Best practices

Designing accessible from the start: inclusive design

Building in accessibility from the design stage costs less and benefits all users. The basic principles.

Inclusive design means thinking about accessibility from the design stage, rather than fixing it afterwards. It is less costly, and the result is better for everyone.

Start from real usage

Design with the diversity of users in mind: keyboard navigation, screen readers, colour blindness, low connectivity, being on the move. What helps a person with a disability often helps everyone.

Solid foundations

• Semantic HTML structure and a clear heading hierarchy.
• Sufficient contrast chosen from the mockup stage.
• Components designed for keyboard and assistive technologies.
• Clear labels and messages.

The side-effect benefit

Captions also help in noisy environments, good contrast helps in bright sunlight, keyboard navigation speeds up advanced users. Accessibility is a general quality, not a niche constraint.