The Importance of Accessible Design Systems
Summary
Key Insights
-
•
Disabilities include temporary and situational conditions, not only permanent impairments.
-
•
Accessible design systems combine code with standards, documentation, and training to ensure consistent implementation.
-
•
Color contrast must meet at least a 4.5:1 ratio for readability; misuse of red and green impacts colorblind users significantly.
-
•
Screen readers require meaningful, context-sensitive alt text or null alt when images are purely decorative to speed navigation.
-
•
ARIA attributes allow accessibility improvements without changing visual design, debunking the myth that accessible equals ugly or dumbed down.
-
•
Open source design systems encourage multi-company collaboration and legal sharing to improve accessibility across industries.
-
•
User research with people with disabilities differs fundamentally from general user research and is critical to accessible design.
-
•
Accessibility lawsuits in the US are growing rapidly, with some companies facing multiple suits due to backsliding on compliance.
-
•
Disability is often excluded from corporate diversity, inclusion, and equity programs, hindering accessibility progress.
-
•
Future accessibility advances rely on unbiased AI and personalized interfaces that remember user accessibility preferences, creating curb-cut-like benefits for all.
Notable Quotes
"Product owners want everybody to be able to use their software, but if it isn't accessible, you're effectively discriminating against disabled users."
"Situational disabilities like glare or temporary injuries affect a large portion of your audience and need to be considered in design."
"You want to code once and reuse components consistently for better UX; inconsistent skip-to-content links are a classic accessibility failure."
"Auto captions on YouTube struggle with accents and technical terms, so manual or human-reviewed captioning is essential for accuracy."
"Icons are not just decoration, they convey information and must meet WCAG color and size guidelines to be usable."
"Accessibility isn't about dumbing down interfaces; except for color, most guidelines do not require changing the look or behavior of components."
"Open source lets companies like Dell, IBM, and the UK government collaborate legally and share accessibility improvements."
"94% of companies exclude disability from their diversity and inclusion initiatives, a major missed opportunity to advance accessibility."
"Employees are now suing employers for inaccessible tools, with million-dollar verdicts even in conservative courts."
"Personalization of accessibility settings will be the next big shift, letting users avoid repeated microaggressions like repeatedly enabling captions."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Change is a constant in design, but at USAA it often felt like change within change — inception-like change."
Erin HauberDesign is Not the Frosting on the Scaled Agile Layer Cake
October 24, 2019
"The more senior you become, the more focus shifts from methodology to interpersonal qualities like empathy and bravery."
Megan KiersteadYou Are a Badass at UX: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
March 10, 2021
"We had to show rather than say why design operations roles existed."
Maggie DieringerCreating Consistency Through Constant Change
January 8, 2024
"Lift and shift equals timidity—it’s sticking to what you know rather than delivering real value."
Meaghan Waters Fotina KoutropoulousLack of Product Thinking will Doom Your Legacy Modernization
June 9, 2021
"User researchers still feel like they’re in a precarious position and want to be part of the pack but they’re just not there yet."
Jemma AhmedBringing together market and user research
October 17, 2019
"Start small by delivering the minimum amount of useful information, like a UX glossary or a single community of practice."
Maria TaylorKnowledge is Power: Managing the Lifeblood of the Design Org
October 3, 2023
"If you falsely think you are having the same experience as a native user, you become afraid of accessibility and say it's impossible."
Sam ProulxUnderstanding Screen Readers on Mobile: How And Why to Learn from Native Users
June 6, 2023
"Project leadership can be at any level; the right discipline leads, not necessarily the most senior person."
Catherine BlizzardUsing Integrated Insight to Drive Growth
March 10, 2022
"Flat Carol was a nearly life-size cardboard cutout of Carol."
Randolph Duke IIWar Stories LIVE! Randy Duke II
March 30, 2020
