Why digital accessibility matters

Back in 2010, Netflix, a raising-star video streaming company, faced a lawsuit for failing to provide captions in its online library. At the time, the company argued that accessibility laws applied only to physical spaces, not digital ones. But the judge disagreed. The case set a powerful precedent: the digital world is a public space, and everyone deserves access. 

That moment didn’t just reshape Netflix. It showed how overlooking accessibility excludes millions of people. And in a connected world, exclusion comes at a high cost — for users and for business. 

Fast forward to today, and accessibility has become a defining issue of the digital age. Far from being a “niche” concern, it touches all of us. The World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 6 people live with some form of disability. Add to that temporary or situational challenges — a broken arm, misplacing your glasses, or trying to read a screen in bright sunlight — and accessibility suddenly feels a lot closer to home. 

When we design with accessibility in mind, we’re not just ticking a box. We’re making digital spaces usable for everyone: the student who relies on captions, the parent juggling a baby while typing one-handed, the traveler navigating with voice commands, or the grandparent who needs larger text. Accessibility becomes the bridge between technology and people and it makes our digital world more human, inclusive, and future-ready. 

WCAG: The Global Playbook for Accessibility 

Behind every accessible website, app, or digital service stands one core standard: the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), WCAG gives teams a clear framework for building digital products that include everyone. 

At first glance, WCAG can feel intimidating with its hundreds of criteria, but at its heart it’s built around four simple principles known as POUR: 

• Perceivable: Information must reach the senses. Captions help if you can’t hear, alt text helps if you can’t see. No guessing, no missing out. 

• Operable: Interfaces must work for everyone. A site should be usable with a keyboard, not just a mouse. Timers shouldn’t lock people out. 

• Understandable: Content and navigation must be clear. Error messages should guide, not confuse. Menus should be consistent and predictable. 

• Robust: Tech evolves fast. Content should work across devices, browsers, and assistive tools—today and tomorrow. 

WCAG defines three levels of conformance: 

• Level A: The basics (e.g., images need alt text, pages must work with a keyboard). 

• Level AA: The industry standard (e.g., proper color contrast, captions for live video, clear navigation). 

• Level AAA: The gold standard (e.g., sign language interpretation, stricter contrast rules). 

Most global laws—including the EU Web Accessibility Directive and the U.S. Section 508—require Level AA. That’s the benchmark businesses should aim for. AAA is rarely mandatory but shows leadership in inclusion. 

What Accessibility Looks Like in Practice (and Where It Often Fails) 

Accessibility guidelines can sound abstract, but in practice it’s about small, everyday decisions that shape how people interact with technology. Let’s take a look what accessibility is all about in terms of content, design, development, and project management. 

Content  

• Alternative text describes images so screen readers can translate them into words. 

• Captions and transcripts make videos and webinars usable in noisy cafés or for those with hearing loss. 

• Clear, simple language ensures everyone — including non-native speakers or people with cognitive differences — can follow along. 

Design  

• Strong color contrast keeps text visible for people with low vision or outdoors in bright light. 

• Logical page hierarchy helps assistive tech like screen readers guide users. 

• Touch-friendly controls give ease to users with mobility limitations — or just big thumbs on small screens. 

Development  

• Keyboard navigation allows browsing and form-filling without a mouse. 

• Semantic HTML provides structure that assistive tech can read. 

• ARIA attributes make dynamic, interactive apps understandable. 

Project management 

• Testing with assistive technologies, such as screen readers, voice control, and screen magnifiers.  

• Conducting user research with individuals with disabilities, ensuring their lived experiences inform design decisions.  

• Continuous monitoring is necessary, as accessibility requires an ongoing commitment rather than a one-time project.  

Fixing these issues can make your website more inclusive, attract new audience, and boost your business’ productivity. And if you are thinking about making your online platform more accessible, don’t put it off for a long time. 

How Your Business Can Become Accessible — And Why Start Early 

According to the IBM Systems Sciences Institute, fixing accessibility issues post-release can cost 10 to 100 times more than addressing them during design. Missing alt text takes seconds to write when creating content but becomes a costly ticket once a site is live. 

Teams that start with accessibility avoid this spiral: 

• Designers choose colors with proper contrast from the start. 

• Developers use semantic HTML so screen readers can interpret content. 

• Writers keep language clear and inclusive for non-native speakers or people with dyslexia. 

Wait until later, and you’re left with walls instead of doors: unlabeled buttons, inaccessible forms, videos without captions. 

But what if accessibility wasn’t part of your launch? The truth is, most companies face this reality. According to the WebAIM 2024 study, 95.9% of the world’s top one million websites still fail basic WCAG checks. That means millions of people are still excluded daily from services, jobs, education, and opportunities that many of us take for granted.  

The good news: it’s never too late to improve. Accessibility is an ongoing practice, and progress can start today. Here is what you can do. 

1. Audit the current state

• Use automated tools to catch basics like missing alt text or poor contrast. 

• Add manual checks to find real-user pain points, like confusing navigation or unlabeled forms. 

2. Prioritize high-impact fixes

• Focus on essential actions: logging in, reading content, filling forms, completing transactions. 

• Start small: captions for videos, clear error messages, heading structures. These quick wins build momentum and trust. 

3. Build a long-term plan

• Integrate accessibility checks into every update. 

• Train your team to spot and fix issues early. 

• Involve users with disabilities in testing to make sure solutions actually work. 

Missing accessibility at launch is a setback but not a dead end. With deliberate effort, small improvements, and a commitment to inclusion, any product can be transformed into one that welcomes everyone from day one and every day after. 

Accessibility Is Connection 

Awareness of accessibility has never been higher. Each May, Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) reminds us that inclusion is the new standard. And today, tools like Axe, NVDA, or Lighthouse make it easier than ever to check accessibility, while features such as screen readers, voice control, and magnifiers are already built into the devices we use daily. Progress is clear, but the work isn’t finished. 

Teams that embed accessibility early avoid last-minute fixes, reduce support requests, and strengthen user trust. The business value is real: when Tesco improved the accessibility of its online store, a modest investment of £35,000 led to £13 million in additional annual revenue. Accessible design isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s smart business. 

The next move is yours. Start small, measure progress, and keep going. Every improvement makes the digital world a little more open, a little more human. 

The web was built to connect people. Let’s make sure it connects everyone. 

About the author

Oksana Moskva, a Lead Product Designer in Intellias with 10+ years of experience. She specializes in integrating accessibility into product design and delivery.