When it comes to accessibility, the question shouldn't just be “are we compliant?” but “are we inclusive?”
For years, WCAG has been the standard for digital accessibility. It gives us a shared language and a clear set of requirements to meet. For many teams, it’s the first step in making their websites and products accessible.
But here’s the question: does meeting WCAG guidelines really mean we’ve created inclusive digital experiences?
WCAG is a starting point, not the destination
WCAG plays an important role. It ensures that common accessibility barriers are identified and addressed. But it was never designed to cover every nuance of how people actually interact with digital products.
Too often, accessibility gets reduced to a checklist. If a product passes the audit, it’s considered “done.” But actual experience tells a different story: many people still find digital products confusing, frustrating, or limiting even when they technically meet the guidelines.
Accessibility is about people, not compliance
Real inclusion happens when we design for people, not for rules. That means thinking about the full range of experiences users bring with them: their devices, their context, their confidence with technology.
Some simple but crucial questions help keep this perspective front and centre:
- Can someone not just access a product or page, but actually use it comfortably?
- Is the language clear and easy to follow?
- Are we designing with everyone in mind, not just the “average” user?
These questions aren’t about replacing WCAG, but about building on it.
Designing beyond the minimum
The danger of relying only on WCAG is that it sets the bar at the minimum. But inclusion isn’t about the minimum – it’s about ensuring digital spaces are usable, welcoming, and empowering for as many people as possible.
We shouldn’t stop once the boxes are ticked. Instead, we should see WCAG as the floor we build on, not the ceiling we reach.
Looking ahead
The future of inclusive digital design depends on shifting our mindset. Compliance will always matter, but it’s not enough on its own. By keeping people at the heart of the process, and by asking the right questions, we can create digital experiences that go further than guidelines – and actually feel inclusive to those who use them.
