Designing for Accessibility: A Practical Guide That Won't Bore You
Accessibility isn't compliance — it's better design for everyone. Here are the principles and patterns we use on every project.
One in four adults has a disability. If your site isn't accessible, you're turning away a quarter of your potential customers — and risking lawsuits. Beyond compliance, accessibility makes sites better for everyone.
Start with color contrast
WCAG AA requires a 4.5:1 contrast ratio for normal text. This is the single most common failure. Test every color combination — not just body text, but placeholders, icons, and borders.
Don't rely on color alone
Colorblind users can't see red error states. Always pair color with text, icons, or patterns.
Build keyboard-first
Every interactive element must work with a keyboard. Test by tabbing through your site without a mouse. If you can't reach something, it's broken.
Write descriptive alt text
"Image of a chart" is useless. "Q3 revenue grew 23% quarter-over-quarter, reaching $4.2M" is useful. Describe the meaning, not the pixels.
Respect motion preferences
Some users get dizzy from animations. Honor the prefers-reduced-motion media query — we build this into every site by default.
Accessibility isn't a separate phase. It's how good teams work all the time.
Enjoyed this? Get more in your inbox.
One practical article every two weeks. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.