Digital accessibility is not just a matter of convenience, but a fundamental right that ensures equal access to technology and services for all users. The webinar, organized by Patrycja Mikolajek, UX designer and accessibility expert, discussed the challenges faced by people with disabilities and how designers and companies can create more inclusive products. Guests were Monika Dubiel, disability researcher and accessibility consultant, and Rafal Charlampowicz, assistive technology specialist.
Why is accessibility important?
Lack of accessibility prevents the use of many services and products. For people with disabilities, it’s a barrier that can effectively exclude them from many aspects of daily life – from shopping online to using public services. If a product or system is not designed with all users in mind, it will be useless to some.
“Disability can be permanent, temporary or situational. Any of us can experience it, if only for a moment. This means that accessibility is needed not just for one group of people, but for everyone – at different points in their lives”.
Accessibility is also about universality – properly designed products are more comfortable for all users, regardless of their needs or limitations. All of us can experience temporary limitations – injury, visual fatigue, or a temporary inability to use our hands. The lack of accessible solutions can affect the comfort of life to a degree that we often don’t appreciate until we find ourselves in a difficult situation.
Users’ daily challenges
Disability means daily challenges that are invisible to many users. Even simple tasks like shopping online, paying bills, or finding information online can be difficult or impossible. When an app or website is not assistive technology enabled, users must find other ways to cope – often involving others to help them, taking away their independence.
“We don’t always have someone around to help us. For example, if someone comes to the office every day, they are sure to find someone to help them. But for me it is a little different – I work mostly from home, I live alone, and meetings with friends are rather occasional. It can happen that I don’t have contact with a sighted person for a whole week, and during that time I can’t do anything”.
Lack of accessibility can have real consequences – from losing the ability to use services to having to switch providers. One example is a bank that launched a new version of its mobile app but failed to make it compatible with screen readers. Blind customers lost access to their accounts and were forced to switch to another institution that was more accessible.
Similar situations are occurring in the e-commerce sector. A major online bookstore redesigned its interface to be more modern, but forgot about users who use screen readers. The result? Blind people lost the ability to easily search for books and complete purchases. Instead of adapting the service, the company lost customers who had to go to competitors.
“I wanted to buy the new Witcher from my favorite bookstore, but after they changed the interface, the accessibility deteriorated dramatically. The search engine didn’t work properly, the login process became unreadable, and it was impossible to add a book to the shopping cart. I reported the problem, but the company did nothing. I had to find another bookstore that would allow me to shop without interference”.
This shows that lack of accessibility is not only a problem for users, but also a real loss for businesses.
How can weimprove accessibility?
The most important step in improving accessibility is to consider it early in the design process and to test it regularly with real users. Companies should invest in team training and accessibility testing, rather than treating accessibility as an add-on to the finished product.
Companies that are serious about accessibility create dedicated accessibility teams to monitor product compliance with WCAG and other standards on an ongoing basis. Such teams can not only identify potential barriers but also suggest improvements that will enhance the user experience of applications and Web sites.
Accessibility audits should also be an important part of the strategy. These can verify that digital interfaces meet the requirements of users with different needs. Regular testing with accessibility experts helps to avoid mistakes early in product development.
Testing with real users should not be overlooked. People with disabilities should be involved in the design and testing process to ensure that the final product actually meets their needs. Working with such users provides valuable feedback that cannot be obtained through automated testing alone.
“Accessibility is not a state, but a process. Every new feature, change, or update needs to be tested so that it doesn’t compromise the user experience for those who rely on assistive technologies”.
Summary
Accessibility is not only an obligation, but also a real business opportunity. With accessible products, companies can reach a wider range of customers, improve the usability of their solutions, and build a positive image. To ignore the issue is to leave a large group of potential users without access.
“If you are lucky, one day you will be a person with a disability. If not, you will die young. Societies are aging, so sooner or later everyone will need accessible solutions”.
Companies that want to improve their products should involve experts and users, as testing and consultation are key to the successful implementation of accessibility solutions. This is an investment that pays off both economically and socially.
Modern technology has great potential to make people’s lives easier – but only if it is designed with everyone in mind. If we are to build a better future, we must ensure that no one is excluded from the digital world.
