Accessible Interface Design: 18 Key Principles

How do you design an accessible interface for all types of users?

Designing an accessible interface starts at the discovery phase, with close collaboration between UX professionals, developers, designers, and content writers. Every design decision should account for all types of disabilities, devices, and browsers, guided by clear principles including keyboard support, proper color contrast, simple navigation, inclusive scoping, and user control over content.

The moral obligation to design accessible websites — regardless of disability type, technology used, cultural background, education, or experience — presents serious challenges throughout the entire website-building process. From the initial discovery and design phases all the way through to final launch.

When UX professionals, developers, designers, and content writers collaborate to build truly accessible websites, they are essentially delivering the highest-quality product possible to their clients.

Because the range of ways people browse the internet is enormous — from countless browsers to an ever-growing variety of devices — it takes considerable effort to think through and plan the entire process, which most of the time involves multiple professionals. While most accessibility work falls on the developer, the designer's role is far from negligible.

I follow a set of key principles that help everyone involved and minimize unnecessary back-and-forth between developers, designers, and UX specialists. Note that these principles apply to any digital interface.

Rule 1 - Inclusive Discovery

Rule 2 - Operating System Compatibility

Rule 3 - Personalized User Experience

Rule 4 - Full Keyboard Support

Rule 5 - Support for Diverse Input Options

Rule 6 - Support for Diverse Output Options

Rule 7 - Enable User Control

Rule 8 - Translating the Message

Rule 9 - Color Is a Powerful Tool

Rule 10 - Give Users Control Over Moving Content

Rule 11 - Maintaining Proper Color Contrast

Rule 12 - Mirroring