Are you excluding your audience? A five-part series on accessibility

Many of us aim to consider accessibility when creating digital content. But even with the best intentions, it’s easy for small gaps or habits to slip through. Accessibility is not a single checkbox or a one-time task — it’s shaped by the everyday decisions we make, from content structure and language choices to design patterns and user testing.

In this five-part series, we’ll explore some of the most common accessibility gaps and highlight practical ways to address them. Each post focuses on a different stage of the user journey, offering realistic, actionable steps to help you create more inclusive digital experiences for everyone.

Part 1: Your content isn’t reaching everyone. 

We all want our content to connect with people, but the reality is that accessibility needs vary, and can sometimes be conflicting. It’s not just about legal compliance – accessibility also considers anyone facing temporary, situational or cognitive barriers. A design choice that helps one group may inadvertently create a barrier for another. That’s why building accessibility works best when it’s built in from the start.

Signs your content may not be reaching everyone may include:

• Long pages with low scroll depth 
• Minimal time spent on pages 
• Questions asking for clarification 
• Requests for alternative formats 
• High bounce rates 
• Low click-through rates 

Accessibility is not about creating one perfect experience. It is about giving users flexibility and control so they can engage in a way that works best for them.

Examples of conflicting accessible needs can include things like: 

High contrast vs Visual comfort

Users with visual impairments benefit from high contrast, whereas users with dyslexia or visual processing difficulties may rely on colour to understand information. 

Solution:

• Keep language simple and sentences short and precise
• Offer a toggle for a light/dark mode
• Meet WCAG contrast minimums without using pure black on white
• Reduce flashing or high-contrast content, particularly if animated.

Minimal design vs Cognitive support 

A clean, simple design can reduce visual clutter and support users with visual impairments, dyslexia or low cognitive function. But some neurodivergent users rely on visual cues to process information. 

Solution:

• Keep layouts clean but structured 
• Use headings and subheadings, spacing and consistent iconography

Plain language vs Dense information

Plain language helps users with lower literacy or cognitive accessibility needs and aids scanning, allowing users to have all the information in one place. But dense information can support users who need more context to fully understand content. 

Solution:

• Start with plain language, then introduce technical terms with explanations
• Layer information: summary first, detail later
• Offer two versions where necessary. One version is easier to read, and one version is more complex
• Use bullet points, short paragraphs and summaries at the top of a body of text.

Creating accessible content isn’t about perfection – it’s about thinking ahead, giving people options and making small, intentional decisions that make a big difference. Even small improvements can help your audience engage more easily and feel included. Accessibility is a journey, and each step you take helps more people experience your content the way it was meant to be seen. Next in the series, we look at how written copy shapes inclusion, and how your language can either open doors or unintentionally narrow your audience.