Building Inclusive User Experiences for Digital Compliance

According to WHO, an estimated 1.3 billion people, or 16 % of the world, live with a significant disability (Source ). With the cultural shift towards diversity and inclusion, consideration towards these people now translates into developing inclusive digital experiences.

True digital accessibility means online spaces are designed for everyone regardless of their abilities. It means accessible online spaces built in an informative and approachable way. Digital accessibility is crucial for businesses because it expands their audience reach, enhances brand reputation, and ensures compliance with legal requirements.

With the European Accessibility Act 2025 set to take effect on June 28, 2025, and the ADA in the USA already in full force, the legal responsibility for not implementing accessible design is firmly established. This sets a robust regulatory framework that mandates businesses to ensure digital inclusivity or face legal consequences. Compliance with digital accessibility is not just a recommendation but a critical business obligation that cannot be ignored.

In this article, we explain why digital inclusion is important and provide insights and solutions on its implementation for websites and mobile apps.

The cost of inaccessibility: legal and financial implications

Not opting for accessibility and inclusion in website design has several financial and legal implications.

First, companies that fail to meet accessibility standards are vulnerable to legal action. In the U.S., ADA-related digital accessibility lawsuits have increased significantly, especially against websites and mobile apps. These cases often result in costly settlements or penalties. The ADA report revealed that there has been a 62% increase in digital accessibility lawsuits from 2022 to 2023 (Source ).

An example of a company facing legal action due to failure to meet accessibility standards is Domino's Pizza. In a highly publicized case, Domino's was sued by a blind customer, Guillermo Robles, who alleged that he could not order food from Domino's website and mobile app using his screen reader, which violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The lawsuit claimed that Domino's digital platforms were not accessible to individuals with disabilities, thereby denying them equal access to services.

The case escalated to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2019 when Domino's petitioned to dismiss the case, arguing that the ADA does not explicitly cover digital accessibility. However, the Supreme Court denied Domino's petition, allowing the lower court to rule that the case could proceed. This decision underscored the legal precedent that websites and mobile apps must comply with the ADA, leading to increased scrutiny and legal risks for companies that fail to make their digital platforms accessible. Other famous companies that settled digital accessibility cases in recent years include Nike, Target, and Beyonce's Park Entertainment.

Legal cases related to ADA compliance result in significant financial and reputational losses for companies. Fines for violations from ADA can reach up to $75,000 for a first offense and $150,000 for subsequent offenses, and that does not even include case settlements and litigation costs. However, even if you are not subject to a lawsuit, not having an accessible website results in a loss of market share, as approximately 15% of the global population has some form of disability.

Understanding digital accessibility

Digital accessibility refers to the practice of designing and developing digital products, services, and environments (such as websites, apps, and online tools) to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can use them. The goal is to remove barriers that prevent individuals with varying abilities from fully engaging with digital content, thus creating a more inclusive and equitable online experience.

Accessible design accounts for many factors, including language, age, abilities, and environment.

• Language in accessible design is simple and clear to include people from diverse linguistic backgrounds with different levels of linguistic command.
• Designing for different ages means adjustable text sizes, simple navigation, and age-appropriate content that does not exclude minors.
• Designing for ability entails users' physical, sensory, and cognitive capabilities. It includes users with disabilities, such as visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments, and influences how they interact with digital environments.
• Designing for the environment means that the product is adjusted for different factors like lighting, noise levels, and device type.

The role of WCAG in ensuring digital accessibility

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are crucial in ensuring digital accessibility and helping businesses comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While WCAG is not a law, it is the most widely accepted set of international standards for making websites and digital content accessible to people with disabilities, practically a technical standard. ADA compliance in digital spaces relies on adherence to WCAG principles. The ADA does not have its own specific set of technical standards for digital accessibility because the ADA was enacted in 1990, before the widespread use of the internet and digital technologies.

WCAG has three levels of compliance to accommodate different levels of accessibility needs:

• Level A: The most basic level of accessibility. Content that meets this level is accessible to some users but may exclude others. This level is not enough to count as an inclusive digital experience.
• Level AA: The mid-level standard and the most commonly referenced for legal compliance. Meeting Level AA ensures accessibility for a wide range of users. Lawsuits that suggest companies do not ensure digital accessibility mean that they fail to meet AA level.
• Level AAA: The highest and most comprehensive level of accessibility, but often challenging to achieve for all content types.

