Real-world examples of accessible software design best practices

Starting with real examples of accessible software design best practices

Accessibility advice often gets trapped in vague statements like “make it usable for everyone.” That’s not helpful when you’re staring at a design system or a backlog and need to decide what to build next. So let’s start with real examples of accessible software design best practices that you can map directly to your product.

Consider these scenarios:

• A visually impaired user navigating a dashboard using only a keyboard and a screen reader.
• A user with ADHD trying to complete a long form without getting lost or overwhelmed.
• A deaf user joining a product demo over video and relying entirely on captions.
• A user with a broken wrist trying to use your app one-handed on a phone.

If your software works well in those situations, you’re already implementing some of the best examples of accessible software design best practices. Let’s break down what those look like in practice.

1. Keyboard-first navigation: an underrated example of accessible design

One of the most common examples of accessible software design best practices is full keyboard accessibility. If your app can’t be used without a mouse, it’s excluding a lot of people: users with motor impairments, power users who rely on keyboard shortcuts, and screen reader users who navigate using the keyboard.

Strong implementations share a few traits:

• Logical tab order that follows visual layout, not random DOM order.
• Visible focus states with clear outlines or highlights (not just a faint color shift).
• Skip links (like “Skip to main content”) that let users jump past repetitive navigation.
• Keyboard-accessible components: menus, dialogs, dropdowns, carousels, and modals must all respond to Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, and Escape.

A concrete example: modern browsers and productivity tools such as VS Code and Google Docs allow users to access nearly every function through keyboard shortcuts and well-defined focus states. This isn’t just a nice productivity trick; it’s a textbook example of accessible software design best practices that also benefits advanced users.

For technical guidance, the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Success Criterion 2.1.1 on keyboard accessibility is a solid reference point: https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/

2. Screen reader-friendly structure and meaningful semantics

Another set of examples of accessible software design best practices centers on how content is structured for assistive technologies like screen readers.

Well-designed software:

• Uses semantic HTML or equivalent roles in native apps: headings, lists, landmarks, buttons, and links.
• Provides descriptive labels for interactive elements. “Submit application” is better than just “Submit.”
• Avoids using non-interactive elements (like <div> or <span>) as buttons without proper ARIA roles and keyboard behavior.
• Announces dynamic changes (e.g., error messages, toast notifications) using ARIA live regions or native OS accessibility APIs.

Real example: modern email clients like Gmail and Outlook on the web have made substantial improvements to heading structure and landmark roles so screen reader users can jump directly to inbox, search, or settings. This is a practical example of accessible software design best practices in a complex, data-heavy interface.

If you’re building web-based tools, the WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices from W3C offer detailed patterns for accessible widgets: https://www.w3.org/WAI/ARIA/apg/

3. Color, contrast, and non-color cues: visual design that actually works

Color is where many teams accidentally ship inaccessible designs. The best examples of accessible software design best practices treat color as one signal among several, not the only one.

Patterns to emulate:

• Sufficient contrast between text and background. WCAG recommends at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
• Non-color indicators for status and errors: icons, text labels, patterns, or underlines in addition to color.
• Dark mode and high-contrast themes that respect OS-level user preferences.

Real examples include:

• Operating systems like Windows and macOS offering high-contrast modes and system-wide color filters.
• Design systems such as Material Design providing accessible color palettes and guidance on contrast.

This is not just visual polish. For users with low vision or color vision deficiency, these are life-or-death usability details. The CDC notes that about 12 million people in the U.S. 40 and over have vision impairment, including color vision issues, which makes these examples of accessible software design best practices extremely relevant in everyday products: https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/basics/index.html

4. Text alternatives, captions, and audio descriptions

Modern software is full of images, icons, and video. Accessible products provide text alternatives so that users who can’t see or hear the content still get the information.

Strong examples include:

• Alt text for meaningful images that describes the purpose, not just the object. “Download monthly sales report” is better than “Arrow icon.”
• No alt text for decorative images, so screen readers can skip them.
• Closed captions on all video content, including product demos, onboarding videos, and webinars.
• Transcripts for audio content and podcasts embedded in your product.

A good real-world example: video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams now offer live captions and transcript exports. This is one of the best examples of accessible software design best practices at scale: it helps deaf and hard-of-hearing users, supports non-native speakers, and improves searchability of meeting content.

For health-related or training content, organizations often look to standards and guidance from bodies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which strongly emphasize accessible communication formats: https://www.nih.gov/

5. Forms and error handling: clear, forgiving, and predictable

Forms are where accessibility issues hit users the hardest: sign-ups, checkouts, applications, and settings screens. Some of the best examples of accessible software design best practices live here.

Characteristics of accessible forms:

• Labels are always visible, not just placeholders that disappear when you type.
• Clear instructions appear before input, not only after a user makes a mistake.
• Error messages are specific, placed near the problematic field, and announced to assistive tech.
• Inline validation is used carefully so it doesn’t trap screen reader users in constant announcements.
• Logical grouping of related fields (e.g., address fields, payment details) with group labels.

Real example: well-designed tax preparation software and government service portals increasingly provide step-by-step flows with clear progress indicators, explicit labels, and persistent instructions. This is especially important for users with cognitive or learning disabilities.

The U.S. government’s accessibility resources at https://www.section508.gov/ offer guidance and checklists that align with many of these examples of accessible software design best practices.

