designing for accessibility

Accessibility in design isn't just a legal requirement or moral imperative—it's a pathway to better products for everyone.

Core principles of accessible design:

Perceivable: Information must be presentable in ways all users can perceive. This means providing text alternatives for non-text content, creating content that can be presented in different ways, and making it easier for users to see and hear content.

Operable: User interface components and navigation must be operable by all. This includes making all functionality available from a keyboard, giving users enough time to read and use content, and not designing content in ways known to cause seizures.

Understandable: Information and operation of the user interface must be understandable. This means making text readable and predictable, and helping users avoid and correct mistakes.

Robust: Content must be robust enough to be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.

Common misconceptions:

"Accessible design is only for people with disabilities." In reality, accessible design benefits everyone. Features like captions, voice control, and high contrast modes are used by people with and without disabilities.

"Accessibility limits creativity." The constraints of accessible design often lead to more innovative solutions that work better for all users.

"Accessibility can be added at the end." Accessibility is most effective and efficient when integrated from the beginning of the design process.

By embracing accessible design practices, we create products that are more usable, reach larger audiences, and often discover solutions that improve the experience for all users.