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
"Resilience is built through community engagement and innovative thinking."
Alex Hurworth Bonnie John Fahd Arshad Antoine MarinDesigning a Contact Tracing App for Universal Access
October 23, 2020
"Empathy applies to us too—we needed to understand how our own people were feeling about these layered changes."
Erin HauberDesign is Not the Frosting on the Scaled Agile Layer Cake
October 24, 2019
"If the game is chess and you're playing darts, no one is going to think you have any value."
Shahrzad SamadzadehWhat Is My Value? Two Takes and Some Mistakes
January 8, 2024
"Simple, basic, consistent actions over time deliver big results when working with engineers."
Dan WillisEnterprise Storytelling Sessions
June 14, 2018
"I reported to a head of product excellence, not the head of design, so I could say no to requests from design leadership with backing from my manager."
Peter BoersmaHow to Define and Maintain a DesignOps Roadmap
October 3, 2023
"We make the invisible visible and turn abstract strategy into something people can see, touch, and act on."
Doug PowellDesignOps and the Next Frontier: Leading Through Unpredictable Change
September 11, 2025
"Everyone, both speakers and participants, understood the assignment of civic design from day one."
Bria Alexander Ariel Kennan Charlotte Lee Sarah Brooks Emily Lessard Gordon Ross Joanne DongReflect and Chart Forward
December 10, 2021
"I like to think of what I do as doing UX for the UXers – applying design thinking to organizational problems."
Jackie AjouxLeveling-Up: A Single-Player’s Guide to the DesignOps Team-of-One
January 8, 2024
"Use the latest version starring feature so your team only gets updates when they’re ready, avoiding constant notifications."
Jaime CreixemsBest Practices when Creating and Maintaining a Design System
June 7, 2023
