Elena Brescacin

Seriously, BUD?

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An unexpected conversation with an inspiring blogger who tests WordPress software to ensure it works for everyone.
On this episode of “Seriously Bud?”, I had the pleasure of chatting with Elena Brescacin, who joined me all the way from Treviso, Italy. We dove into her background and life in a tranquil town near Venice. Elena talked about what it’s like living in such a peaceful place, confirming that it’s a great spot to visit if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of cities like Rome or Venice.

Elena shared her journey as a WordPress blogger, which started way back in 2004. We discussed how web accessibility has evolved since then, especially in the early years when things were much more challenging. She opened up about her struggles with HTML coding and how frustrating it was to deal with the lack of accessibility features back then.

What really stood out in our conversation was Elena’s personal story of navigating life as a blind individual. She gave me some great insight into how she uses assistive technology, like JAWS and VoiceOver on her iPhone, to interact with the world. She’s a strong advocate for accessible design, and she emphasized just how tricky it can be to create user-friendly interfaces for visually impaired users. We also got into the frustrations she faces with frequent interface changes, particularly when comparing the block editor to older editors—she finds the block editor much more intuitive, but still, those changes can throw off her workflow.

Elena then revealed another deeply personal aspect of her life—her long-standing involvement in HIV awareness activism. It was eye-opening to hear her story about how childhood observations and a lack of clear information about AIDS and HIV sparked her interest. She recounted her journey from early confusion to becoming a passionate advocate for accurate education on the virus. Elena’s motivation comes from the stigmatizing fear campaigns she saw growing up, and through her activism, she works to break down those harmful stigmas and provide clear, fact-based information.

We also touched on her blogging history, including her experiences with technology addiction and online harassment. Elena admitted that at one point, she even resorted to creating fake online identities to cope with the abuse, but she’s come a long way since then. It was fascinating to hear how her early interest in AIDS also fueled her current fascination with investigative stories, especially crime story podcasts and TV shows focused on police investigations.

Toward the end of our chat, we talked about Elena’s participation in the WordPress community, including events like WordCamps. She’s faced her fair share of challenges, but it’s clear that she’s made a meaningful impact through her contributions. Elena also expressed excitement for upcoming events and shared how collaborating with her sighted partner has been a game-changer for her projects.

It was an inspiring conversation, and I can’t wait to see what Elena does next!