Designing For Accessibility

Case study: digital accessibility of LEGO When we think of LEGO, we usually imagine playful bricks, creative builds, and global design. But there’s another journey happening behind the scenes — a digital accessibility journey that many organisations still haven’t begun. 🕰️ A quick chronology: · 2010s: LEGO begins to commit publicly to digital accessibility, with statements that invite feedback and continuous improvement.  · 2020s: The LEGO Foundation and LEGO Education collaborate with accessibility organisations (e.g., Royal National Institute of Blind People) to build inclusive digital learning tools.  · 2023-2025: Innovative initiatives such as a voice-enabled retail experience for older adults showing how digital inclusion goes beyond visuals.  · Ongoing: public statements where LEGO openly lists known issues and commits to continual improvement—showing transparency and maturity in digital accessibility. ✨ What sets LEGO apart from other companies? · They talk openly about “partially compliant” status instead of pretending everything is perfect. · They embed accessibility into both digital retail and educational products, and collaborate with specialists and users with disabilities. · They innovate inclusively: voice assistants, educational inclusivity, accessible digital learning platforms, in addition to basic compliance. · They use feedback loops and user-testing, not just audits. 🎯 Some interesting facts: 1. LEGO introduced braille-coded bricks (numbers & letters) to help vision-impaired children learn via play.  2. They partnered with the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower scheme: LEGO House in Billund, Denmark, is certified “sensory inclusive” and provides tools for visitors with hidden or sensory disabilities.  3. LEGO added characters wearing sunflower lanyards in their sets to represent hidden disabilities (autism, ADHD, etc.) — promoting representation beyond visible physical disabilities.  4. Their digital accessibility statement publicly acknowledges “partial compliance” with WCAG 2.1 Level AA — showing transparency about ongoing work instead of claiming full conformity.  5. LEGO Education’s accessibility commitment includes collaborating with a specialist organisation (Perkins School for the Blind) to align its apps and web experiences with WCAG 2.2 AA. ⚠️ But important gaps remain: · While digital efforts are strong, there are still reports of usability issues for colourblind or vision-impaired users in some instruction apps.  · Some digital retail experiences mention scaling or text-size issues in their own statements.  · Accessibility statements often apply to a subset of apps/sites and note that full compliance is “work in progress”. #LEGO #WebAccessibility #InclusiveDesign #A11y #DigitalInclusion #AccessibilityInnovation #HiddenDisabilities #SensoryInclusive #EqualAccess #InclusiveTech

In 1971, a group of wheelchair users at UC Berkeley who called themselves the Rolling Quads; went out in the middle of the night with cement and buckets and built their own ramps into the sidewalks. The city had ignored them. The police threatened to arrest them. They built anyway. Those ramps became curb cuts. Curb cuts became universal. And something unexpected happened: everybody started using them. Parents with strollers. Delivery workers. Cyclists. Elderly people with walkers. Travellers dragging luggage through airports. Design for the person with the most constraints, and you build better for everyone. The phenomenon even got a name: the Curb Cut Effect. It turns out this is a pattern, not an accident. Closed captions were designed for the deaf. Today, millions watch videos on mute in offices and on trains. Speech-to-text was built for people who couldn't type. Today, we dictate messages while driving. The food processor template used by every major kitchen brand today was redesigned by a disabled designer to be more accessible to people with impaired movement and vision. We've all used it. Almost none of us know that. When I visited Japan, I saw the Curb Cut Effect at policy scale. Elevators, tactile paving, audio guides, colour-coded signage, platform-level boarding on every metro and bus. Quiet spaces at airports not just for people with autism, but for anyone overwhelmed by travel. Infrastructure, not charity. And it serves millions of people who have never thought of themselves as disabled. The question we keep asking is: "How do we accommodate people with disabilities without inconveniencing everyone else?" That question contains a false premise. There is no "everyone else." When you build for the person who needs it most, you build better for all of us.

