As a web designer, your goal isn’t just to make websites look good, it’s to make them usable by everyone.
Accessibility is the foundation of good design. It ensures that people of all abilities, using all kinds of devices, can interact with your website comfortably and confidently.

Yet, accessibility is something many junior designers overlook early on. It might seem technical or overwhelming, but it’s actually about empathy and smart design decisions.

This guide will help you understand what accessibility means, why it matters and how to start designing inclusively from day one.

1. What Accessibility Really Means

Accessibility in web design means creating websites and digital products that everyone can use, including people with disabilities such as visual, hearing, cognitive or motor impairments.

It’s guided by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), an international standard developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

The WCAG is built on four core principles, meaning your designs should be:

Perceivable — Users can see or hear your content.

Operable — Users can navigate and interact with the interface easily.

Understandable — The content is clear and predictable.

Robust — Works across assistive technologies and devices.

2. Why Accessibility = Good Design

Accessible design isn’t just about compliance; it’s about quality.
When you design for accessibility, you automatically improve the experience for all users.

For example:

Good colour contrast improves readability for everyone, even outdoors in bright sunlight.

Clear typography and spacing make text easier to scan on any screen.

Logical navigation and focus order helps all users find what they need faster.

Captions, alt text and descriptive labels make your content more inclusive and better for SEO.

3. Tools Every Designer Should Use

The good news is, accessibility doesn’t have to be complicated. There are simple tools that help you test and improve your designs:

Colour Contrast Checker: Test whether your text and background colours meet accessibility standards.

Wave Accessibility Tool: A browser extension that highlights accessibility issues on any webpage.

Lighthouse (Chrome DevTools): An automated tool that audits performance and accessibility.

Axe DevTools: A professional tool for in-depth accessibility testing.

Figma Plugins: Try “Able,” “Contrast,” or “A11y – Colour Contrast Checker” for checking accessibility directly inside your designs.

4. Common Accessibility Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Many accessibility issues come from small design oversights, things that are easy to fix if you know what to look for.

Here are some of the most common beginner mistakes:

Low colour contrast: Text blends into the background.
→ Fix: Use at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio between text and background.

Tiny text sizes: Users struggle to read on smaller screens.
→ Fix: Use at least 16px for body text and ensure responsive scaling.

Missing alt text: Images without descriptions can’t be understood by screen readers.
→ Fix: Always add meaningful alt text for key images.

Inconsistent heading structure: Screen readers rely on heading order (H1 → H2 → H3).
→ Fix: Maintain a logical content hierarchy.

Clickable elements too close together: Hard to tap on mobile devices.
→ Fix: Add spacing and ensure tap targets are large enough (at least 44x44px).

5. How to Build Accessibility Into Your Workflow

Accessibility shouldn’t feel like extra work, it should be part of how you design from the start.

Here’s a simple workflow for new designers:

Start with accessibility in mind: Choose readable fonts, high contrast colours and simple layouts early.

Use checkers throughout your process: Don’t wait until the end to test.

Design for keyboard navigation: Ensure users can tab through your interface easily.

Include accessibility in your portfolio: Mention tools you use or show accessible versions of your projects.

Keep learning: Accessibility standards evolve, follow blogs like WebAIM, A11y Project and W3C updates.

6. Accessibility in Your Portfolio

If you’re a junior designer, demonstrating accessibility awareness can really set you apart.

In your portfolio, include:

A section describing how you ensure accessible design.

Screenshots of colour contrast checks or typography choices.

Mentions of tools and testing methods you’ve used.

Reflection on challenges you faced making a design accessible, and how you overcame them.

Accessibility is not just a technical requirement, it’s a mindset.
Designing inclusively means considering everyone’s needs and ensuring no one is excluded from the experience you create.

By learning the basics, using accessibility tools and making small mindful design choices, you’ll not only meet standards but also design websites that are functional, ethical and enjoyable for all.