Summary
A design system is a set of repeatable components and standards guiding the use of those components. Standards can come in the form of documentation, videos, blogs, discussion channels, meetups and office hours just to name a few. A design system may be built internally within an organization, or there are hundreds of open source design systems that can be downloaded and used. However, only a small percentage of those open source design systems are set up such that they can be successfully implemented in a manner that results in software that is accessible to people with disabilities who use assistive technology to interact with technology. This talk will discuss the importance of accessible design systems and a high level overview of the ten best known open source design systems.
Key Insights
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Accessibility extends beyond permanent disabilities, including temporary injuries and situational challenges like screen glare.
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Assistive technology integrations, such as Bluetooth hearing aids connected to iPhones, can profoundly impact identity and communication.
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Design systems must incorporate comprehensive standards including documentation, training, and accessibility guidelines to ensure consistent use.
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WCAG 2.1 AA is the internationally adopted accessibility standard, with version 2.2 introducing enhancements for drag-and-drop and cognitive accessibility.
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Auto-generated captions often fail for users with accents or domain-specific jargon; manual or corrected captions are crucial.
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Color contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 is necessary, with avoidance of problematic color pairings like red/green to support colorblind users.
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Typography choice influences readability, e.g., sans serif fonts and avoiding italics help dyslexic users avoid 'rivers of text'.
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Design systems can embed ARIA attributes to provide accessible meanings without changing visual presentation.
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Open source design systems enable shared legal ownership, community contributions, and broader accessibility improvements.
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Accessibility lawsuits are rising sharply; companies must bake accessibility into MVPs and maintain compliance to avoid costly litigation.
Notable Quotes
"If the software isn’t accessible and accessibility means that it works for people with disabilities who use assistive technology, that's effectively discrimination."
"Disabilities include temporary issues like a rotator cuff injury or situational challenges like bright glare on a screen."
"Bluetooth hearing aids connected to iPhones allowed my daughter to speak Chinese on the phone with her grandmother and form her identity."
"A design system is not just code; it includes documentation, videos, blogs, and office hours that set standards for components."
"WCAG 2.1 AA requires a skip-the-content link but does not prescribe exactly where or how it must appear, so consistency is key."
"Most companies do not include disability in their Diversity and Inclusion initiatives — 96 percent according to a UK study."
"If you don’t have accessibility identified as an MVP, you are screwed."
"Auto captions fail with accents and special terminology; you want either corrected automated captions or human captioning."
"Open source isn't just about usage; it's about contributing back improvements so everyone benefits."
"Users with disabilities doing user research is very different than general user research and deserves targeted approaches."
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