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Accessibility as a Default, Not an Afterthought

Patterns we bake into every UI to improve usability and compliance from day one.

Elena Rostova

Elena Rostova

Accessibility & Design Systems Specialist

September 16, 2026•6 min read
Accessibility as a Default, Not an Afterthought

Accessibility is Architecture

Accessibility (a11y) is frequently treated as a checklist item right before launch. In reality, retrofitting accessibility into poorly structured DOM trees is tenfold harder than building it correctly from the start.

Core Rules We Follow:

  1. Semantic HTML: Use native buttons, links, and headings. A <div> with an onClick requires keyboard listeners, focus management, and ARIA attributes that native elements provide for free.
  2. Minimum Hit Targets: Interactive targets must measure at least 44x44px to guarantee effortless touch screen tapability.
  3. Color Contrast: Test measured text contrast against the actual rendered background. Aim for WCAG AA (4.5:1 for body text) minimum across all themes.
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