Accessibility in UX Design

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Accessibility in UX Design: Guidelines and Training

Posted January 12, 2024

AudioEye

Posted January 12, 2024

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Accessible UX design principles help digital content creators create digital content that’s accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities. Discover the guiding principles of accessible UX and how you can implement them when building digital experiences.

One of the most overlooked aspects of digital design is accessibility. According to WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind), more than 96% of the world’s most popular websites are inaccessible to people with disabilities. 

With many web designs inaccessible to individuals with disabilities, the need for accessible design is critical. An accessible design and user interface can help you grow your customer base, increase revenue opportunities, and help you avoid legal consequences and damage to your reputation. More importantly, it’s the right thing to do.


This is where accessibility UX design tools and principles come into play. Following these principles ensures your site is accessible to all — regardless of their ability.

What is Accessible UX Design (and Why is it Important)?

Accessible UX design is about making digital experiences accessible for all, regardless of circumstance, background, or ability. The goal is to create a UX that fulfills the needs of end users.

Why is Accessibility Important?

Aside from creating a digital experience that’s usable by all, there are a number of benefits to implementing accessibility in UX design. These include:

  • Improves usability: An accessible web design improves your site's overall usability. Features such as clear navigation, few distractions, and proper use of headings enable users to interact with your site easily, ultimately boosting user engagement and satisfaction. For examples of how websites have prioritized usability, check out these examples of ADA-compliant websites.
  • Increases user base: Improving the accessibility of your site opens your digital door to people from different backgrounds or situations, which increases your customer base. For example, people with disabilities are a very loyal community and are more likely to share accessible websites with their network. Capturing one new customer can increase your chances of capturing many.
  • Fulfills legal requirements: Non-discrimination laws like the European Accessibility Act (EAA), the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and the Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) reference the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines as the technical standard for web accessibility. Following the latest WCAG guidelines can help you with these laws and reduce the risk of legal action.
  • Boosts SEO rankings: Designing with accessibility in mind helps you write clearer digital copy and leverage alt-text for images and links more effectively. This makes it easier for assistive technologies (such as screen readers) to scan your site, contributing to higher SEO rankings.
  • Creates an inclusive experience: Most importantly, an accessible UX design promotes inclusivity. Everyone deserves equal access to online information, services, and products — regardless of background.
Web browser showing the accessibility logo being edited.

Accessibility vs. Usability UX Design

Accessible design is often confused with usable design, but the two are actually very different design methods. Both are part of UX design; however, usability is centered around how the design is used. More simply, usability is about creating an easy-to-use design that enables users to accomplish tasks quickly. However, it does not focus on whether or not all users can use the product or service.


Accessibility, however, is focused on how well users can use a digital product or service and is an attribute of the final web design. Accessible web design asks: ‘Are all users provided with an equal experience, including those with disabilities?’ or ‘Can users with disabilities understand, navigate, and interact with the website just as someone with disabilities can?’

The Principles of Accessibility in UX Design

While no official guidelines or standards exist for accessible UX design, designers can follow certain principles to create a more accessible design.

1. Empathy

Empathy is considered to be the cornerstone of accessible design but is one of the hardest skills to practice. UX/UI designers should consider the needs of their target audience, understand their abilities and concerns, and create a user experience that fulfills these needs. 

For example, designers should understand how a screen reader works and how individuals with low vision or other disabilities use it to navigate web content. This ensures they create a design optimized for screen readers and other assistive technologies.

2. User Research

Designers need to step into the real world to create truly accessible designs. UX research involves talking to real people to understand their needs, concerns, and preferences and building an innovative, useful solution that solves them.

3. Inclusivity

Inclusivity must be built into every aspect of a design project. For example, if a product or service is designed for a global audience, the personas and user research must also focus on that audience. Additionally, designers should ensure that people with varying physical and mental abilities are brought into the design process. Ultimately, an inclusive design helps overcome common accessibility challenges and improves overall usability.

4. Control on Navigation

Web navigation can be difficult for some users — particularly those with visual or motor impairments such as color blindness, low vision, or cerebral palsy. To make web navigation simple for these users, designers should incorporate multiple forms of navigation into the design. This ensures users who rely on assistive devices or keyboard navigation can easily interact with the page.

5. Context

The context in which a design is used should address the needs of all users — regardless of their physical or cognitive abilities. For example, if users interact with a mobile app, they’ll likely do so while sitting, lying down, or moving. While this does add more complexity for designers, it does ensure the experience is responsive in all environments.

Chart showing the five principles of accessible UX design with icons representing each principle.

Accessibility UX Design Guidelines

Now that we’ve covered the basic accessible UX design principles let’s explore the guidelines designers should follow.

Visual Design

The visual elements used in web design play a significant role in accessibility. They ensure users can easily navigate the page and complete tasks when appropriately used. WCAG also includes several guidelines for visual elements to allow individuals with disabilities to interact with them.

For example, WCAG Success Criterion (SC) 1.4.3 recommends text and images of text to have a color contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1. This helps individuals with visual disabilities more easily distinguish between various web elements, improving their overall experience.


