Over 1 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability, yet accessibility has often been neglected. Now, we’re seeing a shift as businesses begin prioritising inclusivity from the start. This marks a new era of proactive and thoughtful accessibility practices.
For years, accessibility was seen as an afterthought in development. Teams often focused on launching websites or products quickly, leaving accessibility to be addressed post-launch or only when legal or user complaints surfaced.
This reactive approach is time-consuming. Fixing issues after a website or product is live often means redesigning, rewriting code, and running extra tests, which take significantly more time than addressing accessibility during the development process.
Moreover, retrofitting accessibility is expensive. Reports show that fixing accessibility issues after launch can increase costs by 15% or even higher compared to addressing them during development. Lawsuits can lead to even bigger financial losses.
However, the mindset of treating accessibility as an afterthought is gradually shifting. More organisations are adopting a “shift left” approach, prioritising accessibility before development and recognising it as essential to user experience.
The approach to accessibility has shifted dramatically in recent years. There’s a growing emphasis on inclusivity, with companies recognising the importance of making their products usable for everyone, including people with disabilities.
Businesses are increasingly considering accessibility from the very beginning of their development process. By adopting the shift left approach, they ensure accessibility is not an afterthought but an integral part of planning, design, and development.
The shift left approach, which integrates accessibility early in development, offers significant benefits to businesses. It saves time and money by avoiding the costly process of retrofitting accessibility after a product or website is complete.
Organisations are also recognising the broader market advantages of accessibility. Inclusive products build customer loyalty, expand audience reach, and strengthen brand reputation, all while promoting a more equitable digital experience.
Microsoft’s approach to accessibility wasn’t always proactive. In the past, accessibility was treated as an afterthought, often addressed late in the development process. This reactive approach led to disruptive accessibility issues that were costly to fix.
Now, they’ve embraced the shift left approach, integrating accessibility into the earliest stages of development. With tools like Accessibility Insights, which they developed in-house, the company has transformed its process into one that is more efficient.
By addressing accessibility early, Microsoft has reduced bugs and minimised the need for extensive accessibility testing. This approach has also significantly lowered the risk of shipping delays, saving both time and money.
As Patrice Pelland, Partner Software Engineering Director at Microsoft Digital, explains:
“This [shift left] enables us to find accessibility bugs early, so at the end, major, disruptive bugs are few and far between. It enables us to ship experiences with accessibility in mind from the start, creating applications that are more inclusive for everyone, including those with disabilities. That’s why shifting left is so powerful – it allows you to avoid fire drills at the end of your projects.”
Microsoft’s success demonstrates the transformative impact of shifting accessibility left. By adopting similar practices, other organisations can streamline workflows, create better user experiences, and meet accessibility standards with confidence.
Accessibility laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the European Accessibility Act (EAA) have been a major force in driving change. While we don’t have specific statistics to cite, the influence of accessibility laws is undeniable.
For those seeking data, consider this: In 2023, 4,605 web accessibility lawsuits were filed in the US, marking a nearly 42% increase from the previous year. We don’t have data for 2024 yet, but it’s likely that the numbers have only continued to rise.
The rise in lawsuits has pushed businesses to prioritise accessibility sooner rather than later. So it’s fair to say that laws and lawsuits have become a critical motivator, forcing companies to act where voluntary efforts have fallen short.
To create truly inclusive digital experiences, we must embrace forethought. This means shifting accessibility from an afterthought to a core part of the process – starting at the earliest stages of planning and design.
When accessibility is treated as an afterthought, it often results in higher costs, and missed opportunities to create better user experiences. Embracing forethought eliminates these challenges, allowing teams to proactively address barriers before they arise.
We urge every team, company, and leader to embrace forethought. Shifting accessibility left isn’t just about saving time and money; it’s about aligning with laws, meeting market demands, and ensuring no one is excluded from the digital world.
The best way to get accessibility right is to shift left.
Article by
Melwyn holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and has been writing professionally for over 4 years. He has a strong background in SEO and is certified in web accessibility from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). When he's not writing about website optimisation, you can find him enjoying a game of FIFA or exploring the open world of GTA.
