One of the most fundamental parts of good design is accessibility. In 2025, the technological advancements of web development and mobile app development will have reached new heights, so accessibility does not remain a mere feature; it has become a part of the basic process for designers to include it in interfaces. Many teams, however, still find it to be an afterthought. You could be unsure about where to begin or concerned about delivery delays. The reality is that inaccessible design often accidentally excludes actual people.

The World Health Organization estimates that more than 1.3 billion people—one in six users—live with some kind of handicap. Your product does not benefit everyone if it ignores them.

Accessibility extends beyond merely adhering to legal requirements or marking a box. It’s about empathy, usability, and building experiences that everyone can use, regardless of ability. And when done right, accessible design benefits far more people than you think.

What's the good news? Making a difference doesn't need knowledge of WCAG or assistive technology. This book will teach you what accessibility truly is, why it matters, and how to begin creating inclusive user experiences using sensible, daily design choices.

What Is Accessibility in UX Design?

Designing digital experiences that are accessible to all users, no matter their ability or preferred method of interacting with technology, is accessibility in UX design.

It's not only about passing an audit or including alt text. Not just passing an audit or including alt text is accessible design important; rather, it means making sure that your app or website can accommodate users with various needs--from those using screen readers and keyboard navigation systems to those seeking greater contrast levels on a page.

Accessible design prioritizes eliminating barriers. It takes into account vision, hearing, motor, and cognitive differences as well as environmental considerations, such as noisy rooms or poor lighting conditions, when designing an accessible environment. Can this person complete their task comfortably and confidently?

Here’s what accessible UX looks like in practice:

1. Clear visual hierarchy and readable text
2. Keyboard-friendly navigation
3. Descriptive alt text and ARIA labels
4. Sufficient colour contrast and legible spacing

At its core, accessible user experience design is inclusive product design. It recognizes that disabilities aren’t edge cases —they’re part of the human experience. And by designing with this mindset, you improve usability for everyone, not just a few.

Why Inclusive Design Matters for Everyone

Inclusive design helps all people, not only those with permanent impairments.

Designing for edge cases frequently turns out to enhance the experience for all consumers. Closed subtitles assist those with hearing impairment, but they also help everyone viewing a video in a noisy coffee shop. Though they also assist users in bright outdoor light, high-contrast settings are essential for those with low eyesight.

Actually, we all have restrictions—permanent, temporary, or situational. Inclusive design addresses such limitations and starts with flexibility in the user experience.

Here’s why it matters:

1. It improves usability for all users, not just a few.
2. It helps your product reach a broader audience.
3. It reduces friction, frustration, and abandonment.
4. It shows your brand values empathy and responsibility.

Ultimately, accessible UX leads to better products. More usable. More human. More human. More successful.

And to make it more successful and more accessible, partnering with an experienced UI/UX design company can benefit you in the long term and can make your systems more intuitive, accessible, and user-friendly.

Design Considerations for Different Disabilities

There is no universal solution for accessibility. Different users face different challenges, and your design choices can either remove or reinforce those barriers.

Understanding how individuals perceive the world in many different ways will help you to design inclusive solutions that enhance usability for all. Based on typical handicap categories, here is how to handle accessibility:

1. Visual Impairments

This includes blindness, low vision, and color blindness.

1. Use a clear visual hierarchy and sufficient colour contrast.
2. Never rely on colour alone to convey meaning.
3. Provide alt text for all meaningful images and icons.
4. Support screen readers with proper semantic HTML and ARIA roles

2. Hearing Impairments

Includes partial or full hearing loss.

1. Provide captions or transcripts for videos and audio content.
2. Avoid using audio cues as the only way to convey information.
3. Ensure video players allow for volume and subtitle control.

3. Motor Disabilities

Includes conditions that affect movement, strength, or coordination.

1. Make all actions accessible via keyboard.
2. Avoid small or tightly packed interactive elements.
3. Provide sufficient time to complete tasks.
4. Minimise the need for complex gestures or mouse precision.

4. Cognitive and Neurodiverse Conditions

The list includes dyslexia, ADHD, autism, and memory-related challenges.

1. Use clear, concise language.
2. Keep layouts simple and consistent.
3. Avoid clutter, distractions, or unexpected interactions.
4. Use meaningful headings and predictable navigation.

Designing for accessibility means recognizing that no two users are the sme, and building experiences that are flexible, forgiving, and user-friendly for all.

Tools and Techniques for Testing Accessibility

Designing with accessibility in mind is a wonderful start, but without testing, you won’t know where the barriers really are. The good news? You don’t need to be an accessibility expert to start spotting (and fixing) common issues.

According to WebAIM’s 2024 report, 96.3% of homepages still have detectable WCAG failures — most of them preventable with basic testing tools.

