The speaker discusses strategies for modernizing and refactoring legacy PHP applications. He covers the challenges of dealing with old, poorly structured codebases and presents a methodical approach to upgrading them using the 'strangler fig' pattern. The talk emphasizes the importance of securing buy-in, implementing code standards gradually, and carefully migrating functionality to new systems while maintaining business operations.

This talk focuses on accessibility in backend development, challenging the common perception that accessibility is only about frontend concerns. The speaker discusses how accessibility affects developers themselves, including considerations for different coding styles, development processes, and tool selections. He emphasizes that accessibility isn't just about disabilities but includes making code and processes accessible to developers with different experience levels, language backgrounds, and working styles.