Here's something you might not know about ChatGPT's Atlas browser: it navigates websites the exact same way screen readers do. This fundamentally changes the conversation around website accessibility. It's not just about compliance anymore (though that's still critical with the European Accessibility Act deadline hitting in June 2025). Now it's also about whether AI agents can actually navigate your website. Many websites have some ARIA tags implemented, but they aren't implemented correctly in many cases. For example a drop down might have aria-expanded="false" but it's missing the JavaScript to update it to "true" when the dropdown opens. Visually it looks perfect. For Atlas and screen readers, that dropdown is permanently stuck in the collapsed state. And those accessibility widgets that promise instant compliance? Not true. Over 1,000 companies with widgets installed got sued in 2024. Courts are increasingly rejecting widget-only implementations because they mask problems instead of fixing them. The reality is that proper ARIA implementation takes real work. We're talking 20-40 hours minimum just for critical elements like main navigation and primary forms. It's expensive, it's time consuming, and there's no shortcut. But here's why it matters: you're not just implementing for Atlas or for compliance. You're positioning your website for however AI tools evolve next, while also making your site genuinely accessible. I break down how Atlas actually uses ARIA to navigate, what to prioritize first, and how to audit your current implementation in the full article. #WebAccessibility #ARIA #DigitalMarketing

👩🦰 Persona Spectrum For Inclusive Design (Figma Kit) (https://lnkd.in/eGD38hs4), a wonderful little accessibility tool for designers to include permanent, temporary and situational contexts in design decisions. Open sources, with all illustrations and assets for presentations and print. By 🐝 Mahana Delacour. --- 🔶 1. Accessibility ≠ Compliance We should never rely on automated accessibility testing alone to “ensure” accessibility. Compliance means that a user can use your product, but it doesn’t mean that it’s a great user experience. Manual testing makes sure that your users actually can meet their goals in their own context. It often feels daunting to get started, but small first steps are a great beginning. First, gather people interested in accessibility. Document what research was done, where the gaps are. And then try to include 5–12 users with disabilities in a dedicated accessibility testing. One way to find participants is to reach out to local chapters, local training centers, non-profits and public communities of users with disabilities in your country. You might want to add extra $25–$50 depending on disability transportation. Once you have access to users, run a small accessibility initiative around key flows in your products. Tap into critical touch points and research them. Eventually extend to components, patterns, flows, service design. A good target is to incorporate inclusive sampling into all research projects — at least 15% of usability testers should have a permanent, temporary or situational disability. --- 🔹 2. Building Accessibility Research From Scratch If you’d like to get started, I highly recommend to check “How We’ve Built Accessibility Research at Booking.com” (https://lnkd.in/eq_3zSPJ), a fantastic case study by Maya Alvarado on how to build accessibility practices and inclusive design into UX research from scratch. Maya highlights the idea of extending Microsoft's Inclusive Design Toolkit (https://lnkd.in/eN5J7EkJ) to meet specific user needs of a product. It adds a different dimension to disability considerations which might be less abstract and much easier to relate for the entire organization. And as Maya noted, inclusive design is about building a door that can be opened by anyone and lets everyone in. Accessibility isn’t a checklist — it’s a practice that goes way beyond compliance. A practice that involves actual people with actual disabilities throughout all UX research activities. More resources in the comments ↓

We design for the average. The average doesn’t exist. April is Autism Acceptance Month. Designing for autism is about building products that work for everyone. Cognitive overload affects everyone. Your brain has limits, and more noise can affect how you perceive things. For some autistic users, this is constant and amplified. Many rely on digital products to navigate daily life. Yet most interfaces ignore them. So what happens? We design experiences that overwhelm the people who need them most. And if your product overwhelms autistic users, it’s exhausting everyone else. Here are 5 principles to get you started: 1. Consistent Structure Keep navigation, layout, and UI patterns identical across your entire product. Why: Sudden changes cause anxiety and disorientation. Example: Shopping cart stays in the top-right corner across every page. 2. Literal Communication Use plain, direct language. Skip idioms and metaphors. Why: Vague language requires guessing and creates confusion Example: "Your payment was declined. Check your card number and try again." 3. Sensory Calm Use muted, natural colours. Avoid pure black/white and bright contrasts. Why: Extreme contrast and bright colours cause sensory overload Example: Dashboard with soft beige background, dark grey text, and 3-4 clearly separated sections 4. User Control Default to sound off. Allow people to pause, stop, or disable animations. Why: Sensory needs vary greatly, and customization prevents overload. Example: Toggles for reduced motion, dark mode, font size, and autoplay off by default. 5. Predictable Interactions Provide clear feedback and progress indicators so users always know where they are. Why: Unexpected interruptions trigger anxiety and break focus. Example: Multi-step form shows "Step 2 of 4" with a progress bar, confirms "Your information was saved" after each step. Better design starts with understanding. 👇🏽What would you add to this list? 🔖 Save this for reference ♻️ Share it with your team ---- ✉️ Subscribe for more accessibility and design insights: https://lnkd.in/gZpAzWSu ---- Accessibility note: This infographic, titled Designing for Autism has the same content as the post. It also includes alt text.

