This is the foundation. Using the right HTML elements for the right job. It sounds simple, but it’s where so many projects go off the rails. A <button> is for actions. A <div> is a generic container. When you use a <div> styled to look like a button, you create a confusing, inaccessible experience for someone using a screen reader. They won’t know it’s clickable.
Semantic HTML (<header>, <nav>, <main>, <button>) provides built-in meaning and structure. It’s like giving a screen reader a detailed map of your application, making navigation intuitive instead of a guessing game.
2. Keyboard Navigation is Non-Negotiable
Not everyone uses a mouse. Some rely on keyboards, switch devices, or voice commands that emulate keyboard input. Your entire application must be fully operable with a Tab key. This means:
- A logical, predictable tab order.
- Clear visual focus indicators (that outline you sometimes remove for “clean design”? Yeah, put it back, or design a better one!).
- No “keyboard traps” where a user can Tab into a modal but can’t Tab out.
Try navigating your own site with just the Tab key. It’s a humbling and incredibly revealing experience.
3. Color is Not a Crutch
Relying solely on color to convey information is a classic pitfall. “Click the red button.” “The items in green are correct.” For the estimated 300 million people in the world with color vision deficiency, this information is lost. Always pair color with another visual cue—like text labels, icons, or patterns.
Contrast is another huge piece of this. Low-contrast text (light gray on white) might look sleek, but it’s a strain for almost everyone, especially in bright sunlight or on older screens. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide clear ratios to aim for.
4. Write Descriptive Text for Everything
Images, form fields, buttons, links—they all need context. A “Learn More” link tells a screen reader user nothing about where that link goes. “Learn more about our accessibility-first design services” is infinitely better.
For images, alt text should describe the function or content of the image. If it’s a decorative image, it should be marked as such so screen readers can skip it. This isn’t just good for accessibility; it’s a fundamental SEO best practice for image search.
Putting It Into Practice: A Simple Table Example
Let’s get practical. Here’s a common component: a data table. The accessibility-first way to build it involves more than just visual styling.
| Feature | Non-Accessible Approach | Accessibility-First Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Uses <div>s to mimic a table. | Uses native <table>, <th> (table header), and <caption> elements. |
| Headers | Visual bold text. | <th scope="col"> or <th scope="row"> to programmatically associate headers with cells. |
| Description | None. | A <caption> tag that briefly summarizes the table’s purpose for screen readers. |
That small bit of extra markup makes the difference between a jumble of numbers and a comprehensible data set for someone using assistive technology.
The Human and Business Impact of Getting It Right
This work matters. It’s the difference between someone being able to manage their healthcare online independently or having to call for help. It’s the difference between a student being able to complete their coursework or falling behind. It’s about dignity and independence.
From a pure business perspective, ignoring accessibility is like opening a brick-and-mortar store with a staircase but no ramp. You’re deliberately turning away customers. A lot of them. The global market of people with disabilities is over 1 billion strong, with a disposable income of more than $6 trillion. That’s not a niche. That’s a massive economic force.
And the benefits ripple out. The clean, semantic code you write for accessibility is more maintainable and less brittle. The clear layouts you design for low-vision users reduce cognitive load for all users, leading to higher conversion rates. It’s a virtuous cycle.
Shifting the Culture
Adopting an accessibility-first mindset isn’t just a technical shift; it’s a cultural one. It means including people with disabilities in your user research from the start. It means training your entire team—designers, developers, product managers, and content writers—on the “why” and the “how.” It means using automated testing tools as a safety net, not as the primary gatekeeper, because honestly, many accessibility issues require a human eye to catch.
Start small. Pick one principle, like semantic HTML or keyboard navigation, and make it a non-negotiable standard in your next sprint. Build from there.
In the end, accessibility-first design isn’t about checking boxes for compliance. It’s about a deeper, more empathetic understanding of the human experience. It’s about recognizing the vast, beautiful spectrum of how people interact with the world—and choosing to build a digital world that welcomes them all in. Because an open web, truly, is a web without barriers.