In the seminal case of Domino’s vs. Robles, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that the internet and digital apps are “places” as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act. What this means is that people with disability can now sue companies whose websites and apps are not accessible.
Legal obligations aside, many businesses are recognizing their social responsibility to improve web accessibility. But at the implementation level, the onus is on web designers and developers to follow the principles of digital accessibility and make sure that the websites and apps they build are accessible to all.
Recognize the “Accessibility Debt”
Web designers and developers are generally familiar with “tech debt,” a term that describes the fallout of using shortcuts when coding instead of following best practices. “Tech debt” almost always results in inefficient code and burdens the company with future remediation efforts.
It is time for web developers to recognize a similar concept called “accessibility debt.” This refers to an inaccessible digital product or code – that is either in development or has been already released in the market – which will need extra time, money, and resources to make it accessible.
When accessibility issues across websites, apps, and digital products are neglected, the accessibility debt balloons until it becomes a huge financial, reputational, or legal liability for the company.
Web and app designers and developers need to recognize that by working on accessibility, they are not only expanding the market for the company’s products and bolstering its brand image and reputation but also protecting the company against potential lawsuits.
Understand the Concept of Disability for Digital Users
Once the web design and development team has recognized the need to build accessible digital products and solutions, they must educate themselves on the latest globally accepted standards to create more accessible code. At a fundamental level, they should gain a clearer understanding of what disability encompasses.
Digital product and user experience (UX) teams need to learn about more than commonly-known disabilities, such as visual impairment, hearing impairment, and mobility issues. For instance, they should be aware of the digital accessibility needs of users with epilepsy or chronic migraines and other such conditions that can be disabling.
Moreover, the developers should be aware of digital users with more than one disability or who use more than one accessibility device. For instance, the design team should know that some of the functionalities of voice-to-text software programs cannot be used if a visually-impaired user has enabled high contrast mode. These types of oversights can render a website or app inaccessible for many users.
Adopt Universal Design Standards for Greater Accessibility
Developers and web designers should embrace universal design concepts, which encompass inclusive design practices. These standards can help them reassess their design processes and incorporate solutions that make their digital products more accessible right from the problem scoping stage.
The contemporary universal digital design principles that website and app developers must follow include:
- Equitable use
- Intuitive and simple use
- Flexibility in use
- Perceptible information
- Low physical effort
- Tolerance for error
- Size and space for use cases and approaches
These digital design principles should be fundamental to every interface design for maximum accessibility. This approach is far more effective and reliable than conforming to accessibility standards after a design was created for the “average user.”
This approach requires the web or app development team to assume that all users could have a disability. Companies are likely to save a significant amount of time and money with this strategy because adding unplanned accessibility features later on will delay the project and increase costs.
Adhere to the Concept of Design Justice
Web designers and developers should understand the concept of design justice. It amalgamates digital design with the principles of social justice and enables the creative team to reconsider the design process from the perspective of those who have traditionally been ignored in design practices.
Design justice recasts the role of a web designer as an enabler rather than a technician. Involving people with disability in the design process makes a key difference because they are the ones who will know exactly what they need. Designing without their input could mean investing time and money in a misguided direction and coming up with accessibility features that are of little use in practical life.
The Next Steps
Web design and development teams can read books and attend online courses and workshops to learn more about the principles of digital accessibility. They can use what they learn to better follow the guidelines on digital accessibility.
They can then hire people with disability as project collaborators and make checklists that identify important accessibility milestones throughout the web development process. The more time the web design team invests in thinking about the real needs of users with disability, the more accessible their digital products will be.
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