Which access needs should our website design cover?

Website accessibility needs to accommodate different reading speeds, bright light and distracting surroundings, not just a single ideal viewing situation. A visitor reading in a non-native language may need longer to understand content, making an auto-rotating carousel difficult to use. Someone viewing a smartphone in bright sunlight needs sufficient contrast to see the content, while a person travelling through distracting surroundings needs an interface that is easy to use.

Review content timing, text contrast and ease of use against those everyday conditions. Access needs can be temporary or situational rather than permanent. WebAIM's 2026 automated analysis of leading websites globally found low-contrast text on 83.9% of home pages, making contrast a particularly relevant review priority.

Website design should account for touch, mouse and keyboard input, as well as people using browsers that read webpages aloud. A visual interface alone is not a sufficient basis for deciding whether an experience is accessible. Review how people can access and operate the website across individual needs, devices and browsing conditions, including slow internet connections.

For the "This is IBM" page celebrating IBM's work in the UK and Ireland, a developer was involved from the beginning. Early involvement helped establish what was practical to implement and made inclusion a priority across colours, contrast, devices and input methods. Bring development expertise into design decisions early, so technical constraints and alternative ways of operating the website shape the experience rather than becoming late-stage fixes.