Making Digital Work for Everyone
Look, I get it. When someone mentions “digital accessibility,” your eyes might glaze over a bit. It sounds like one of those corporate buzzwords that consultants throw around, right?
But here’s the thing, it’s actually way more straightforward than you’d think, and honestly, it’s something we should all care about.
So where do you even start?
Before you panic and think you need to rebuild everything from scratch, just take a breath.
The first step: Figure out where you stand right now. Think of it like getting a check-up at the doctor, you need to know what’s going on before you can fix anything.
An accessibility audit is basically looking at your website or app and identifying all the stuff that might be making it hard (or impossible) for people with disabilities to use.
There are some decent tools out there like Axe or Wave that can catch obvious problems, but honestly? Nothing beats actually testing things yourself and, if you can swing it, getting feedback from real users who deal with these challenges every day.
Don’t leave it till the end (seriously, don’t)
Here’s where most teams mess up, they build the whole thing and then, right before launch, someone goes “oh crap, what about accessibility?”
By then, you’re looking at major rewrites and a lot of headaches that could’ve been avoided.
Instead, just bake it into your regular process:
- Test with screen readers as you go
- Check if someone can navigate your site using only a keyboard
- Make sure your colors have enough contrast
- Get people with disabilities to test your stuff regularly, not just at the end
It’s like brushing your teeth, better to do it consistently than wait until you have a cavity.
Think about it from day one
The secret sauce here is really just thinking about accessibility while you’re designing and building, not after.
Quick wins:
- Use components that are already accessible if you have them
- When you’re writing user stories, throw in some accessibility requirements
- Train your team, this isn’t just a developer thing. Designers, product managers, everyone has a part to play
Make it part of everything you do
Accessibility isn’t something you do once and forget about. It needs to be woven into how you work.
At every stage:
- Research: Include people with disabilities, and audit the state of what you have at the moment
- Design: Think about clear navigation and layouts that work for everyone, and add accessibility annotations in your designs
- Development: Use proper HTML and make sure it plays nicely with assistive technology
- Testing: Keep testing, always keep testing with users with disabilities.
Keep an eye on things after you launch
Just because your site or app is live doesn’t mean you’re done. You should be:
- Running regular checks
- Listening to user feedback
- Continuously improving things
It’s like maintaining a car,you don’t just buy it and never change the oil, right?
Why should you actually care about this?
1. It’s the right thing to do
This might sound obvious, but it’s worth saying: everyone should be able to use the digital stuff we create.
We’re talking about people with visual impairments, mobility issues, cognitive differences, hearing problems, neurological conditions, real people who just want to book a flight or order pizza online like everyone else.
2. It makes everything better
Here’s something cool I’ve noticed,when you design for accessibility, you usually end up with something that’s easier for everyone to use.
It’s clearer, more intuitive, and just works better. It’s like how curb cuts were designed for wheelchairs but ended up helping people with strollers, luggage, bikes, everyone benefits.
3. There’s money in it
Okay, let’s talk business for a second:
- 2.3 billion peopleworldwide benefit from accessible design
- They control nearly$7 trillionin spending power
That’s not pocket change. If your competitors are ignoring this market and you’re not, guess who’s going to come out ahead?
4. Google likes it too
Accessible websites tend to rank better in search results because they’re usually better structured and more user-friendly. So you’re basically getting SEO benefits as a bonus.
5. It’s good for your reputation
When you prioritize accessibility, you’re showing that you actually give a damn about people. That builds trust and makes your brand look good.
In a world where everyone’s talking about corporate responsibility, this is how you actually walk the walk.
Oh, and it’s becoming the law
In Europe, theEuropean Accessibility Act is making this stuff mandatory. Portugal implemented it through Decree Law No. 82/2022.
Key date: By June 28, 2025, all private sector digital services need to comply.
So even if you don’t care about the other reasons (though I hope you do), you might not have a choice soon.
What’s actually covered?
The scope is pretty broad, we’re not just talking about websites here. The law covers a ton of digital stuff:
- Consumer tech – Your phones, tablets, computers, e-readers
- Self-service machines – ATMs, ticket machines, those kiosks at airports
- Streaming and TV – Digital TV services, Netflix-style platforms
- Internet infrastructure – Routers, modems, anything you use to get online
- Communication services – Mobile networks, internet providers, messaging platforms
- Apps and software – Mobile apps, set-top boxes for your TV
- Financial services – Online banking, digital payments, even the ATM interface
- Online shopping – eCommerce sites and platforms
- Emergency services – The systems for calling 112 (Europe’s 911)
Basically, if it’s digital and people interact with it, there’s a good chance it needs to be accessible. This isn’t just about your company website anymore.
The technical foundation
All of this stuff is built on something called WCAG 2.1 – the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
Don’t let the technical name scare you. It’s basically organized aroundfour simple ideas:
🔍 Perceivable – People need to be able to perceive your content somehow. If you have an image, provide alt text. If you have a video, add captions.
⚡ Operable– People need to be able to actually use your interface. This means keyboard navigation, reasonable time limits, and not triggering seizures with flashing content.
💡 Understandable – Your content should make sense and be predictable. Don’t randomly change how things work between pages.
🔧 Robust – Your stuff should work with different assistive technologies, not just the latest version of Chrome.
It’s really about designing for everyone
At the end of the day, accessibility is just good design.
It’s about creating things that work for the widest possible range of people from the get-go. Think about ramps, they’re not just for wheelchairs. Parents with strollers use them, delivery people with carts use them, people with suitcases use them.
When you design for accessibility, you’re designing for everyone.
The principles that actually matter
Good accessible design isn’t rocket science, it comes down to some pretty straightforward principles:
- Equitable use– Make it work for as many people as possible, not just the “typical” user
- Flexibility– Give people different ways to interact with your stuff (keyboard, mouse, voice, touch)
- Keep it simple– If your interface needs a manual, you’re probably doing it wrong
- Make information clear– Use good contrast, readable fonts, and don’t rely on color alone to convey meaning
- Be forgiving– Help people avoid mistakes, and when they do mess up, make it easy to fix
And here’s the thing, you don’t have to sacrifice good looks or blow your budget to follow these principles. The best accessible designs are often the most elegant ones. It’s about being thoughtful, not throwing money at the problem.
The bottom line
Accessibility isn’t some nice-to-have feature you bolt on at the end. It’s fundamental to creating digital experiences that don’t suck.
✅ It’s better for people
✅ It’s better for business
✅ It’s just the decent thing to do
Coming up next: I’ll get into the nitty-gritty of how to actually build this into your team’s workflow, the tools, the processes, the real-world examples. Because knowing why is great, but knowing how is what actually gets things done.
Got thoughts on this? I’d love to hear them. Have you run into accessibility barriers that frustrated you? Or maybe you’ve seen examples of places that got it really right? Let’s talk about it.