The following is not legal advice. If you work for a US-based company and your accessibility program is linked to a DEI program, you need to break that connection as quickly as possible. This would have sounded backward a year ago. For most of the last decade, linking accessibility to DEI was a best practice. It helped accessibility gain seats at tables and commitments it had never had access to before. That structural marriage is now a liability. Yesterday, the DOJ announced a $30M settlement with PayPal over what it called an "unlawful DEI investment program." The Acting Attorney General was explicit: the administration intends to "root out illegal DEI from every corner of corporate America." PayPal is not an isolated case. Anything labeled "DEI" now invites scrutiny. Accessibility is legally distinct. It's grounded in the ADA, Section 508, and the Rehab Act, none of which share the legal theories driving current DEI enforcement. But when accessibility lives inside a DEI org or is publicly described as a DEI or even inclusion initiative, you've blurred a line the law clearly draws and tied a compliance obligation to whichever way the political wind blows. What breaking the connection looks like: 1) Move accessibility reporting out of DEI. 2) Legal, Product, Engineering, or a standalone Chief Accessibility Officer are all defensible homes. 3) Rewrite internal and external descriptions to reference the ADA, WCAG, and Section 508, not "belonging" or "inclusion" frameworks. 4) Separate the budget line. 5) Track and report accessibility metrics independently. You don't have to abandon your values. However, you do have to protect your legally mandated program from enforcement aimed at something else. Accessibility predates DEI and will outlast it. Make that obvious on the org chart. https://lnkd.in/g3Db92wY #Accessibility #DigitalAccessibility #ADA #WCAG #Section508 #A11y #DEI #ChiefAccessibilityOfficer

I just spent 3 years analyzing more than 30 organizations and their accessibility initiatives. Here are 3 trends I noticed: 1. Accessibility Statements = Lots of Promises, Little Action Many organizations have beautifully written accessibility statements, pledging inclusion and access for all. But when you dig deeper? Very few are walking the talk. It’s easy to pledge on paper, but what matters is the execution—action speaks louder than words. Takeaway: Don’t just craft statements—craft change. It’s time to move from promises to real, measurable outcomes. 2. Token Efforts = Great PR, Minimal Impact I’ve seen so many companies invest in token accessibility efforts—building one ramp or adding alt-text to a couple of images, just to check a box. It’s usually enough to get some positive press, but the actual impact on the disabled community? Minimal. Performative inclusion doesn’t solve the deeper issues of inaccessibility and ableism in society or within workplaces. Takeaway: Inclusion isn’t a one-off. Real accessibility requires continuous effort, investment, and a willingness to evolve. It’s not just about looking good; it’s about making a lasting difference. 3. Accessible Design = More Engagement and Satisfaction Organizations that prioritize truly accessible design—both digitally and physically—see better engagement not only from the disabled community but from everyone. Accessible design benefits everyone. It creates a user-friendly environment where people feel seen, heard, and valued, leading to increased loyalty and satisfaction. Takeaway: Make accessibility your competitive advantage. It’s not just about compliance; it’s about making everyone feel included and valued. The bottom line: If you’re serious about disability inclusion, don’t wait for the world to push you. Lead by example and start making changes now that actually impact lives. What are you doing to ensure your initiatives are more than just words?

