Creating accessible services, products and experiences should never be a checkbox exercise. It's a continuous, consistent process.
Unfortunately, too often, accessibility is a one-time thing bolted onto the end of a project or shoehorned into a design phase to pass an assessment.
And the importance of accessible design can be difficult to fully understand if you’ve never personally faced exclusion because of inaccessible design.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide a great framework to get started – but does passing an assessment mean that your website content is fully accessible to everyone, in every scenario, forever?
It’s very unlikely. Especially since accessibility requirements can be temporary, different for every user, and complex.
There are so many different situations and requirements to consider when it comes to accessibility.
To truly create something that is accessible, you need to commit to inclusivity in every design decision.
Staying accessible when things are changing
Users are always developing and changing because they’re human.
In general, people are becoming more aware of their needs and what’s stopping them from fulfilling them. And they’re less likely to compromise their needs for bad experiences, even if they really want what you’re peddling. Reportedly, 88% of users won’t return to a website after a bad experience.
In digital spaces where information and experiences are constantly being improved and updated what is accessible right now might not be next week.
Which is why accessibility goes beyond adhering to a set of guidelines. It's about understanding the diverse needs of real people who use your specific product or service.
For example, the rise in voice controlled devices means that designers must also now design accessible experiences for users relying on voice commands.
Accessibility adds value
In my experience, making something accessible doesn’t then make it inaccessible for everyone else. Usually, it’s a hidden or unnoticeable addition that adds so much value to those that need it and has very little impact on those that don’t.
Take image alt text, for example. If it’s included on a social media post or in a blog post and you need it, great! Now you actually know what the image is about and you’re not missing out on any important context. And if you don’t need it, no problem – you can skim over it, or may not even notice it’s there.
Another example is using colours that are also visible in dark mode. Don’t use dark mode? Cool, you’ll never know that this colour was selected to improve the experiences of people that do. But if you do use dark mode, fantastic – you can actually see the text on that button now.
It would be daft not to consider how to meet the needs of people who are usually left behind in digital spaces because you’re too focused on creating an experience for everyone else.
Most users won’t even notice that their experience is accessible until they need to use accessibility features. And then if it isn’t, it instantly becomes a bad experience for them.
Consistently accessible design
Building accessibility into design requires consistency. It's not enough to make a website, app or service accessible just before it launches and then never revisit it.
This is especially true when it comes to iterative design.
Changes or additions made over time can unintentionally introduce barriers for users. So, if you’re not thinking about inclusivity when you make the changes and don’t retest the accessibility of your designs, you could be excluding people.
This means considering accessibility at every stage of the design process, from wireframing to prototyping and final designs.
It should be included in your design patterns, components, templates, and content governance procedures.
Taking accessibility beyond compliance
Meeting accessibility standards is the bare minimum you need to do.
True inclusivity makes designers go beyond compliance by understanding the different needs of their users and addressing them in their designs. This requires designers to be empathetic and open to the experiences of others.
Accessibility isn’t a universal concept. It varies from person to person, and everyone has different challenges and needs. That’s why user testing should be conducted with people of varying abilities and needs to make sure that designs are based on real, current experiences.
This approach provides genuine insights, instead of making changes based on a one-size-fits-all-approach in order to pass an assessment.
Continuous accessible design
Accessible design is never finished, just like user-centred design.
It’s important to establish a constant feedback loop of user insights and design iterations to meet changing user needs and remain compliant with guidelines.
Sure, regular audits and assessments can help identify accessibility issues or where you can make improvements.
But the best way to keep your website, service or product accessible is to consistently listen to your users – even after your design is live. And continue to involve users with accessibility requirements in your feedback loop.
With this approach user centred designers can help to create inclusive digital spaces that continue to be enjoyable and functional for all users.