Here are the best tools and techniques for conducting an accessibility audit and improving your product’s inclusive design:

Browser Extensions & Quick Audits

1. axe DevTools (Chrome/Firefox): Scans pages and highlights violations
2. WAVE: Visualises accessibility issues like contrast, structure, and alt text
3. Lighthouse: Built into Chrome DevTools, includes a basic accessibility score

Screen Reader Testing

1. Test with real screen readers:
2. NVDA (Windows)
3. VoiceOver (Mac/iOS)
4. TalkBack (Android)
5. Check that content flows logically and labels are announced correctly.

Colour & Contrast Checkers

1. WebAIM Contrast Checker: Ensures text meets WCAG contrast ratios
2. Color Oracle: Simulates colour blindness across types
3. Avoid relying on colour alone for key actions or alerts.

Keyboard Navigation Testing

1. Use only the Tab, Enter, and Arrow keys.
2. Ensure you can navigate all interactive elements without a mouse.
3. Highlight the focus state clearly on all buttons and links.

Automated CI Testing Tools

1. Pa11y, axe-core, or Lighthouse CI: Integrate into your development pipeline for continuous testing
2. Catch regressions early before they hit production.

Manual checks, real-user testing, and automated tools all work best when used together. The goal isn’t perfection — it’s progress. And every issue you fix brings your product one step closer to being truly inclusive.

Common Accessibility Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

Even with the best intentions, teams frequently overlook basic accessibility needs, often without realizing it. The truth is, accessibility mistakes aren’t usually complex — simple things missed during design sprints or development handoffs.

According to Deque’s 2023 accessibility audit data, over 70% of websites tested had five or fewer core issues, most related to missing labels, contrast, or poor navigation structure.

Here are some of the most common accessibility mistakes in user interfaces — and how to effectively address them:

1. Missing or Misused Alt Text

1. Issue: Images without alt text or with vague labels like "image.jpg".
2. Fix: Use descriptive alt text for all informative visuals. For decorative images, use empty alt (alt="") so screen readers can skip them.

2. Low Colour Contrast

1. Issue: Text that blends into the background or is unreadable in bright settings.
2. Fix: Check contrast ratios using the WebAIM Contrast Checker. Aim for a minimum of 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text.

3. No Keyboard Navigation

1. Issue: Interactive elements that can’t be accessed without a mouse.
2. Fix: Ensure every button, menu, modal, and form field can be accessed via Tab, Enter, and Arrow keys. Make sure focus states are visible.

4. Inaccessible Forms

1. Issue: Placeholder text used as a label, unclear instructions, or no error messages
2. Fix: Always pair inputs with label elements. Use aria-describedby for hints or validation messages, and make errors clear and accessible.

5. Broken Heading Structure

1. Issue: Headings skip levels or are used inconsistently for styling only
2. Fix: Use headings logically (e.g., H1 > H2 > H3) to guide screen readers and human users alike through the content hierarchy.

Resolving these issues doesn't just improve your compliance score — it improves usability for everyone. And the sooner you catch them, the easier they are to fix. Don’t wait for an audit to address these avoidable barriers. Hire a dedicated UI/UX resource and be free from all audit issues.

Getting Started – Small Steps Toward Inclusive Design

One of the biggest reasons teams avoid tackling accessibility is simple: it feels overwhelming. The fear of "getting it wrong" can stop you from starting, as the tools are technical and the guidelines are long.

But here’s the truth: you don’t need to do everything all at once. Progress in accessibility happens through small, intentional decisions, and every improvement you make helps someone use your product more effectively.

Here are five realistic, beginner-friendly ways to get started:

1. Review colour contrast in your design system

Start by checking your brand colors and primary text against contrast requirements. A few tweaks here can instantly improve readability for thousands of users.

2. Add alt text to every new image

Make writing meaningful alt text part of your content and design process, not something tacked on later.

3. Test one flow using only your keyboard

Can you complete a core user task (e.g., sign up, checkout, submit a form) without using a mouse? If not, note where users might get stuck.

4. Run a quick accessibility audit using Axe or Lighthouse

These browser tools take less than 2 minutes to flag common issues like missing labels or low contrast.

5. Pick one accessibility principle to focus on each sprint

You don’t need to fix everything now. Commit to improving one area at a time—in a few weeks, the impact adds up fast.

The most inclusive teams aren’t perfect. They’re just the ones who start — and keep going. Partnering with a UI/UX company can help you make designs that are accessible to everyone.

Conclusion: Design That Works for Everyone

Accessibility isn’t a one-off task — it’s an approach to design that puts people first. It’s about building products that respect diverse needs and create a truly inclusive user experience.

Investing in accessible design leads to better products for everyone. These minor adjustments significantly impact equity, usability, and compliance. These changes, for instance, include raising the contrast between hues, allowing keyboard navigation, and adding useful alt text.

If you are unclear on how to begin, think about collaborating with a user interface and user experience design company focusing on accessibility in user experience. Having the right direction and tools for every user, anywhere, can help you create experiences that are more successful, more ethical, and more usable.