So what does this actually mean for you?
It means accessibility isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s not a bonus feature. And it’s not something you can ignore until someone sends a legal notice.
If you build digital products – especially for the public (and if other humans use your thing, it’s public) – you have a responsibility to make them accessible.
That doesn’t mean you have to become a lawyer. Or memorize every clause of your local disability legislation.
But it does mean:
- If you work in government, healthcare, finance, or education? Accessibility probably isn’t optional.
- If your site is available internationally? Follow the strictest standard. (Hint: that’s probably WCAG 2.2 AA.)
- If you’re a designer, developer, content writer, or decision-maker? Accessibility is part of your job.
We’ll walk through how to actually meet these standards in later sections of this guide. But right now? Just know that WCAG 2.2 AA is your target, and accessibility needs to be part of your process from day one – not something you bolt on at the end.
Legal pressure is one reason to care.
But it’s not the most important one.
You shouldn’t wait for a lawsuit to start doing the right thing.
You should do it because people use what you make. And people deserve better.