Empower All Users, Part One: Beyond Accessibility

Accessible design considers the needs of people with disabilities. Inclusive design considers a diverse human population.

Accessibility. It is one of the most popular buzzwords in recent technological history. There are a multitude of benefits to building an accessible product: they drive innovative solutions, extend market reach, enhance brand recognition, increase customer loyalty, and minimize the risk of costly legal entrenchments.

Sadly, many companies only hear the ‘minimize risk’ part of that statement. Even the mere mention of accessibility can make product owners shudder. The legal repercussions of not developing an accessible product are making substantial waves in the digital space, with major companies like Hulu and Dominos under (expensive) fire for failing to comply with web accessibility requirements. It’s cases like these that have helped push accessibility into the spotlight of design conversations.

It’s a shame, really. Not that accessibility is getting its due time. Rather how (and why) companies are approaching the discussion. For many, accessibility is merely an afterthought: a means by which to tick some ‘let’s-not-get-sued’ boxes. An unfortunate result of this is that many product teams are unwilling to put…