Modern-day samurai kneeling in traditional armor, sword in hand, against a vibrant wall of multicolored paint splashes — symbolizing the fusion of ancient warrior spirit with contemporary creativity.
Michaël holding a katana on a colorful background

Hey! My name is Michaël Vanderheyden
aka. Th3S4mur41

I'm a passionate web developer dedicated to crafting accessible and user-friendly interfaces that make a difference. I believe that every user—regardless of abilities or context—should experience seamless, intuitive digital interactions. My love for clean code and exploring the latest HTML and CSS features fuels my drive for innovation. With a background in martial arts, I bring the same discipline, respect, and commitment to my work, ensuring high-quality, future-proof solutions.

The web is my dojo

This website is my personal training ground. Beyond being a home for my blog, it serves as a laboratory where I experiment with the latest web techniques—specifically pushing the boundaries of modern HTML and CSS.

Help me improve

Since this site is a playground for experimentation, things might occasionally break in unexpected ways. If you find a bug or an accessibility barrier, please report it via GitHub issues. Your feedback helps me sharpen my craft and ensures a better experience for everyone.


Latest posts

Labels: Automatic Checks and Manual Validation

blogComic-style illustration of Michaël Vanderheyden wearing a baseball cap and samurai-themed shirt, working on a laptop with a samurai sticker. To the side, accessibility icons and the hashtag #A11yTips promote practical accessibility tips for developers.

Learn to validate accessible labels using browser DevTools accessibility trees and voice navigation — practical alternatives to screen reader testing.

7 min read • 895 words

PHP in 2026: Modern Language, Fragmented Tooling

blogComic illustration of a developer struggling with the fragmented ecosystem of modern PHP. The scene features a messy desk with overlapping package managers (npm and composer), OS-level tools like apt-get, and conflicting formatters.

Practical take on PHP and Laravel in 2026: a modern, capable language with fragmented tooling, OS coupling, and DX trade-offs in mixed-stack teams.

12 min read • 1,517 words

When AI helps with better detection in accessibility testing

blogA comic-style illustration of a developer from behind looking at a monitor. The screen displays code and an AI analysis of a photo, with specific labels identifying a man, a dog, and a park scene.

Accessibility Cloud's ACAI adds AI to the detection phase of accessibility testing, helping teams identify issues that traditional rule-based scanners cannot.

5 min read • 638 words