Digital Accessibility

Not long ago, I came across the term a11y. The term stands for digital accessibility.

Digital accessibility is about making the web usable for everyone. That means people who are blind or have low vision, those who are deaf or hard of hearing, individuals with cognitive challenges, mobility impairments, or even temporary situations like a broken arm or bright sunlight making screens hard to read.

And here’s the thing: Digital accessibility isn’t just for people with disablities. It’s for everyone because at some point in our lives, we all benefit from inclusive design.

Think about it: Captions on a video help someone learning a new language. Keyboard navigation assists power users who want to move faster. Clear, simple layouts help all of us focus and understand. What’s “accessible” is often just better for everyone.

What hits home for me is that accessibility is about empathy. It’s about thinking beyond ourselves. When we build or write or design with accessibility in mind, we’re not just following guidelines—we’re saying, “You matter. You deserve to be included.”

That mindset shift is powerful. It’s changed how I test software, write code, create content and even how I interact with the web. I’ve learned that building accessible experiences doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It starts with awareness, a bit of curiosity, and the will to do better.

So, here I am, learning and growing, and hoping to share this journey with others. Whether you’re a developer, designer, writer, or just someone who loves the internet. Digital accessibility is something we can all contribute to.

“Disability is only one aspect of human diversity and identity, but it is an important one, because it can be found among people of all kinds, all races, all ethnicities, all gender identities, all ages, all socioeconomic classes, and essentially all other categories that you might use to describe people. We are all susceptible to disabilities, whether we have one now or not.”

Deque