Accessibility Principles

Happy Global Accessibility Awareness Day everyone! It's a great day to remind people, that, accessibility is the responsibility of the whole team, including designers! A couple of things designers can do: - Use sufficient color contrast (text + UI elements) and don’t rely on color alone to convey meaning. - Ensure readable typography: support text resizing, avoid hard-to-read styles, maintain hierarchy. - Make links and buttons clear and distinguishable (label, size, states). - Design accessible forms: clear labels, error help, no duplicate input, document states. - Support keyboard navigation: tab order, skip links, focus indicators, keyboard interaction. - Structure content with headings and landmarks: use proper H1–Hn, semantic order, regions. - Provide text alternatives for images, icons, audio, and video. - Avoid motion triggers: respect reduced motion settings, allow pause on auto-play. - Design with flexibility: support orientation change, allow text selection, avoid fixed-height elements. - Document accessibly and communicate: annotate designs, collaborate with devs, QA, and content teams. Need to learn more? I got a couple of resources on my blog: - A Designer’s Guide to Documenting Accessibility & User Interactions: https://lnkd.in/eUh8Jvvn - How to check and document design accessibility in your mockups: a conference on how to use Figma plugins and annotation kits to shift accessibility left https://lnkd.in/eu8YuWyF - Accessibility for designer: where do I start? Articles, resources, checklists, tools, plugins, and books to design accessible products https://lnkd.in/ejeC_QpH - Neurodiversity and UX: Essential Resources for Cognitive Accessibility, Guidelines to understand and design for Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Autism and ADHD https://lnkd.in/efXaRwgF - Color accessibility: tools and resources to help you design inclusive products https://lnkd.in/dRrwFJ5 #Accessibility #ShiftLeft #GAAD

😇 Bookmark This: A Free Accessibility Resource Just for Designers If you're a designer working on digital product, —this is one of the best starting points out there. WebAIM's Designers' Accessibility Resource offers a crystal-clear breakdown of inclusive design principles made specifically for designers. No overwhelming jargon. Just clear visuals and best practices that make your work better and more inclusive. 🔹 What’s Covered? ✳️ Text and typography ✳️ Color and contrast ✳️ Layout and structure ✳️ Images and graphics ✳️ Focus and visual indicators ✳️ Controls and touch targets ✳️ Icon accessibility ✳️ Animation and motion ✳️ Forms and error messages ✳️ Responsiveness and flexibility ✳️ Links and clickables ✳️ Readability and plain language This resource pairs perfectly with your design system and should be in every creative team’s toolbox, especially before handoff to dev. 💡 Accessibility is not a “dev task.” It starts with your Figma file, your color palette, your typography. That’s why this resource is so valuable. 🔗 Check it out: https://lnkd.in/gDSeep_B #Accessibility #WebDesign #UXDesign #InclusiveDesign #A11y #DigitalInclusion #DesignSystems #GracefulWebStudio #DesignWithGrace #WCAG #AccessibleDesign #WebAIM

Accessibility isn’t optional—it’s essential. It’s not just about checking a box; it’s about creating inclusive experiences that work for everyone. Here’s how designers can advocate for accessibility without it feeling like an afterthought: 1️⃣ Build accessibility into the design process Accessibility isn’t a last-minute QA step—it’s a design choice. Start integrating it early with tools like: ↳ Stark: Check contrast ratios directly in Figma. ↳ Axe: Test designs for screen readers and other assistive technologies. When accessibility is part of your process, you can avoid costly fixes later by building more inclusive products from the start. 2️⃣ Show the business case Accessibility isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s also good for business. Here’s how: ↳ Better usability: Designs that are accessible for some are often easier to use for all. ↳ Legal compliance: Avoid lawsuits and ensure your designs meet standards like WCAG. ↳ Broader audience reach: Accessible designs open your product to millions of users who might otherwise be excluded. 3️⃣ Educate stakeholders Not everyone understands the impact of inaccessible design. Help make the issue tangible by: ↳ Sharing examples of real-world accessibility challenges (e.g., unreadable text or confusing navigation). ↳ Explaining how inaccessible designs exclude people—and how inclusive design benefits everyone. 4️⃣ Lead by example As designers, we set the tone. Advocate for accessibility by incorporating best practices into your work: ↳ Add alt text for images and icons. ↳ Design with keyboard navigation in mind. ↳ Use clear hierarchies to guide users, especially those relying on assistive devices. Don’t stop at theory. Test your designs with real users, including those who rely on assistive technologies. (The best insights come from real feedback.) Accessibility isn’t an afterthought—it’s a commitment to inclusion, usability, and good design. What’s your favorite way to advocate for accessibility? Share below! 👇 #accessibility #inclusion #uxdesign #leadership #innovation #designstrategy #uxui #designtools ---------------- 👋 Hi, I'm Dane—I share daily design tools & tips. ❤️ If you found this helpful, consider liking it. 🔄 Want to help others? Consider reposting. ➕ For more like this, consider following me.

