Scaling Accessibility Through Design Systems
Summary
Key Insights
-
•
Accessibility should be integrated early ('shift left') in the design and development process to reduce tech debt and remediation costs.
-
•
Automation tools catch about 30% of accessibility defects and cannot replace human audits and discernment.
-
•
Accessibility is often mistaken as limiting creativity, but it is actually a driver of innovation and inclusivity.
-
•
Unique naming for components like message bars is critical to avoid confusion for assistive technologies when multiple instances exist.
-
•
Breadcrumb navigation must not rely on color alone to convey meaning; it should be accessible through keyboard and screen readers and consider interactive behaviors.
-
•
Documenting accessibility decisions in design systems helps maintain consistency and educates users of the system.
-
•
Accessibility requires ongoing education and advocacy to get buy-in from diverse teams including designers, engineers, and product managers.
-
•
Small incremental changes to accessibility are better than no changes; it’s an ongoing journey rather than a one-time fix.
-
•
Accessibility levels range from inaccessible to legally compliant, usable, and ultimately innovative; compliance alone does not guarantee good UX.
-
•
Cross-functional collaboration and shared resources like accessibility one-pagers and bug-triaging spreadsheets improve scalability of accessibility efforts.
Notable Quotes
"Accessibility is innovation and this statement could potentially be some unchecked ableism."
"Automation only catches maybe 30% of all your a11y defects and even then we still receive a lot of false positives."
"I help you unlearn and relearn patterns so that you can build better products."
"If you’d rather exclude a group of people from using your product than do accessibility, then think about the impact you’re making."
"You can have a single page that’s got inaccessible, compliant, and accessible experiences all in one."
"No design system will ever be fully accessible because new features and permutations are always being introduced."
"Accessibility is a key component of user experience that has been neglected and requires specialists to close the gap."
"Small incremental changes are better than no changes at all from both the process and technical view."
"We’ve been taught to build fast and break things, and we often play accessibility on the back burner."
"Unique names for components like message bars are crucial, especially when multiple instances are shown at once."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"The internal dialects developed by project teams require intentional translation into a formal, limited lattice framework for portfolio analysis."
Sean Baker Sara RomanoskiWeaving Knowledge Management into the Fabric of Our Design Practice
September 11, 2025
"When we solve accessibility problems, we create innovations that benefit everyone, not just people with disabilities."
Sam ProulxTo Boldly Go: The New Frontiers of Accessibility
March 11, 2022
"Scaffolding is about hacking and doing things differently, not lowering the bar but delivering value continuously."
Ben Reason Aline Horta Majid Iqbal Fabiano LeoniMaking the system visible: The fastest path to better decisions
November 20, 2025
"Those first hires establish the tone of the entire design ops discipline moving forward."
Courtney KaplanTaking it to the next level: Career paths in DesignOps
November 8, 2018
"The climate doesn’t need everyone to go work in climate NGOs; we need everyone to find a climate angle from wherever they sit."
Jamie Beck Alexander Nina Gregg Shawn Petersen Bill DeRoucheyHow can you find your role in climate?
January 17, 2024
"Make a note when something about your design process doesn't feel right—discomfort is a guide to curiosity and improvement."
Tricia WangThe most popular design thinking strategy is BS
January 27, 2022
"AI reflects dominant hegemonic views, creating virtual worlds where counter views do not exist."
Rachael Dietkus, LCSW Llewyn Paine Nishanshi Shukla David WomackAI: Passionate defenses and reasoned critique [Advancing Research Community Workshop Series]
September 18, 2024
"I’m not happy with reducing visual design down to one segment because of my previous work with those types of people."
Jason MesutShaping design, designers and teams
November 8, 2018
"You don’t have to overhaul your process to be inclusive; small changes embedded across stages make a huge difference."
Gabriela BarnevaOperationalizing Inclusive Design in Design Ops
September 11, 2025
