@plasticmind

Helping New York State build better products with accessibility and design systems. Director, Engineering @NYSITS — Formerly @simplyrecipes @amc_tv @foxcorp

 Upstate NY
practicaldesignsystems.com/
Joined March 2007
  • Tweets31.6K
  • Following1.2K
  • Followers2.2K
3.5KMedia
a little madness now and then is cherished by the wisest men
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The problem with social media, or really any endless digital media consumption engine, is that it preys on our capacity for enthusiasm. Enthusiasm in daily life is a discipline, a habit of attention, curiosity, and investment that must be formed. The simulacrum we settle for has put us almost entirely out of practice at finding the real thing. How can I recover from a diet of calorie-dense, nutrient-poor digital content? How do I find beauty in the ordinary? How do I move away from “what will interest me next?” to “what can I become interested in if I stay here?” A tree, a book, a walk with a friend, the way the grass moves in the breeze, double-digit multiplication with my children, the moment I feel like nothing much is happening. I start with a decision: be curious, believe that something is worth my attention, then act on that belief by investing it. When I practice this again and again, my attention will become less fragmented and reflexive, more deliberate and sustained. This is how I hope to reclaim genuine enthusiasm in my life: not by being any less curious, but by learning again how to sit with something long enough to care about it.
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Jesse Gardner retweeted
NYS ITS@NYSITS25 Jul 2025
Brains work differently. Words and designs that are clear and simple work better for everyone. #accessibility #ADA35
A woman in a wheelchair, a blind man using a white cane, and a woman wearing a pink shirt smile against different colored backgrounds. Brains work differently. Words and design that are clear and simple work better for everyone.

ALT A woman in a wheelchair, a blind man using a white cane, and a woman wearing a pink shirt smile against different colored backgrounds. Brains work differently. Words and design that are clear and simple work better for everyone.

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Jesse Gardner retweeted
NYS ITS@NYSITS24 Jul 2025
Some people can’t use a mouse. Design for those who tab, type or talk to navigate the web. #accessibility #ADA35
A woman in a wheelchair, a blind man using a white cane, and a boy with a visible disability smile against different colored backgrounds. A mouse cursor hovers over underlined words in blue, as in a typical hyperlink, that say, "Click here." Some people can't use a mouse. Design for those who tab, talk or type to navigate the web.

ALT A woman in a wheelchair, a blind man using a white cane, and a boy with a visible disability smile against different colored backgrounds. A mouse cursor hovers over underlined words in blue, as in a typical hyperlink, that say, "Click here." Some people can't use a mouse. Design for those who tab, talk or type to navigate the web.

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Jesse Gardner retweeted
NYS ITS@NYSITS23 Jul 2025
Sound isn’t always heard. Captions and transcripts make audio content work for everyone. #accessibility #ADA35
A deaf man using sign language to say "connect" smiles against a blue and white background. Sound isn’t always heard. Captions and transcripts make audio content work for everyone.

ALT A deaf man using sign language to say "connect" smiles against a blue and white background. Sound isn’t always heard. Captions and transcripts make audio content work for everyone.

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Jesse Gardner retweeted
NYS ITS@NYSITS22 Jul 2025
Not everyone sees your site. Some New Yorkers use screen readers, magnifiers, or high-contrast mode. #accessibility #ADA35
A blind woman led by a seeing-eye dog smiles against a blue and white background. Not everyone sees your site. Some New Yorkers use screen readers, magnifiers or high-contrast mode.

ALT A blind woman led by a seeing-eye dog smiles against a blue and white background. Not everyone sees your site. Some New Yorkers use screen readers, magnifiers or high-contrast mode.

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Jesse Gardner retweeted
NYS ITS@NYSITS21 Jul 2025
a11y is a commonly used shorthand for #accessibility (there are 11 letters between the a and y). #ADA35
A girl in a wheelchair smiles against a yellow and white background. a11y is short for accessibility (there are 11 letters between the a and y).

ALT A girl in a wheelchair smiles against a yellow and white background. a11y is short for accessibility (there are 11 letters between the a and y).

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Remember what I previously said--Obama will someday attack Iran in order to show how tough he is.
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I'll be at Code for America Summit and would love to connect with other folks in #civictech working to create better outcomes for residents by improving digital experiences. Excited to share about the #accessibility and #designsystem work our team is doing at NYS.
A photo of a middle-aged white man with clear glasses. The New York City skyline is visible in the background. It says "I'm attending Code for America Summit — Jesse Gardner, Design Systems & Accessibility @ New York State ITS.

ALT A photo of a middle-aged white man with clear glasses. The New York City skyline is visible in the background. It says "I'm attending Code for America Summit — Jesse Gardner, Design Systems & Accessibility @ New York State ITS.

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Jesse Gardner retweeted
NYS ITS@NYSITS15 May 2025
Nearly 1 in 4 New Yorkers lives with a disability. This #GAAD, ITS celebrates the launch of a Central Accessibility Team to help NYS build more inclusive digital services, by empowering the people who design and build them with tools, testing, training and everyday support.
Celebrating global accessibility awareness day. a11y, which is a shorthand term for accessibility, especially in web development and technology.

ALT Celebrating global accessibility awareness day. a11y, which is a shorthand term for accessibility, especially in web development and technology.

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God grant me the serenity To grieve what I cannot ignore, The courage to fight off ICE agents When they come for my neighbors, And the wisdom to know that Silence is complicity.
A photo of a church shrouded in fog taken at sunrise with a dramatic sky

ALT A photo of a church shrouded in fog taken at sunrise with a dramatic sky

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BBG recently developed new tactile maps which include a raised map, text, and braille. We’re excited to add these to our wayfinding tools! 🗺 Find them in the Fragrance Garden, the southern end of the Discovery Garden, and one more soon to be installed at the Visitor Center.
Two people, one with a service dog on a leash, facing a map, while standing on a path. Greenery surrounds the map, which is raised on an angled platform.

ALT Two people, one with a service dog on a leash, facing a map, while standing on a path. Greenery surrounds the map, which is raised on an angled platform.

A hand touches a tactile map in a garden setting.

ALT A hand touches a tactile map in a garden setting.

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“My Friend! you and I have passed our Lives, in Serious Times. I know not whether We have ever Seen any moments more Serious than the present.” —John Adams, in a letter to Thomas Jefferson Please pay attention to what is happening in America right now.
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Ukraine is our ally. Putin is not. It’s not complicated. I’m proud to be governor of the state with the largest Ukrainian population in America. This president may not stand with democracy, but we will.
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The Constitution is not a self-correcting document. It’s a legal framework with checks and balances that only works if enough people collectively demand it to.
A family standing in front of the US Capitol

ALT A family standing in front of the US Capitol

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“Totalitarianism begins in contempt for what you have. The second step is the notion: ‘Things must change—no matter how, Anything is better than what we have.’ Totalitarian rulers organize this kind of mass sentiment… and make the people somehow love it.” — Hannah Arendt, who escaped Nazi Germany in 1930
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Set this account up in 2007 when @anildash introduced me to the weird concept of "micro-blogging." Sad to say goodbye, you can follow me elsewhere: 👉 linkedin.com/in/plasticmind/ 👉 threads.net/@plasticmind 👉 plasticmind.com
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I am in the minority. What most people care about does not align with my ideas. People like what Trump is selling and want more. I have to navigate the world as it is, not how I wish it were, and stay grounded in my own personal values on this long journey through the wilderness.
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✅🗳️🇺🇸✌🏻
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Feeling nervous today? Here is some non-political content. My babies are getting so big!
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