This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Alvaro Montoro
Heydon Pickering recently shared some "Principles of Web Accessibility," a set of twelve high-level guidelines on how to approach web accessibility.
I highly recommend reading the whole thing –it's a short text–, but here's a summary of them if you want a quick "too long; didn't read" version:
💎 Perfection is the enemy: nothing will be 100% accessible, but you can make a real difference by making it just a little bit better.
➡️ By default or death: accessibility is not something to be added later to a complete product. An inaccessible product is an incomplete product.
⚖️ Parity is paramount: the goal is not to create "better experiences" but "comparable experiences" for different people.
📐 Design for implementation: accessibility shouldn't be an afterthought in the development process, it should be there since the early stages.
📊 Structure first: an intuitive interface that is well-structured and easy-to-use is better than a poorly-structured interface with no discrete errors.
💬 Use your words: develop your writing and editing skills or include writers and editors in your process. What is written is as important as how it's written.
🛠️ Tools are not identities: disabilities are not uniform. Don't design for a single person or user, design to support the capabilities of the assistive software.
↕️ Less is less: don't overdo it! Reducing complexities –keeping things simple– not only reduces errors, it also improves comprehension.
💰 Get paid: accessibility is a job in itself. Include it in your role, be valued, and get recognized for it. Don't let people diminish its (your) importance.
🎣 Fishing, not fish: working on accessibility goes beyond solving specific problems. Set the stage and structure to facilitate it.
🏆 No points for performance: Companies tend to prioritize looking accessible over being accessible. Demand action and not only performance.
👿 Let evil rot: there is plenty of inaccessibility; protect your reputation and mental health, and prioritize working with receptive companies and projects.
What do you think? Anything that you would add or change?
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Alvaro Montoro
Alvaro Montoro | Sciencx (2025-01-28T21:44:25+00:00) Principles of Web Accessibility. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/01/28/principles-of-web-accessibility/
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