Accessibility for Designers

Accessibility isn’t a WCAG audit at the end, it’s a user need! Talks about designing for people, not specifications.

A lot of people see accessibility as an issue for testers to find, and developers to fix. However, most WCAG failures originate in the design. And, even when compliant, there are still many barriers and usability issues which, as designers, we have to take responsibility for. So we need to shift accessibility left.

Talks in this theme are for design audiences. Designers, UX practitioners, and anybody involved in the product design process. I cover topics that will help you to understand design decisions that create barriers, and the patterns, layouts and components that can cause issues.

Loved your presentation on Axe-con 2025 Lovely information. Ticked on things I hadn’t thought of from the neurodivergent perspective. Loved the resources you included.

Julieanne King, Accessibility Analyst

Topics I cover

  • Why passing a WCAG audit doesn’t mean your product is accessible
  • Usability issues that can still exist within a compliant product
  • Design decisions which create accessibility barriers
  • Why “pixel perfect” thinking fails people with accessibility needs
  • Practical design principles when designing for neurodiversity
  • The cognitive and neurodivergent support hiding in the AAA criteria everybody skips

Talk titles

  • Accessibility is a design problem
  • Designing for everyone
  • Designing for neurodiversity
  • Empathy in accessibility
  • If it’s not user-centred, it’s not accessible
  • The problem with “pixel perfect” design

Recordings

Delivery
In person or remote
Formats
  • 30 minute talk
  • 60 minute talk
Who should attend
  • UX practitioners
  • Product teams
Level of experience
All levels. No accessibility experience needed
Tags

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In action

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