Design for everyone by following WCAG standards and ensuring features like high contrast and keyboard navigation. Talk to real users with diverse abilities, understand their needs, and test early with accessibility tools. Make inclusivity a mindset, not an afterthought.

By integrating universal design principles from the outset, such as adaptable interfaces and intuitive navigation, we ensure that the product is accessible to all. Engaging with diverse user groups during testing provides insights that no guideline or checklist can fully replicate. While compliance with standards like WCAG is essential, I believe true accessibility comes from understanding and empathizing with the varied ways people interact with technology.

The key is shifting from "designing for accessibility" to "accessible by design" In practice, this means: * Including accessibility experts in strategy sessions, not just implementation * Starting with inclusive user stories * Building accessibility into your principles, not just a checklist item • Making diverse user testing non-negotiable, testing with diverse users throughout instead of just at the end • Making accessibility metrics part of your definition of success

Accessibility is an investment that’s going to always pay off because it exposes your product experience to everyone and anyone on the internet as long as they have need for it. From one of the talks at config24 “95% of home pages have accessibility errors and 41% of the internet is inhospitable wasteland for disabled people. In every product touch points in a product experience you design keep in mind: Sighted users must be able to read it Visually impaired users must be able to hear it using screen readers etc Motor impaired users must be able to easily set focus on the touch points with larger hit areas Everyone should be able to easily understand the product’s experience Accessibility is just user experience on a broader scale

Ensuring Accessibility in New Product Design - Incorporate universal design principles: Include adaptable features like scalable fonts and high-contrast colors. - Engage with diverse user testing: Involve users with disabilities to gain insights and identify barriers. - Stay updated on accessibility standards: Adhere to guidelines like WCAG to maintain compliance and inclusivity. How do you integrate accessibility into your design process?

Design for Everyone: Consider diverse abilities, devices, and environments from the beginning. Follow Guidelines: Stick to accessibility standards like WCAG for structure and clarity. Use Accessible Tools: Choose tools that support contrast checks, alt text, and keyboard navigation. Test Early: Include users with disabilities in early testing for valuable insights. Collaborate with Experts: Work with accessibility specialists to refine your approach.

1. Make accessibility your BUSINESS. Get a buy-in from all stakeholders right at the requirements/envisionment stage. Everyone needs to be clear that the ‘WHY’ is not that it’s some sort of a good thing to do. The rationale can be established in very objective - financial, marketing, and legal terms. 2. Start with EMPATHY Ensure that the user personas have adequate representation from varying level of abilities. This should evolve through the design process via journey mapping, problem statements and how might we’s. 3. Make it FEASIBLE, and it always is Enable all teams, i.e. content, design, dev, and testing. Hold workshops, create guidelines, or add acceptability criteria - depending on the accessibility maturity of the team.

Ensuring accessibility in design isn’t just about compliance—it’s about inclusion and foresight: 1. Accessible-first wireframes: Start with skeletal layouts optimized for screen readers and keyboard navigation before adding visual layers. This ensures structure, not aesthetics, dictates usability. 2. Contrast and cognition audits: Use tools like Color Contrast Analyzers early to prevent design debt from inaccessible palettes. 3. Edge-case personas: Include disability-first personas to stress-test usability beyond average user scenarios. At Stikkman UX, we prototyped an e-commerce flow, embedding alt-text strategies from the wireframing stage. This reduced retrofitting costs by 40% while elevating accessibility ratings

Conduct user research, including individuals with diverse abilities, to identify their needs. Use inclusive design principles, ensuring clear visuals, intuitive navigation, and adaptable features. Employ accessibility tools to test designs and gather feedback throughout development. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to prioritize accessibility, ensuring the product is usable, equitable, and beneficial for all users.

Starting a new product design project with accessibility in mind is essential for inclusivity. Here's how to prioritize it: - Incorporate universal design principles: Include features like adjustable font sizes and color contrasts for broader usability. - Engage with diverse user testing: Include users with disabilities in your testing to gather valuable insights. - Stay updated on accessibility standards: Follow guidelines like WCAG to ensure your design is compliant. What strategies do you use to ensure accessibility in your designs? Share your thoughts.