a lot of people don't know what they're doing" #### ⏱️ [10:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B776s1sbquI&t=645) — [H2] Breaking Down Goals Strategy - Key idea: Success comes from breaking large goals into small, manageable chunks - Evidence: "break down what you want to do into small chunks and just start moving forward" #### ⏱️ [11:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B776s1sbquI&t=690) — [H2] Sharing Ideas Publicly - Key idea: Writing down and sharing ideas publicly helps overcome mental blocks - Evidence: "to get your ideas out there to write them down and to share them... that can be the biggest way to kind of move forward" #### ⏱️ [13:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B776s1sbquI&t=780) — [H2] Action Over Perfection - Key idea: Taking any action is better than waiting for perfect conditions - Evidence: "if you don't actually do anything... you're not going to move forward... it doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to exist and then you can iterate" ## 📚 References - [WP Campus Community](https://wpcampus.org/) - [University of Rochester](https://rochester.edu/) - [WordPress Gutenberg Accessibility Audit 2019](https://wpcampus.org/blog/2019/05/gutenberg-audit-results/) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase - Rachel Cherry combines accessibility expertise with WordPress community leadership, working at University of Rochester while founding WP Campus for higher education users - Her 2019 fundraising success of $30,000 for Gutenberg accessibility audits demonstrates putting action behind criticism, leading to real improvements in WordPress core - For women entering tech, she emphasizes overcoming confidence barriers through small steps, public sharing of ideas, and embracing imperfection as a path to growth ## 📰 Newsletter **Spotlight: Rachel Cherry's Impact on WordPress Accessibility** This week we're highlighting Rachel Cherry, whose work exemplifies turning community concerns into actionable change. As University of Rochester's digital accessibility developer and founder of WP Campus, Rachel shows how focused effort can drive meaningful improvements. **Key Takeaway**: In 2019, Rachel led a campaign that raised $30,000 to audit Gutenberg's accessibility, resulting in significant block editor improvements. This demonstrates how community funding can address critical gaps in open source projects. **For Your Practice**: Consider Rachel's advice for women in tech - break large goals into small chunks, share ideas publicly even when imperfect, and remember that action beats perfection every time. **Upcoming**: WP Campus conference July 23-25 in Rochester, NY - a great opportunity to connect with higher education WordPress users. Resources: [WP Campus](https://wpcampus.org/), [Learn WordPress](https://learn.wordpress.org/), [WordPress Accessibility Handbook](https://developer.wordpress.org/accessibility/) ## ✅ Action Items #### WordPress - Core: Continue accessibility improvements based on community audits like WP Campus 2019 project - Community: Support specialized communities like WP Campus that serve specific user segments - Accessibility: Maintain transparency about accessibility compliance for policy-driven organizations - Training: Develop accessibility-focused lesson plans for higher education WordPress users #### Community - Contributors: Create pathways for accessibility contributions following successful audit models - Sponsors: Consider funding community-driven audits and improvements for critical features - Ecosystem: Support specialized conferences and communities that serve institutional users #### DevRel - Developer advocacy: Highlight success stories like WP Campus fundraising for community improvements - Education: Develop workshops focused on accessibility in higher education contexts - Community management: Foster connections between accessibility experts and WordPress development ## 🧪 Hypotheses - Open source collaboration tools are more valuable in decentralized organizations like universities than centralized ones - Community-funded audits lead to faster accessibility improvements than internal development processes - Breaking down large technical goals into smaller chunks increases completion rates for underrepresented groups - Public sharing of imperfect ideas accelerates professional growth more than private perfectionism ### 📊 Methodology - Survey higher education WordPress users about decision-making processes for accessibility compliance - Track accessibility improvement timelines before and after community audits - A/B test confidence-building approaches with new WordPress contributors - Measure engagement rates for public idea sharing vs private development ### ❓ Questions - How can WordPress core team better incorporate community-funded accessibility audits into development cycles? - What other critical WordPress features would benefit from the WP Campus audit model? - How can confidence-building strategies be systematically integrated into WordPress onboarding? ### 🔮 Future Research - Analysis of community funding models for open source improvements - Study of gender confidence gaps in technical contribution patterns - Investigation of institutional adoption patterns for accessibility-compliant tools ### 💡 Implications - Practice: Community fundraising can effectively drive accessibility improvements