In the European Union, digital accessibility is set to be regulated by The European Accessibility Act (EAA) 2025, which will take effect on June 28, 2025. This act, which applies to a wide range of products and services, including websites, mobile apps, e-commerce, public transport information, ATMs, and banking services, is expected to align with the globally accepted Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), further underlining the significance of WCAG in the digital landscape.

Building inclusive user experiences: key principles

The latest WCAG 2.1 bases digital inclusion on four POUR principles. These are the most important principles behind inclusive web design:

Perceivable:

• Content must be presented in ways that users can perceive, regardless of sensory limitations.
• Examples: Alternative text for images, captions for video content, and ensuring sufficient color contrast.

Operable:

• The user interface and navigation must be operable by all users, including those using assistive technologies like screen readers or keyboard navigation. It cannot require users to take actions they cannot perform.
• Examples: Allowing keyboard-only navigation and making sure interactive elements like forms are accessible.

Understandable:

• The content and interface should be easy to understand and navigate for all users. You should not complicate things that can be said in simple words.
• Examples: Using simple, clear language and providing consistent navigation structures across a website.

Robust:

• Content must be robust enough to work across different browsers, devices, and assistive technologies. It should be available to broad categories of users.
• Examples: Writing clean, semantic HTML code that works reliably with assistive technologies like screen readers.

While these are the main principles behind accessible digital experiences, there are more that can be applied:

• Accessible design should be flexible. This means that you need to be prepared to add extra features to your website if digital accessibility demands it.
• Inclusive web design means the user experience should be as simple as possible.
• User perception is the most important element of inclusive web design.
• Every user is equal, and all of them should be able to equally complete all tasks.
• Digital accessibility should prevent users from making errors when navigating your website.
• Inclusive digital experience is designed with empathy towards all potential website users.

Practical tips for improving website accessibility

Now that we have established the principles behind inclusive digital experiences, let's look into the practices that make accessible websites real. If you want to improve digital accessibility of your website, here is what you have to do:

Use alt text for images

• Always include meaningful alt text for images, icons, and other non-text elements, especially those that convey important content. This helps screen readers describe images to users with visual impairments. Alt text should be very minimal and describe just the function of the image.
• Mark decorative images (those that don't provide content) with empty alt attributes (alt= "") to avoid unnecessary clutter for screen reader users so that they can skip it.

Ensure proper color contrast

• Ensure text and background colors have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for larger text. This is the recommendation of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that allows users with visual impairments, including color blindness, to read the text (Source ). Use highly contrasted colors.
• Don't use color as the only way to convey information (e.g., red text for errors) for the same reason. Provide alternative indicators like icons or text descriptions.

Ensure keyboard navigation

• Ensure your website can be fully navigated using a keyboard. All interactive elements (like buttons, links, and form fields) should be accessible using the Tab key and Enter/Space keys. This is for all the users who cannot use the mouse.
• Ensure keyboard focus is clearly visible when users tab through interactive elements. A visible outline or highlight on the focused element helps users know where they are on the page.

Provide text alternatives for media

• Provide captions for videos and transcripts for audio content. This helps users with hearing impairments and improves the accessibility of multimedia content. It also works for people who are in public places and cannot watch multimedia content right now.
• For videos, include descriptive audio or text alternatives that explain visual information for users with vision impairments.

Write simple, easy-to-read copy

• Copying on the website should not go beyond the 9th-grade readability level, and the language should be appropriate for the audience and context. Clear and simple copy helps everyone, including people with cognitive impairments and non-native speakers. Avoid jargon and professionalism unless they are appropriate to the context.
• Make sure that the copy is meaningful and addresses customer needs.
• Break up long text sections with headings, bullet points, and numbered lists. This improves readability and allows assistive technologies to structure the content better.
• If there are forms to complete, they should be simple and logical.

Use headings to structure content

• Organize content with proper headings (h1, h2, h3, etc.) to create a clear hierarchy. This makes content easier to navigate for screen reader users and improves SEO. It also just makes the text easier to read for everyone.
• Headings should follow a logical order without skipping levels (e.g., don't jump from h1 to h3 without an h2 in between).

Implement responsive and predictable design

• Use responsive design to ensure your website adapts to different screen sizes and orientations, making it accessible across devices.
• Ensure that buttons and interactive elements are large enough to be easily tapped on small screens, aiding users with motor impairments.
• The navigation system should be intuitive and easy to understand.
• Make sure that the elements of design are predictable across different parts of the website.
• Use accessible fonts, especially for more complicated features like ascents and descents.