There’s no such thing as inaccessible colors. It’s all about combinations. Yes, even yellow! Let’s debunk the old myth that “accessibility limits color choices.” I love yellow (have you seen my hair?) and purple (have you seen my website color palette?). Together, they prove you can design fun, vibrant, accessible palettes with so-called “tricky” colors. I built six WCAG-tested palettes to show that accessibility doesn’t limit creativity. And I turned the process into a full tutorial (with video) so you can learn how to build your own accessible color palettes in Figma. What to expect: - Six accessible yellow and purple palettes, ready to use - Step-by-step guide to building palettes in Figma - A 19 minutes video tutorial to make my whole process easy to follow 👉 Read the full article + tutorial on my blog: https://lnkd.in/gq8eHK_Q And if you don’t use Figma, I’ve added links to web-based tools so you can follow along too.

A personal insight into dyscalculia and accessibility After years of wondering why I had such difficulties with numbers, I discovered a few years ago that I have dyscalculia. Suddenly, everything clicked - why I often mix up digits, struggle to grasp the size of numbers (games like Monopoly Millionaire with my children were a nightmare!), find it so hard to process large numbers, or to remember any passwords with numbers etc. This is why the 'Helena' persona published recently by GOV.UK in their excellent Accessibility Personas resource, really struck a chord with me. https://lnkd.in/eBjtU3WP It perfectly demonstrates my experience of dyscalculia. But not only is it a helpful example of how cognitive differences can impact daily life, it's also a great reminder of how accessible design can improve the experience for everyone! In the before-and-after exercise below, the 'before' example felt like the usual 'sea of confusion,' triggering the stress and anxiety I often experience when dealing with anything financial online (made even more acute by the fact that I had a timer ticking away at the top of the form). The 'after' example, however, completely changed the experience - it allowed me to process and answer the question calmly, without my normal sense of panic. Have you come across any resources or examples that helped you understand accessibility from a new perspective? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. #Accessibility #Dyscalculia #InclusiveDesign #Learning (The image shows two versions of a "Driving Mileage – Hired Car" web form from GOV.UK. The first version (on the left) has several design flaws that make it less user-friendly. A countdown timer at the top introduces unnecessary urgency, which could stress users. The content is densely packed into a single block of text, making it harder to scan and understand. Tables lack clear headings and descriptive captions, making the fee information less accessible. Additionally, numerical values are written without commas, which could lead to misinterpretation. The mileage fees include an unclear separation of the administration fee, requiring users to calculate it separately. Lastly, the reference number input field lacks guidance, leaving users guessing about the required format. In contrast, the second version (on the right) is much more user-friendly. The countdown timer is removed, allowing users to complete the form at their own pace. Text is organized into clear paragraphs, making it easier to follow. The tables are well-structured, with bold headings and descriptive captions that clarify the information they present. Large numerical values are formatted with commas, enhancing readability. The administration fee is already included in the mileage costs, streamlining calculations. Additionally, hint text is added below the reference number field, specifying the required format as "2 letters followed by 6 numbers," reducing user error.)

Color is one of the most powerful tools we have to direct attention in a chart. It’s also one of the easiest ways to accidentally exclude part of our audience. Red and green are the classic example. Most of us know the combination can be problematic. But it can be difficult to tell by looking at our own chart: Will these colors be easy for everyone to distinguish? Or will two completely different categories suddenly look almost identical? One of the easiest ways to check is with a free online color blindness simulator. My two go-to tools: - Coblis: https://lnkd.in/g6GiCqyt - Pilestone: https://lnkd.in/gGY7j4sR All you have to do is: 1️⃣ Upload an image of your chart 2️⃣ Toggle between different types of color vision deficiency 3️⃣ Look for colors, categories, or data points that become difficult to distinguish If they do, you can adjust the palette or add another visual cue, such as direct labels, symbols, or patterns. It’s a quick check that goes a long way toward making your work clearer and more accessible for everyone. ps I’ve also been experimenting with uploading charts to ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude and asking them to check for accessibility issues. They offer some useful feedback, but they don’t provide the same visual preview, which is what I find most helpful about these simulators. See more data viz tips and examples in my data viz vault: https://lnkd.in/gpM_uG4E --