Don’t you forget about accessible design

Let’s put people first. Remember: good design is accessible design.

In 1985, Scottish rockers Simple Minds released their new wave classic “Don’t You Forget About Me”. You can still hear the chorus ring out in shops, pubs and even your Uber all thanks to The Breakfast Club.

“Don’t you, forget about me

Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t

Don’t you, forget about me“

Thankfully we’ve forgotten a lot of the 80’s. Humanity has taken huge strides in technology since then, but yet with all of our advancement, we’re still forgetting about people. As the masses have turned to their screens, those that create for the web and digital platforms can’t forget about users with disabilities.

Setting aside the lyricists romantic frustrations for a minute, the chorus got me thinking about the people that use our designs, and then people that cannot. The internet is free for all with a connection and a device to use, but yet those that create for web often forget that accessibility is more than just being able to load a website, it’s ensuring all users the can engage with the content.

“Don’t You Forget About Me” is a fitting mantra and reminder to not forget about users with disabilities or impairments. An inaccessible design isn’t just frustrating; it’s exclusionary, preventing some users from fully engaging with our products and content that we spend so much time creating.

As designers, we pour our hearts into crafting beautiful user experiences. We obsess over styles, interactions, and micro-animations. But amidst all the visual wizardry and nerdery, there’s one critical element that can’t be an afterthought: people using your design.

According to a recent study from WebAIM, over 96% of the world’s top 1 million websites do not meet modern accessibility standards. 96%! Imagine for a moment being unable to read the text on your favourite app because of insufficient colour contrast. Or struggling to navigate a website via keyboard because links and buttons lack proper focus states. For users with disabilities, these barriers are far too common – and they exemplify why accessibility can’t be an afterthought.

So let’s talk about making accessibility a core design principle from day one. Here are three key trends and standards to keep in mind:

1. Contrast is King
   Current accessibility guidelines emphasise sufficient colour contrast between text and backgrounds for readability. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) set specific contrast ratios to meet AA and AAA conformance levels. Use tooling like WebAIM’s contrast checker to evaluate your colour palettes during the design phase.
2. Keyboard Navigation
   Many users with motor disabilities rely on keyboard navigation rather than mouse/touch input. Ensure all functionality – buttons, links, form controls – are accessible via keyboard with proper focus management. Also implement skip links for efficient keyboard-only navigation past repetitive sections.
3. Alt-Text for Images
   Alternative text descriptions allow screen readers to convey meaning for visual elements like images, icons, and data visualisations. Go beyond the bare minimum of alt=”logo” and provide descriptive alt-text that captures the essence and purpose of each image.

Now to put this into practice, here’s three starters to make your design process more inclusive:

1. Get Familiar with WCAG
   Read up on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and use them as your north star for accessible UX/UI. They cover a wide range of issues and offer conformance criteria to gauge your level of accessibility support.
2. Test With Screen Readers
   Experience firsthand how blind/low-vision users interact with your interfaces by testing with screen reading tools like NVDA for Windows or VoiceOver for Mac. Identify areas where insufficient information or unclear semantics hinder comprehension.
3. Conduct Accessibility Audits
   Incorporate both manual and automated accessibility testing into your design and development workflow. Use tools like axe DevTools to identify and fix accessibility issues before launch. Better yet, involve users with disabilities in usability testing cycles.

Accessible design is more than just checking boxes – it’s about empathy, inclusion, and ensuring no users are left behind or unable to engage with the products we create. Time and again, diversity and representation have fuelled innovation across industries. Inclusive design opens our work to a broader audience while fostering a deeper understanding of users’ real needs.

Let me sing that chorus for you, or at least imagine it:

Don’t you, forget about me Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t Don’t you, forget about me

Put people first. Make it a core creative principle. Remember: good design is accessible design.