6. Cognitive accessibility: reducing overload and decision fatigue

Accessibility isn’t only about vision, hearing, or motor skills. Cognitive load matters just as much. Some of the best examples of accessible software design best practices focus on making interfaces more understandable and less mentally taxing.

Patterns worth copying:

• Plain language instead of jargon, especially in error messages, settings, and legal agreements.
• Chunked content: breaking long forms or flows into smaller, clearly labeled steps.
• Consistent navigation and patterns so users don’t have to re-learn interactions on every screen.
• Undo and confirmation options, so users don’t fear catastrophic mistakes.

Real example: many modern banking apps now present complex financial data in simplified dashboards with progressive disclosure—showing high-level summaries first and letting users drill down. That’s a subtle but powerful example of accessible software design best practices that supports users with anxiety, ADHD, or limited financial literacy.

7. Responsive, mobile-friendly, and touch-accessible interfaces

People use your product on phones, tablets, laptops, TVs, and assistive devices. Accessibility patterns must hold up across all of them.

Good practice looks like this:

• Tap targets large enough for users with limited dexterity (commonly 44x44 CSS pixels or larger on mobile).
• Spacing between elements to avoid accidental taps.
• Responsive layouts that preserve reading order and logical grouping as the viewport changes.
• Support for device accessibility features, such as dynamic text size, system-wide zoom, and voice control.

Real example: both iOS and Android encourage developers to respect the user’s preferred text size and provide APIs for larger text and bold text. Apps that adopt these features offer strong examples of accessible software design best practices for mobile.

8. Accessibility in AI-powered and modern 2024–2025 features

The 2024–2025 wave of AI features introduces new accessibility opportunities—and new risks.

Forward-thinking teams are using AI to:

• Auto-generate alt text for uploaded images, then allow humans to edit for accuracy.
• Provide AI-based summaries of long documents, meeting notes, or message threads to reduce cognitive load.
• Offer multiple input modes: voice, text, and even image-based input, giving users more ways to interact.

But there are pitfalls. Poorly designed AI chat interfaces can hide context, rely too heavily on visual cues, or produce inaccessible output formats.

Some of the best examples of accessible software design best practices in AI-enabled products include:

• Ensuring AI-generated content (like summaries or captions) can be read by screen readers.
• Providing clear indications of loading states and progress for users relying on assistive tech.
• Allowing users to turn off animation-heavy visualizations or auto-scrolling chat windows.

Organizations like Harvard University’s accessibility resources discuss inclusive design in digital learning tools and AI-enabled platforms: https://accessibility.harvard.edu/

Building accessibility into your design and development workflow

Knowing the theory and seeing real examples of accessible software design best practices is one thing. Shipping accessible products consistently is another.

Teams that succeed tend to:

• Bake accessibility into design systems: components ship with accessible states, labels, and guidance by default.
• Include accessibility acceptance criteria in user stories and pull requests.
• Run automated checks (linting, CI tools) plus manual testing with screen readers and keyboard-only navigation.
• Involve people with disabilities in usability testing, not just internal QA.

This is where your library of examples of accessible software design best practices becomes more than a reference—it becomes a checklist for design reviews and code reviews. When a new component or flow is proposed, you can ask:

• Does it work with keyboard only?
• Does it make sense with a screen reader?
• Does it hold up for low-vision users and high-contrast modes?
• Is the language clear enough for someone unfamiliar with the domain?

If the answer is “no” to any of those, you have a design problem, not just an accessibility problem.

Frequently asked questions about examples of accessible software design best practices

What are some quick examples of accessible software design best practices I can implement this sprint?

If you need fast wins, focus on three areas: keyboard navigation, color contrast, and form labels. Make sure every interactive element is reachable and usable by keyboard alone, increase contrast for low-contrast text and icons, and ensure every input has a visible, descriptive label. These changes are often low-risk but dramatically improve usability for many users.

Can you give an example of how accessibility benefits all users, not just people with disabilities?

Closed captions are a classic example. They were originally created for deaf and hard-of-hearing users, but now they’re used by people watching videos in noisy environments, in quiet offices, or in another language. Similarly, larger tap targets and clear focus states help users on small screens and in motion, not just people with motor impairments.

How do I know if my software meets current accessibility standards?

Use automated tools as a first pass (linting, browser extensions, CI checks), then test with real assistive technologies like screen readers and keyboard-only navigation. Compare your product against WCAG 2.2 AA guidelines and, if you work in the U.S. public sector or with federal contracts, review Section 508 requirements at https://www.section508.gov/. Combining standards-based review with user testing will give you a realistic picture.

Are there examples of accessible software design best practices specifically for mobile apps?

Yes. Respect the device’s accessibility settings (text size, bold text, high contrast, reduced motion), use large tap targets, and maintain clear reading order in responsive layouts. Make sure bottom sheets, modals, and custom components are keyboard- and screen reader-accessible. Many of the best examples of accessible software design best practices on mobile come from native apps that closely follow Apple’s and Google’s accessibility guidelines.

How often should we audit our product for accessibility issues?

Treat accessibility audits as an ongoing practice, not a one-time project. At minimum, review accessibility during every major release and whenever you introduce new components or redesign key flows. Regularly revisiting examples of accessible software design best practices during design reviews and retrospectives helps keep standards high as your product evolves.