Avoid automatic content changes

• Avoid sudden page changes or automatic redirects without notifying users. These can disorient people using screen readers or keyboard navigation.
• For content like carousels or pop-ups, give users control to pause, stop, or extend time limits to ensure everyone has enough time to interact.
• Avoid content with time limits. If you do have them, add an option to remove them.

Educate on accessible design and test it

• Have everyone on your team who deals with the website content undergo training on implementing accessible design.
• Run automatic testing tools, perform manual testing, and conduct user testing involving users with different disabilities.

Making mobile apps accessible: essential guidelines

Mobile apps with accessible digital experiences must have all of the features discussed in the previous section. However, mobile apps have more features that need to be made accessible. Here are some of the best practices:

1. Use accessible UI components

• Use native UI components like buttons, checkboxes, sliders, and switches, as they are automatically recognized by assistive technologies (e.g., screen readers).
• Ensure that touch targets (e.g., buttons, icons) are large enough for users with motor impairments. The recommended minimum size is 44x44 pixels.
• Maintain a consistent layout and structure across all app screens to make navigation easier for users.

2. Provide screen reader support

• Ensure that all interactive elements (buttons, links, images) have clear and descriptive labels using native contentDescription (Android) or accessibilityLabel (iOS). This helps screen readers describe elements accurately to users.
• Ensure that any custom gestures can be operated with alternative inputs, such as tapping, and are fully supported by screen readers.

3. Support voice assistants

• Ensure your app supports voice-based interactions through Siri and Google Assistant. Users should be able to navigate, input text, and control the app using voice commands.
• Provide voice-over hints that guide users on interacting with different app features using voice commands.

4. Offer multiple ways to perform actions

• Provide multiple ways to perform key tasks. For example, a user should be able to swipe or tap to complete actions like navigation or submission of forms.
• Design for various input methods (e.g., touch, voice, gestures) to ensure users with motor or sensory impairments can interact with your app.

5. Handle alerts and notifications accessibly

• Ensure that any notifications, alerts, or changes in state (e.g., loading screens, success messages) are announced to users with screen readers.
• Allow users to manage the volume and frequency of notifications, ensuring they are not overwhelmed by unnecessary interruptions.

6. Other considerations

• Make sure the app is compatible with dark mode, and check that all UI elements remain accessible (e.g., maintaining contrast ratios) when dark mode is enabled.
• Ensure compatibility with alternative input methods, such as voice control, switches, or eye-tracking devices. For instance, voice-activated commands should function smoothly without relying on gestures or touch.
• Avoid using placeholders as a substitute for form field labels. Labels should remain visible even after input is entered so users know what each field is for.
• Offer breadcrumbs or a consistent "Back" button for easier navigation, particularly for users with cognitive disabilities.
• Enable users to increase or decrease font size according to their preferences by supporting dynamic text scaling. Ensure that the app layout adjusts seamlessly when font size changes.
• Enable pinch-to-zoom features and ensure that the app does not break or lose functionality when the zoom is applied.
• Provide accessible error messages and clear instructions. For example, use text and color to indicate errors and suggest correcting the input.

Best tools for assessing website accessibility

Building accessible digital experiences requires designers and developers to use tools:

• WAVE, Axe, and Lighthouse are the tools that can help you conduct the whole website's accessibility check. Out of three, Axe is the most in-depth tool for professionals, while Wave is more accessible.
• WebAIM Contrast Checker and Color Oracle are the tools that help designers verify color combinations.
• Screen readers like NVDA or VoiceOver can be used by developers to manually test website accessibility.

Empowering everyone

Embracing digital experiences through accessible design allows businesses to connect with a broader audience, including those with disabilities, by creating more inclusive and user-friendly platforms for everyone. By integrating WCAG guidelines, companies can proactively address accessibility challenges and reduce legal risks associated with non-compliance. This approach not only benefits users by providing a more equitable online experience but also strengthens brand reputation and expands market reach. As accessibility standards like the European Accessibility Act come into effect, prioritizing accessible design becomes essential for engaging diverse audiences and enhancing digital projects.

At Binariks, we can help you with inclusive web design. Here's what we can do:

• Design consultations
• Inclusive web design from the ground up
• UI/UX design
• Accessibility audits
• Healthcare website design
• UI/UX design services
• Custom web development services
• User testing with diverse audiences
• Monitoring and support of the website