Accessibility Isn’t Optional: Why UX Designers Must Lead the Charge

When we talk about accessibility in digital design, it’s often framed as a “nice to have”. Something to tick off if there’s time, or a box to check at the end of the sprint. But as someone who’s worked across both startups and FTSE100 companies, I can tell you this: accessibility is not just a compliance issue. It’s a core part of user experience, and ignoring it means failing the very people we design for.

Accessibility is UX

The clue is in the name: user experience. Accessibility ensures that everyone—regardless of ability, context, or circumstance—can access, understand, and use the product. If a beautifully designed interface excludes a portion of your audience, it’s not beautiful. It’s broken.

I’ve seen the difference accessibility makes in practice. In large organisations, it’s often the legal risk or brand reputation that pushes accessibility up the agenda. In smaller startups, it’s the potential reach and customer loyalty that make it a priority. Whatever the driver, the outcome is the same: accessible design makes products stronger, more inclusive, and more competitive.

Shifting Left

Too often, accessibility is bolted on at the end of a project. That’s expensive, inefficient, and frankly, unfair to the teams having to retro-fit fixes. Instead, we need to bring accessibility into conversations from day one. Think colour contrast in your design system, alt text in your content strategy, focus states in your component library. These aren’t extras—they’re fundamentals.

Beyond Standards

Yes, we should follow WCAG guidelines. But accessibility is more than meeting criteria. It’s about empathy and foresight. It’s about designing for real people, in real-world scenarios. That might mean considering motor impairments when designing navigation, or ensuring a checkout flow works seamlessly with screen readers.

The Designer’s Role

As UX designers, we’re uniquely positioned to champion accessibility. We sit at the intersection of business goals, user needs, and technical delivery. We can ask the uncomfortable questions, highlight the overlooked scenarios, and push for decisions that prioritise inclusivity.

Accessibility is not an add-on, and it’s not someone else’s job. It’s part of our craft. And when we get it right, we’re not just designing better products—we’re designing a better digital world.