Why Accessibility Isn't Just Nice-to-Have; It's Better for Everyone
August 23, 2025
Working in quality assurance, particularly in digital accessibility, is largely rewarding and a field I feel proud to work in. However, it can also feel like an uphill battle at times. Frequently answering questions such as "Can't we defer accessibility for now and address it in the future?", "How many of our users will this affect? Is it worth prioritizing?", or "This keyboard navigation bug is listed as critical, can't we lower the severity since it doesn't affect everyone?" can feel discouraging and disheartening.
One concept I often think about in these situations is the Curb Cut Effect. The Curb Cut Effect is the principle that when you design or develop something (whether in the built or digital environment) to remove barriers for people with disabilities, it ends up benefiting everyone. In the 1970s, during the disability rights movement, advocates pushed for curb cuts in sidewalks so people using wheelchairs could move independently and safely without worrying about how to transition from the street onto a sidewalk and vice versa. Once curb cuts became commonplace, people realized they not only benefited wheelchair users but also helped parents pushing children in strollers, delivery personnel moving heavy carts from their trucks to stores, and elderly people who used walking devices or had difficulty stepping up or down curbs.
You might be wondering how the concept of curb cuts relates to the web and other digital products. Consider the software and tools we use most commonly, such as streaming services on our televisions or phones. Captions were originally created for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, but they're also valuable in noisy environments (or quiet environments where you wouldn't want others to hear) for hearing people, for second language learners, or for people who prefer to read or have other cognitive disabilities. Other examples include speech-to-text capabilities, originally developed for people with mobility disabilities, which are now widely used on smartphones for hands-free texting. Keyboard navigation and shortcuts were designed to help people using assistive technology and unable to use a mouse, but are frequently preferred by PC and Mac users for efficiency.
I try to answer these questions and approach these situations strategically for the business while always keeping the end user at the forefront of my mind. For example, when addressing the idea of deferring accessibility to future development, I emphasize that it will add significant cost and maintenance to the product. Using a real-world scenario from a Fortune 500 company, fixing one accessibility issue proactively during the design phase cost approximately $100.50. However, fixing it retroactively in production cost around $9,949.50, a nearly 100-fold cost increase (Source: Deque, The Business Case for Accessibility)! Incorporating accessibility into projects from the start is imperative. The result provides the same high-quality experience that works for everyone and simply makes good business sense. At the end of the day, accessibility benefits everyone.