Below are some of the visual elements to use on your site to ensure navigation and usability:

  • Use high-contrast color schemes (use a color contrast checker to help you find a good color contrast ratio)
  • Implement scalable text and images
  • Avoid using color as the only means of conveying information
  • Provide alternative text (alt text) for images and icons
  • Use clear, readable fonts

Auditory Design

Accessibility also extends to audio elements. Individuals with hearing impairments (such as deafness) need additional options to interact with videos, sound clips, or other auditory features. To ensure these are accessible to deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals, WCAG recommends the following elements be included in your designs:

  • Captions for videos
  • Text-to-speech options
  • Visual indicators for audio alerts
  • Compatibility with screen readers
  • Adjustable volume controls

Navigation and Interaction

Not all users can navigate a site using a mouse and keyboard. Because of this, WCAG recommends that organizations include alternative methods such as keyboard shortcuts or voice commands. This helps those who rely on assistive technologies navigate the web more easily. 

Additionally, users with cognitive disabilities or visual impairments may get lost on the page if the navigation is confusing. A few guidelines to follow to keep navigation accessible include:

  • Providing keyboard navigation for all features
  • Designing consistent and predictable navigation patterns
  • Offering voice commands where possible
  • Implementing clear focus indicators for interactive elements
  • Providing alternatives to drag-and-drop interactions

Content Structure and Clarity

The accessibility of your content directly impacts understandability. If the page's context needs to be clarified or has a clearer structure, users are highly likely to leave the page. One way to create inclusive content is to build an information architecture and map content to that.

To help improve content accessibility, WCAG recommends:

  • Using clear, simple language
  • Structuring content with headings and lists for easy scanning
  • Providing summaries for long articles or videos
  • Implementing breadcrumb trails for complex websites or applications
  • User clear, descriptive labels for links and buttons
  • Including web titles that describe the topic or purpose of the page

Assistive Technology Compatibility

Designers should always keep screen readers in mind during the design process. With roughly 2.5 billion people worldwide relying on assistive technology to navigate the web, your site must be unable by these technologies. You can do this by:

  • Ensuring compatibility with various screen readers
  • Supporting speech recognition software
  • Enabling compatibility with alternative input devices like switch controls
  • Testing with real assistive technology users for feedback


WCAG also includes several guidelines to help increase compatibility with assistive technologies. For example, WCAG SC 4.1.3 recommends that web developers include status messages to inform users of significant changes in content. For instance, if a user conducts a search, status messages can alert users to the results through messages like ‘5 results returned’ or ‘No results found’.

Feedback and Error Handling

Errors happen; when they do, users need to be aware of them and know how to resolve them. This means using more than just colors to indicate an error. Using multiple methods ensures people can continue interacting with digital content and accomplish tasks. To help users resolve errors, consider implementing the following:

  • Clear error messages and guidance for correction
  • Confirmations for completed actions
  • Accessible status messages for ongoing processes
  • Mult-modal feedback (i.e., visual, auditory, haptic)

Inclusive and Flexible User Options

No user interacts with the web the same way, so your site needs to cater to many preferences. As you’re building your site, ensure users can customize their experiences by offering:

  • Customizable theme, layout, text, and color options
  • Different modes of operation (e.g., beginner, expert)
  • Options to adjust the pace of content delivery
  • User-controlled timing for disappearing content
  • Ability to pose animations, videos, or other interactive content

Accessibility Testing and Maintenance

Usability testing and maintenance should be done throughout the design process by both UX/UI professionals and real users. This ensures the design meets users’ needs and provides maximum accessibility. Belo are some best practices to follow:

  • Regularly conduct accessibility audits
  • Involve users with disabilities in testing
  • Update and maintain accessibility features with technology changes
  • Train the design and development team on accessibility best practices

Enhance Your Design Processes with Accessibility Training

Following accessibility design practices in your Figma, Canva, Photoshop, or InDesign files can feel overwhelming. Enrolling your designers or other digital content creators in an accessibility course can help. Most online courses dive deep into the fundamentals of accessible design and teach learners how to implement them in design processes. 

For example, AudioEye’s accessibility course covers universal design principles and WCAG recommendations on creating more accessible, inclusive designs. Our course content is based on the latest accessibility standards outlined in the ADA and WCAG 2.1. Our instructors teach you how to bring these standards into your digital content, which improves user accessibility and helps you stay compliant with accessibility laws.

Our training goes a step further, providing a comprehensive look into the digital accessibility industry and covering core concepts such as how to remove barriers, follow legal guidelines, and create a culture of accessibility within your organization. 
Learn more about AudioEye’s Accessibility Training by contacting an AudioEye representative.

Design and Develop with Accessibility at Every Stage

Accessibility should not be an afterthought in the design process — it should be built into every stage of the design and development process. Knowing the effects accessibility has on all users and the benefits it provides your business can help you create a digital experience that’s inclusive and accessible for all individuals. 

Remember — accessibility is a journey, not a destination. At AudioEye, we provide numerous resources to help you learn more about digital accessibility. From helping you avoid common accessibility design mistakes to creating accessible videos, AudioEye has you covered. 

Are you curious about how accessible your site is now? Scan your website with AudioEye to learn where accessibility issues are and how you can resolve them.Accessibility should not be an afterthought in the design process — it should be built into every stage of the design and development process. Knowing the effects accessibility has on all users and the benefits it provides your business can help you create a digital experience that’s inclusive and accessible for all individuals.

Remember — accessibility is a journey, not a destination. At AudioEye, we provide numerous resources to help you learn more about accessibility. From helping you avoid common accessibility design mistakes to creating accessible videos, AudioEye has you covered.

Curious about how accessible your site is now? Scan your website with AudioEye to learn where accessibility issues are on your site and how you can resolve them.

Ready to see AudioEye in action?

Watch Demo

Ready to test your website for accessibility?

Scan your website now.

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