in open source projects - Policy: Organizations with accessibility policies need transparent compliance information for tool adoption - Education: Confidence-building through small steps and public sharing should be emphasized in tech education - Funding: Specialized communities can successfully fund improvements that benefit the broader ecosystem ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment Reading level estimate: 10th grade (Flesch-Kincaid) #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: Video interview format with speaker focus - Improve: Timeline graphic of WP Campus achievements, accessibility improvement charts #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: Full audio interview available - Improve: Podcast-style summary, audio descriptions of visual elements #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: Conversational interview style, clear examples and analogies - Improve: Glossary of accessibility terms, comparison tables #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: References to hands-on conference experiences - Improve: Step-by-step guide for organizing community audits, interactive checklists #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: Timeline of events, cause-and-effect relationships - Improve: Decision trees for accessibility compliance, funding milestone charts #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - Present: Community discussion, conference networking emphasis - Improve: Discussion prompts for accessibility teams, peer review frameworks #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - Present: Individual reflection on confidence barriers - Improve: Self-assessment tools, personal goal-setting worksheets #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners - Present: Organic community growth examples - Improve: Ecosystem thinking about WordPress community interconnections ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - Present: Clear heading structure, meaningful interview flow - Improve: Enhanced alt text for any graphics, landmark roles #### Keyboard navigation - Present: Standard video controls accessible - Improve: Skip links for long-form content, focus indicators #### Contrast and readability - Present: Standard text meets contrast requirements - Improve: Ensure any graphics meet AA standards #### Text resizing and reflow - Present: Responsive text scaling - Improve: Test at 200% zoom, prevent horizontal scrolling #### Media and captions - Present: Full transcript provided - Improve: Professional captions, downloadable transcript #### Forms and interactions - Present: Minimal form elements - Improve: Accessible contact forms, error handling ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth - Present: Higher education perspective, US-focused examples - Improve: International higher ed case studies, global accessibility standards #### Inclusive language - Present: Gender-inclusive discussion, professional terminology - Improve: Plain language summaries, avoid academic jargon #### Neurodiversity support - Present: Chunked interview format, consistent structure - Improve: Content warnings for confidence discussions, varied content formats #### Representation - Present: Women in tech leadership, accessibility advocacy - Improve: Diverse quotes and examples, multiple perspectives #### Psychological safety - Present: Supportive discussion of confidence barriers - Improve: Resources for imposter syndrome, community guidelines ### ✅ Logical Validity #### Strong reasoning - Deductive strength: Open source benefits decentralized organizations (higher ed example supports general principle) - Inductive strength: Personal experience with confidence barriers generalized to women in tech - Causal reasoning: Community funding → audit → accessibility improvements → adoption - Analogical strength: Small steps approach applies across different learning domains #### Fallacies - Hasty generalization: Extending personal confidence experiences to all women in tech without broader evidence - Appeal to accomplishment: Using $30K fundraising success as primary evidence for approach effectiveness #### Tone of voice - Overall tone: Encouraging and practical, balancing personal vulnerability with professional expertise ### 🛡️ DARVO Analysis - Deny: No denial patterns present - Attack: No attacks on accusers present - Reverse victim/offender: No reversal patterns present - Emotional cues and rhetoric: Supportive, confidence-building language without manipulation ## 🎯 Conclusion Rachel Cherry demonstrates how individual initiative can drive systemic improvements in open source software. Her 2019 accessibility audit project shows that community-funded improvements can effectively address critical gaps in WordPress development. For practitioners, her emphasis on breaking down goals into manageable steps and prioritizing action over perfection provides actionable guidance for career development. The WP Campus model offers a replicable approach for specialized WordPress communities to advocate for improvements that benefit their specific user bases while contributing to the broader ecosystem. ## 🧱 Refactor Appendix ### 📚 Literature Split Pad ### [H1] Community funding drives accessibility improvements > [!quote] [Women in WordPress: Rachel Cherry](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B776s1sbquI) by [[WP Coffee Talk]]