Accessible design
Designs digital products that people with disabilities can use, following guidelines that can be checked, such as WCAG.
What problem it addresses
Most websites still have barriers: in 2026, 95.9% of a million home pages had detectable errors, mostly low-contrast text (WebAIM, 2026).
Principles
Perceivable
It can be seen, heard or touched in some way.
Operable
It can be used with a keyboard, voice or other aids.
Understandable
What it says and what happens make sense.
Robust
It works with assistive technologies.
Applications in design
Use it like this
Check contrast, keyboard use and alt text from the start.
Avoid
Relying only on automated tools: they find some of the problems, not all.
Don’t fall for it
Test with people who use screen readers or other aids.
Connections
Builds on
Authors and works
- 2023
W3C
Published the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2, with three levels: A, AA and AAA.
- 2026
WebAIM
Analyzes the accessibility of the million most visited home pages every year.
- 2023
European Union (2019) and Spain
Directive (EU) 2019/882 has required certain products and services, such as online stores and banking, to be accessible since 28 June 2025. Spain transposed it with Law 11/2023.
- 2026
ETSI, CEN and CENELEC
Published version 4.1.1 of the European standard EN 301 549, which adopts WCAG 2.2 Level AA for the web, documents and software. As of October 2026 it has not yet been cited in the EU Official Journal, so the 2021 version remains the reference.
Sources
Original sources
- W3C (2023). Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2. W3C Recommendation, October 5, 2023. View source: W3C (2023)
- WebAIM (2026). The WebAIM Million: The 2026 report on the accessibility of the top 1,000,000 home pages. View source: WebAIM (2026)
- Directiva (UE) 2019/882 del Parlamento Europeo y del Consejo, de April 17, 2019, sobre los requisitos de accesibilidad de los productos y servicios. Diario Oficial de la Unión Europea, L 151, June 7, 2019. View source: Directiva (UE) 2019/882 del Parlamento Europeo y del Consejo, de April 17, 2019, sobre los requisitos de accesibilidad de los productos y servicios. Diario Oficial de la Unión Europea, L 151, June 7, 2019.)
- Ley 11/2023, de 8 de mayo, de trasposición de Directivas de la Unión Europea en materia de accesibilidad de determinados productos y servicios, migración de personas altamente cualificadas, tributaria y digitalización de actuaciones notariales y registrales. Boletín Oficial del Estado, May 9, 2023. View source: Ley 11/2023, de 8 de mayo, de trasposición de Directivas de la Unión Europea en materia de accesibilidad de determinados productos y servicios, migración de personas altamente cualificadas, tributaria y digitalización de actuaciones notariales y registrales. Boletín Oficial del Estado, May 9, 2023.)
- ETSI, CEN & CENELEC (2026). EN 301 549 V4.1.1: Requisitos de accesibilidad para productos y servicios TIC. Publicada el September 2, 2026. View source: ETSI, CEN & CENELEC (2026)
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