If you’re here, chances are you already care. At least a little.
Maybe you’ve run into accessibility at work.
Maybe you’re just tired of websites that don’t work properly.
Or maybe someone told you it’s “a legal thing.”
Whatever brought you here, we’re glad you showed up.
Because there’s more than one reason to care – and the first one’s simple:
The ethical case
Accessibility is the right thing to do.
There are over a billion disabled people worldwide. Making sure they can access the same information, services, and opportunities online isn’t a bonus feature – it’s basic human decency.
The web was meant to be for everyone.
If what you build excludes people, even unintentionally, it’s still exclusion.
But here’s the hard truth:
If doing the right thing were enough to change the internet, it would’ve happened by now.
Changing hearts and minds is often the hardest part.
So let’s look at a few other reasons people choose to care – because sometimes it takes more than ethics to inspire action.
The business case
Accessibility isn’t just ethical – it’s strategic.
When your website works for more people, more people can use it.
That means more customers, smoother experiences, and a reputation for giving a damn.
It also means fewer support tickets, less technical debt, and lower legal risk.
And let’s be honest – risk mitigation has a way of getting stakeholders to pay attention.
Accessibility improves usability, scalability, and trust.
It’s not a detour. It’s the more efficient path.
Accessibility is just good business.
The selfish case
You don’t have to be disabled to benefit from accessibility.
You just have to be human.
Ever watched a video with subtitles on, even though you could hear it just fine?
Used dark mode at night to give your eyes a break?
Zoomed in on your phone because the text was way too small?
That’s accessibility in action.
We all run into barriers – when we’re tired, injured, overwhelmed, multitasking, or just living real life.
And if you’re lucky enough to get older? You’ll almost definitely need it.
You’ve probably relied on accessible design more times than you realize. You just didn’t call it that.
The SEO bonus
No, accessibility isn’t just for SEO.
But a lot of what makes a site accessible also makes it easier to find – and easier to understand once people get there.
Things like:
- Proper use of headings
- Descriptive link text
- Alternative text for images
- Content that works on every screen size
If you’ve ever tried to optimise your site and been told to “use semantic HTML,” congratulations – you’ve already met WCAG and didn’t even know it.
It’s not the main reason to care. But it doesn’t hurt.
Bottom line?
There’s no single reason to care about accessibility.
There are dozens.
And whatever brings you here – ethics, business, personal experience, or just wanting to build better stuff – you’re in the right place.
Let’s keep going.