Accessible design benefits far more people than most teams assume — not just visitors using screen readers, but anyone with low vision, motor impairments, temporary limitations, or simply a cracked phone screen in bright sunlight.
Where to start
- Maintain sufficient color contrast between text and background
- Never rely on color alone to convey meaning (e.g. error states)
- Write descriptive alt text for meaningful images
- Ensure every interactive element is reachable and usable by keyboard
- Use real headings and semantic HTML instead of styled divs
A useful reframe
Instead of thinking of accessibility as extra work bolted onto a finished design, treat it as a constraint you design within from the start — much like performance or responsiveness. The result is usually a clearer, more usable site for every visitor, not just those with disabilities.