DIGITAL INSIGHTS
Cultivating Habits for Creating Accessible Digital Experiences
Web accessibility ensures that digital content is usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. It’s not just about compliance—it’s about creating a more inclusive web for all. The process might seem daunting at first, but like building habits, accessibility is a journey best approached step by step.
TL;DR
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) outline three levels of compliance to guide this journey:
For most projects, level AA should be the minimum target to ensure an inclusive experience for a wide audience. By embedding accessibility into your daily practices — much like cultivating habits — you can build systems that ensure inclusive digital experiences are created and maintained effortlessly over time.
A
Level A
Essential support - Basic accessibility requirements
AA
Level AA
Ideal support - Comprehensive accessibility features
AAA
Level AAA
Specialized support - Most comprehensive guidelines
Key Accessibility Focus Areas
Just as habits are formed through small, consistent actions, accessibility is best achieved by breaking it into manageable focus areas. By tackling these areas one at a time, you’ll build a solid foundation for inclusivity.
1
Visual Design
Creating an Inclusive Visual Foundation
At the heart of accessibility lies visual design, where aesthetics meet usability. Thoughtful design ensures that content is perceivable and understandable for all users, including those with low vision, color blindness, or cognitive challenges.
- Ensure sufficient color contrast
- Use legible typography
- Design for keyboard navigation
- Create clear, consistent visual hierarchies
Why It Matters
Small improvements to visual design can dramatically enhance usability for users with low vision, color blindness, or cognitive challenges.
2
Frontend Development
Building Accessible Digital Experiences
Frontend development transforms design into functional, interactive experiences. This stage is crucial for translating visual accessibility principles into technical implementation, ensuring that users with diverse abilities can fully interact with digital products.
- Implement semantic HTML
- Use meaningful alternative text
- Ensure keyboard and screen reader compatibility
- Optimize multimedia experiences
Why It Matters
Making accessibility part of your coding routine turns small actions (like labeling buttons or testing forms) into powerful tools for creating user-friendly experiences.
3
Quality Assurance
Validating Accessibility Across Platforms
Quality assurance is the final checkpoint in creating truly accessible digital products. This comprehensive testing phase rigorously validates that accessibility features work seamlessly across different devices, technologies, and user scenarios.
- Conduct thorough manual and automated testing
- Test across different devices and screen readers
- Verify form and navigation accessibility
- Document and report accessibility findings
Why It Matters
Regular testing ensures accessibility remains a priority, much like tracking a habit keeps you accountable and focused.
Recommended Testing Approach
Achieving perfect accessibility can be challenging. Making it part of your team’s processes is not achievable overnight. Start small with manageable tools and gradually expand your testing arsenal Next, you can find the essential approach to testing accessibility:
Automated Tools
- Lighthouse
- Axe DevTools
- Accessibility Insights
Manual Testing
- Use keyboard-only navigation to test the flow of your site.
- Verify screen reader compatibility and listen for proper content structure.
- Check color contrast with tools like WebAIM’s Contrast Checker.
- Test responsive design to ensure your site works well on all screen sizes.
Practical Tips
Like forming good habits, small, consistent actions lead to lasting results. Here are some practical strategies to embed accessibility into your team’s workflow:
Start with a “1% Improvement” mentality:
Tackle one accessibility issue per sprint or per feature.Never use color as the only means of conveying information.
Provide clear, descriptive link texts e.g. replace vague “Click here” links with descriptive labels like “Navigate to the accessibility guide.”
Ensure touch targets are adequately sized which is crucial for the people using mobile devices.
Test Early, Test Often:
Make accessibility testing a routine part of your development process.Recognize small milestones — like fixing a color contrast issue or creating an accessible form — within your team to build momentum.
Accessibility Is a Journey
Accessibility is not a one-time task but an ongoing commitment to inclusive design. Regular reviews, user feedback, and staying updated with WCAG guidelines are crucial.
Ready to put these concepts into practice? We’ve created a detailed Accessibility Checklist to help you evaluate design, code, and testing phases efficiently.
Accessibility is about ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, can use and enjoy your digital products. By focusing on visual design, frontend development, and quality assurance — and following practical, ongoing strategies — you can build truly inclusive experiences.
Start your accessibility journey today with the Comprehensive Accessibility Checklist and make your products welcoming to all users.
Let's talk
Download now the Accessibility Checklist or or make an appointment for digital accessibility.
Sebastian Flock
Strategist at acb.studio
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