Mike Hartley
Hart of the Midlands - Microsoft Business Applications MVP, MCT, Accessibility Advocate, Mental Health Champion, Community Cheerleader
Rugby, United Kingdom
Open and honest about his own Mental Health and Disabilities, but in a humorous and entertaining way that puts people at ease and encourages conversation.
With too many years of IT experience covering all the job titles from Sales to Developer, Helpdesk to IT Manager, Networking to DBA, Consultant to Solution Architect and many more. You will get a session that encourages discussion over lecture, and conversation over death by PowerPoint, but always guaranteeing you will take away something new and a call to action.
Mad about the Microsoft Business Applications space including Power Platform and Dynamics 365, but with a core focus on Accessibility and Inclusion.
Outside of tech you will find a proud Nerd & Geed (Neek?) who loves Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Technology and more. A family man and a massive petrol head and sports fan (F1, F2, MotoGP, WEC, Rugby, Cricket, Snooker, BTCC... to name a few sports)
Awards
Area of Expertise
Topics
Accessibility - how a Small Change can Change Lives
Accessibility is rarely thought of within IT projects. It is seen as time-consuming, expensive, complex, or just not worth the effort.
What if you were to hear how making small changes in the way we look at solutions and projects could change lives?
Join this session to find out what accessibility means, why it's needed, and just how simple it can be to implement...
Oh, and did I mention that it doesn't cost anything, doesn't require additional time (once you've formed the habits), and is needed far more than you may realise?
Making Webinars, Videos, Events, and Gatherings Accessible
Do you run User groups or events, or you hold webinars or post videos? Maybe you're a business and hold gatherings with clients and in-house staff, or you also do webinars and videos etc.
If you fit into any of the above then this session will lead you through some of the ways you can make your content and gathering accessible and inclusive.
Speaking from lessons learnt helping events be more accessible, along with insight gathered from speaking about accessibility, This speaker will give you a toolkit that will help you be an accessible contributor.
This includes:
* Accessible Presentations
* The Power of Captions
* The Physical environment
* "I never thought about that"
👀 Looking Good, Exciting, and Functional! Power Apps that POP 💥
Power Apps are Boring! There, I said it.
They look the same, they are unimaginative, and they are BLAND!
But they don't have to be! In this session I will show you several different ways to make apps that look different. Not only that, but they are not difficult to create or use. There's even one method that is Data Driven so you can rollout a new look to all your apps by just updating a row in Dataverse!
As an Added Bonus (and one that is going to be VITAL to all businesses sooner that you know!) these all incorporate Accessibility meaning that more users can benefit from great design,
Session Takeaways:
* Ways to Make Apps Awesome
* Practical Demo of each method
* Additional hints and tips for making epic apps
* Did I mention Accessibility?
🤠 The New Sheriff in town 🐎 The European Accessibility Act and YOUR projects
Notice has been served! June 28th 2025 will bring a new Sheriff to town, and this one is taking no prisoners!
The name of this new lawmaker is the European Accessibility Act and they are making sure that Accessibility in the digital world becomes a legal requirement for anybody doing business with EU companies!
It's not that far away when you think about it!
So, what does that mean for the Power Platform/Dynamics 365 and for the projects we deliver? What does that look like in terms of design, build, and functionality that we need to include?
In this session you'll learn about:
* The key points of the New Law
* Implications for Power Platform & Dynamics 365 Projects
* Quick Wins and Simple Processes to aid compliance
* How to learn more and ensure you are prepared
Power BI Accessibility - The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
Over 1.4 BILLION people in the world are registered disabled. 1 in 5 working age adults are registered disabled. Those numbers are going up.
Building Accessibility into what we do is not an optional extra but a fundamental requirement - even more so with the European Accessibility Act coming into force soon.
Join Laura Graham-Brown (Hat Full of Data) and Mike Hartley (Hart of the Midlands) as they combine to form the formidable Hart Full of Data. Leading you through what Accessibility means and taking a practical look at the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Power BI Accessibility.
A to Z Accessibility - Power Platform Edition
Let's play Alphabetti Spaghetti with the Power Platform and Accessibility!
Join me as I take a look at key areas that will help you include accessibility and discover features, and limitations, within the Power Platform.
So that I can keep this dynamic and hands-on some letters will be skipped over but you will leave this session with a good grasp on core fundamentals of Accessibility in the Power Platform, and great resources to help continue your journey.
This is a session for anybody who uses the Power Platform, no matter your skill level!
Accessibility, the Power Platform, and YOU 🫵
BREAKING NEWS: The Power Platform isn't just Power Apps!
OK, that got your attention 😉 But just as the Power Platform is more than just an App, Accessibility is about so many things - and applies across the whole of the platform.
With the European Accessibility Act around the corner and impacting all business that are either in or do business in the EU, this session will help by looking at Accessibility Fundamentals and then seeing how to apply these key principles to what we build in the Power PLATFORM.
In this session you will be shown:
* Quick Wins to start an Accessibility Journey
* Common tips to make Dashboards, Portals, Apps and more Accessible
* Useful Tools to test and help develop with Accessibility in mind
* Hands-On demos of what this looks like
Why we need to put Accessibility FIRST
Accessibility is often the last-minute bolt-on that somebody might mention right at the end of a project. It's often greeted with cries of "No Budget", "Not Requested", "Out Of Scope".
Why don't customers request it? Is it that they have given up asking? Do they assume we'll include it? Or is it that they assume the costs will be too high for the benefits?
Unfortunately we often sweep the subject under the carpet and hope that nobody points it out...
This needs to change! Accessibility needs to be the FOUNDATION of what we build, not the afterthought. As websites are starting to be required, by law, to be accessible - how long will it be before we are mandated to be building accessibility into all we do?
Join me as I explain why this is such an important issue, discuss the massively positive impact it can have, and show that it doesn't cost the earth to include it.
Branding and Theming Power Apps - With Accessibility Included!
What if I told you that there was a way to theme and brand your Power Apps in a way the encouraged a consistent look and feel. One that meant you could change ALL your apps to reflect new branding with one quick set of changes?
And then what if I told you that this would also allow you to make your app more accessible to a further 15-20% of users, driving up your adoption rates?
Join me as I show you how you can build Accessible standard compliant apps, that incorporate compliant colour schemes (that you can create and check), and that don't require massive amounts of complexity.
The Things We don't Talk About
There are some things that we don't really talk about but are such important subjects. Whether it's because of stigma, fear, not wanting to put our foot in it, or not knowing what to say.
Join me to hear about
* What are we NOT talking about?
* Let's talk about "Issues" - how language and perception affects our responses
* Starting a Conversation - how to talk to people about these, and how to start a change
* Where do we go next?
Based upon the podcast series with me and Alison Mulligan this will touch upon areas such as Mental Health, Accessibility, Diversity & Inclusion and more
#AccessibleByDesign
The European Accessibility Act is just around the corner. UK Local Government sites and applications must be accessible. Section 508 and the Americans with Disabilities Act apply in the US.
Accessibility is not a luxury or an unnecessary project item, it's a key requirement and even becoming a legal one.
So what does that look like in our Business Applications projects? How do we make sure that we are making our solutions Accessible By Design?
Join me for a look at what the guidelines are, how they can be implemented, and how to make it an easy thing to include in our development lifecycle. There will be slides, there will be demos, there will be a passionate call to action... and there will be homework!
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