Accessibility and adjustments/accommodations aren’t the same thing. An adjustment won’t suddenly make everything accessible. Let’s say a person is provided a screen reader as a workplace adjustment/ accommodation. Having that screen reader won’t suddenly make a deck, document, webpage, etc., accessible. An adjustment/accommodation is a tool, not the solution to inaccessibility itself. For that screen reader to do its job, we need to take steps to make documents, decks, websites, content, etc., accessible. Without alt text, the screen reader can’t describe an image. Without headings and structure, it won’t navigate properly. Without proper formatting, it won’t read content in the right order. A screen reader can only work if the content is designed to be accessible in the first place. And it’s not just about screen readers, it’s about designing to include as many people as possible, people with diverse lived experiences and access needs. That’s universal design: designing to include as many people as possible. But understand this, we are individuals with individual needs. Universal design is for as many people, not for all people. So, be flexible with people. And remember an adjustment is the a tool or support not the magic wand that fixes everything. Image Description: A Disabled by Society graphic explaining the difference between Accessibility and Adjustments/Accommodations. page is almost split into two, the top side is an off black and the bottom a dark grey. Both sides have a title and text in boxes they read: Top Side: Accessibility is: 1. Designed for everyone from the start. 2. Proactively removes barriers. 3. Built into environments, products, and services. 4. Everyone’s responsibility, not just one individual. 5. Focused on preventing and removing barriers. 6. Examples: Accessible websites, ramps, captions. The bottom side reads, Adjustments / Accommodations are: 1. Tailored to individual needs. 2. Made after identifying specific barriers. 3. Tools and support to help day to day. 4. Temporary or situational changes. 5. Equitable, recognises individual circumstances. 6. Examples: Extra time, interpreters. #MondayMotivation #DisabledBySociety #Accessibility #DisabilityInclusion

Accessibility in development isn’t about adding extras, it’s about writing better code from the get-go. Simple habits that can help are: ✅ Use button elements for buttons → <button> works everywhere, while <div role="button"> needs extra work (and often breaks). A button being a better button if it's a button, wow can you imagine? ✅ Label form fields properly → <label for="email"> ensures everyone knows what they’re filling out, including screen readers and autofill. ✅ Make clickable areas big enough → Small touch targets frustrate everyone, especially on touch screens. ✅ Don’t remove focus styles → If you hide focus indicators, keyboard users get lost. Instead, make them your own: design them to fit your UI and brand design. Don't forget that they still need to pass 3:1 color contrast. ✅ Test with a keyboard → Speaking of focus indicators: Can you navigate your site without a mouse? Well, have you tried? This is where the custom focus indicator will either shine or embarrass you. Good code isn’t just functional, it’s usable. And that’s what sets great developers apart. Accessibility isn’t an add-on, it’s what makes you great at your job.

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day, a day dedicated to getting everyone talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion and the more than One Billion people with disabilities/impairments. POUR: The four principles of digital accessibility 1. Perceivable: Users can recognise the presented information by sight, touch, or hearing. 2. Operable: Users can navigate and operate the user interface via alternative input methods. 3. Understandable: Users can make sense of the textural, visual and audio content and available operations. 4. Robust: A wide variety of web browsers and assistive technologies can interpret the information. These principles underpin the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the international standard for web accessibility. #GAAD2024 #WCAG #DisabilityLeadership #AccessibleDesign #Disability #Accessibility #MostlyUnlearning

The L&D community is still treating Accessibility as an afterthought, and it's hurting our learners. Too many learning designers are checking accessibility boxes without genuinely understanding or prioritizing their audience's diverse needs. Here's why this is a problem: 1. "Compliance Over Care" Mentality: Too often, Accessibility is approached as a compliance issue rather than a genuine commitment to inclusive learning. This mindset leads to bare minimum efforts that don't serve our learners. 2. Lack of Proper Training: Many learning designers haven't received adequate training in Accessibility best practices, which causes them to design courses that unintentionally exclude or frustrate learners with disabilities. 3. Accessibility Added as an Afterthought: Waiting until the end of a project to consider Accessibility means it's often rushed and poorly implemented, leading to subpar learning experiences. 4. Ignoring Diverse Learning Needs: The one-size-fits-all approach is too common. Every learner is different, yet many courses don't account for this, especially regarding cognitive or sensory differences. 5. Limited Tool Familiarity: Many designers aren't familiar with the tools that can make their content more accessible. This lack of awareness limits the quality and effectiveness of the learning materials. How do we fix this? 1. Shift the Mindset: Accessibility should be a core component of learning design, not just a checkbox. It's about creating a better experience for everyone. 2. Invest in Training: Organizations must prioritize training their L&D teams on Accessibility. It's not just about knowing the rules; it's about understanding the why behind them. 3. Design from the Start: Make Accessibility a foundational part of your design process, not something you tack on at the end. Use the Right Tools: Familiarize yourself with and use tools that enhance Accessibility. Don't just rely on what you know—explore new resources that can help. 4. Get Feedback: Actively seek feedback from learners with disabilities and incorporate their insights into your design process. What is your organization doing to make its e-learning content more accessible? Let me know in the comments below!

Accessibility has undergone a significant evolution over the last decade. In the past, companies often reacted after accessibility issues were identified—usually through lawsuits or failed audits. This reactive process took weeks, even months, to resolve, and by that time, the damage was done—compliance failures, legal risks, and lost user trust. Today, forward-thinking organizations are taking a proactive stance, incorporating accessibility into their development cycles from the start. Just like security has become a key part of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), accessibility is being woven into each phase: - Requirement Phase: Ensuring accessibility is part of your initial design discussions. - Design Phase: Evaluating new features for potential accessibility barriers. - Implementation Phase: Running automated accessibility checks during development to catch violations early. - Testing Phase: Conducting thorough accessibility testing before deployment. - Procurement Phase: Ensuring that even vendors are hitting digital accessibility compliance in order to be considered as a software tool. This proactive integration reduces the risk of costly, last-minute fixes while making digital experiences more inclusive from day one. 🌍 In 2024, the number of legal actions related to accessibility non-compliance skyrocketed, a reminder that waiting until issues are flagged isn’t an option anymore. Organizations that embed accessibility into every release cycle and procurement process are leading the way, creating accessible, inclusive digital environments—and avoiding the costly pitfalls of being reactive.