Why is digital accessibility so important? Part.1

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you wanted to use a digital service but were hindered by an unexpected accident—like spraining your wrist—making it impossible to navigate a mouse-optimized website? Or maybe you were on the subway, forgot your headphones at home, and wanted to watch a video during your commute, only to find that it had no subtitles?

In moments like these, we might get a little frustrated or find an alternative way to get things done. We might even think about how much easier it would be if that website were accessible without a mouse or if that video had captions. Most of us only recognize the benefits of accessible design when we temporarily experience a limitation. However, for some users, these barriers aren’t temporary—they’re permanent.

The importance of digital accessibility lies in ensuring that everyone, regardless of their physical, sensory, or cognitive abilities, has equal access to the information and services available on digital platforms.

Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, captured the essence of digital accessibility as early as 2001:

Accessible design is good design—it benefits people who don’t have disabilities as well as people who do. Accessibility is all about removing barriers and providing the benefits of technology for everyone.

Today’s technology offers a wealth of solutions to make websites and mobile applications more user-friendly, even for those who rely on assistive technologies such as screen readers, speech recognition software, or built-in browser customization features like zooming or color adjustments. The technology is available—the real question is whether we can use it in a way that benefits as many people as possible.

Accessibility in the Digital Space

Today, it’s entirely natural to travel on public transport that is designed for convenience—low-floor vehicles that make getting on and off easier. These solutions significantly improve mobility for people with strollers, just as they provide a more comfortable experience for elderly passengers with limited mobility. Originally designed for individuals with physical disabilities, these accessibility features have become an integral part of everyday life, benefiting a much broader segment of society.

The same principle applies to digital product design and development, yet accessibility is often overlooked. According to the WebAIM 2024 report, 95.9% of the homepages of the world’s top 1 million websites contain accessibility errors that fail to meet the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards. This means that a significant number of users likely experience difficulties navigating these sites or receive a poorer user experience than they would on an accessibility-conscious platform.

Why is it crucial to design digital products that provide an equally good experience for everyone? Digital solutions are increasingly integrated into our daily lives—whether in education, work, healthcare, or routine administrative tasks. If these platforms are not accessible, many people—especially individuals with disabilities and the elderly—are partially or entirely excluded from using them. Ensuring equal access is a fundamental value, but accessibility is not just a social and ethical responsibility—it is also an economic and technological necessity.

Accessibility: A Fundamental Need, Not a Luxury

Digital solutions are playing an increasingly vital role in various aspects of our lives, making digital accessibility more important than ever. In the physical world, accessibility has become a basic requirement—we barely notice a curb that has been leveled with the road, but we immediately feel its absence. Similarly, while technology already enables the creation of accessible websites and applications, these solutions are still not widespread enough, despite growing demand. And this demand will only continue to rise in the future.

Why is it essential to prioritize accessibility in digital design? The next section of this article will explore the key reasons.