Creating an accessible user journey means designing every interaction a user has with your website or digital product so that people of all abilities can navigate and engage with ease. This includes individuals with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive disabilities. An accessible user journey doesn’t just meet legal requirements, it fosters inclusion, improves usability for everyone, and creates a better overall experience.
Below are the key steps to help ensure your user journey is as accessible as possible from start to finish.
Start with Inclusive User Research
A truly accessible journey begins long before design; it starts with understanding your users. Traditional research often overlooks people with disabilities, but their insights are essential to creating meaningful and usable experiences.
Do:
- Involve users with a range of disabilities during user interviews, testing, and feedback sessions.
- Create user personas that reflect diverse needs, such as a user with limited mobility using voice control, or someone with dyslexia who benefits from clean, distraction-free layouts.
- Consider environmental contexts too (e.g., users accessing your app or website on a noisy bus or in low light).
By centering a diverse audience from the beginning, you design with empathy and build for real-world usage.
Design with Accessibility in Mind
Good accessible design is proactive, not reactive. It should be embedded in your planning, wireframes and visual layouts, not tacked on later.
Do:
- Stick to tried-and-true design patterns that are screen-reader friendly and easy to understand.
- Use clear visual hierarchy with headings (<h1>, <h2>, etc.) and logical flow.
- Make touch targets such as buttons large enough for users with limited dexterity and design navigation to be intuitive on all devices.
Avoid over-reliance on flashy animations, tiny buttons, or cluttered layouts that can confuse users or exclude assistive technologies.
Simplify Navigation and Orientation
Navigation should be clear, consistent, and easy to use with keyboard, screen reader, or touch controls. Users should always know where they are, what they can do, and how to move forward or back.
Do:
- Use a consistent header, menu, and footer across your site.
- Provide breadcrumbs or step indicators in multi-step processes (like sign-up or checkout).
- Clearly highlight the current page or step to orient users.
Without proper orientation, users with cognitive disabilities or screen reader users can get lost quickly, especially on content-heavy sites.
Make Interactive Elements Usable by All
Whether it’s clicking a button, filling out a form, or completing a purchase, users need clear, operable touchpoints.
Do:
- Ensure all buttons and links are keyboard accessible and have clear focus indicators.
- Provide visible and descriptive labels for form fields.
- Offer clear error messages and success feedback, with suggestions for how to fix issues.
Avoid:
- Relying on colour alone to indicate errors (e.g., “highlighted in red”) — use text explanations as well.
- Creating custom form components that don’t work with assistive tech.
Provide Alternative Content Formats
Users consume content in different ways. Someone may need captions for videos, while another may benefit from audio versions of text content.
Do:
- Add captions to videos and transcripts for audio content.
- Use descriptive alt text for images and include summaries for infographics and charts.
- Ensure PDFs and downloadable documents are screen-reader accessible.
Multiple content formats not only help users with disabilities but also improve overall comprehension and user satisfaction.
Test the Entire Journey for Accessibility
Testing individual pages is great, but accessibility issues often appear in transitions — during logins, purchases, form submissions, or error states.
Do:
- Use automated tools like WAVE, axe, or Lighthouse to catch common problems.
- Conduct manual testing by navigating with just a keyboard or a screen reader.
- Include accessibility checks in your testing
Even better, test with real users who rely on assistive technologies. They’ll help uncover issues you might not think to check.
Offer Accessible Support and Feedback Options
If users get stuck or need help, your support channels should also be inclusive.
Do:
- Provide multiple contact methods (email, phone, chat), and ensure they work with screen readers and voice input.
- Make FAQs and help content easy to read, searchable, and written in plain language.
- Give users a simple way to report accessibility issues.
Great support builds trust and shows users you care about their experience.
Maintain Accessibility Over Time
Accessibility isn’t a one-time task, it’s an ongoing process. As your website or digital product evolves, you must keep the user journey inclusive.
Do:
- Train your content creators, designers, and developers in accessibility best practices.
- Use a style guide or accessibility checklist to keep standards consistent.
- Regularly audit and update your site for new accessibility challenges.
Keeping accessibility front-of-mind throughout the product lifecycle ensures you don’t undo progress with future updates.
An accessible user journey is more than just compliant — it’s compassionate. It reflects a commitment to equity, usability, and excellence. When you design with accessibility in mind at every stage — from research to support — you build experiences that work better for everyone.
In the end, accessibility isn’t just about helping people with disabilities. It’s about respecting your users, expanding your reach, and creating digital spaces that are truly open and welcoming to all.
