Why Accessibility Matters
Accessibility impacts real people. And when we design with accessibility in mind, we’re not just making products more usable—we’re making them more human and real.
Right now, 1.3 billion people—live with some form of disability. That makes people with disabilities the largest minority group in the world. And yet, many of the products and services we design don’t fully consider their needs.
16 in every 100 people worldwide live with a disability. That’s 16% of the global population. If you combined the entire populations of the US, Europe, and Canada, you still wouldn’t reach that number. In the U.S., 1 in 4 adults—that’s 25% of the population—has a disability. Yet, many digital experiences still exclude these users. Accessibility isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s essential for creating equitable digital products.
Design for business impact
Accessibility isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s good for business also. When we design with accessibility in mind, we see real business impact.
- Compliance—Ignoring accessibility can lead to legal risks and lawsuits. But beyond that, it’s about building trust with your users.
- Better customer satisfaction—Inclusive design makes experiences smoother, reducing frustration and improving UX for all users.
- Higher user adoption—When products are easier to use, more people engage with them. Simple, intuitive experiences benefit everyone, not just those with disabilities.
- More inclusive digital transformation—Companies that prioritize accessibility aren’t just meeting standards; they’re staying ahead by making their products future-proof and open to everyone.
So when we talk about accessibility, we’re not just talking about doing good—we’re talking about doing better for users and for business.
Understanding Disability & Accessibility
Disability can affect how people see, hear, move, think, or interact with technology. Accessibility ensures that people of all abilities can perceive, navigate, and contribute to digital environments. Standards like WCAG and laws like the ADA exist to protect this right—and non-compliance has real consequences, from lawsuits to lost trust.
The 5 Types of Disabilities
Disability exists on a spectrum—it can be permanent, temporary, or situational. Understanding this helps us design experiences that serve people across all contexts. Here’s how each of the five major types of disabilities can impact users:
1. Visual Disabilities
These affect how users see and interpret content on a screen.
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Permanent: A person who is blind may rely on a screen reader to navigate and understand content.
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Temporary: Someone recovering from eye surgery may need larger text or high-contrast themes to read clearly.
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Situational: A user trying to view a screen in bright sunlight might struggle with glare or low contrast.
Accessible design practices like alt text, good color contrast, and screen reader compatibility help make content visible and understandable in all these scenarios.
2. Auditory Disabilities
These impact the ability to hear sound or speech.
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Permanent: A user who is deaf cannot access spoken audio without captions or transcripts.
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Temporary: Someone with an ear infection might have muffled hearing and miss out on audio alerts.
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Situational: A user watching a training video in a noisy cafe may not hear it clearly and depend on captions.
Adding captions, transcripts, and visual cues ensures content is accessible whether hearing is impaired or the environment is noisy.
3. Physical Disabilities
These involve challenges with movement or physical interaction.
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Permanent: A person with paralysis may rely on keyboard-only navigation or assistive tech like switch devices.
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Temporary: A user with a broken wrist might struggle to use a mouse and prefer voice or keyboard input.
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Situational: Someone holding a baby in one arm may only have one hand free to navigate a form or app.
Designing with keyboard accessibility, larger touch targets, and voice-enabled input supports a wide range of mobility needs.
4. Cognitive Disabilities
These impact how users process, retain, or respond to information.
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Permanent: A user with dyslexia or autism may have difficulty reading dense text or inconsistent layouts.
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Temporary: Someone experiencing sleep deprivation or stress may struggle with focus or memory.
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Situational: A user multitasking during a meeting might miss or misinterpret unclear instructions on a page.
Clear language, consistent structure, and minimizing distractions make interfaces easier to understand for everyone.
5. Speech Disabilities
These limit a user’s ability to speak or articulate clearly.
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Permanent: A user who is mute cannot use voice input and requires alternative communication options.
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Temporary: Someone recovering from surgery or illness may be unable to speak temporarily.
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Situational: A user in a quiet library or crowded public space may not feel comfortable using voice commands.
Always offer alternatives to voice—like typing or tapping—to ensure users can interact comfortably in any environment.
POUR Principles of Accessibility
The WCAG guidelines are structured around four core principles—POUR—that define what it means for content to be accessible.
1. Perceivable
Users must be able to see or hear content, regardless of their sensory abilities. For example, images should include alt text, videos must have captions, and layouts should adapt to screen readers or screen magnifiers. If users can’t perceive the information, they can’t interact with it.
2. Operable
All users must be able to navigate and interact with the interface. This includes being able to use a keyboard instead of a mouse, having enough time to complete tasks, and avoiding content that causes seizures or motion sickness. Operable interfaces empower all users to engage on their terms.
3. Understandable
The user interface must be clear and predictable. That means readable language, consistent navigation, helpful error messages, and instructions that make sense. When content is understandable, users feel more confident and in control of their experience.
4. Robust
Content must be compatible with a wide range of devices and assistive technologies, both now and in the future. By following modern HTML standards and semantic code practices, designers and developers help ensure content works with screen readers, voice tools, and other technologies users rely on.
Building Inclusive Products on the ServiceNow AI Platform
To make accessibility actionable, we highlighted 13 features built into the ServiceNow AI Platform that help teams design and develop with inclusivity in mind. These aren’t just features—they’re enablers of equity, empathy, and empowerment.
1. Accessibility Checker in Theme Builder
This built-in checker automatically flags common accessibility issues such as missing alt text, poor contrast, or incorrect heading structures. It’s perfect for designers, developers, and content creators looking to build more compliant pages without needing a separate tool.
2. Support for ARIA Live Regions
Dynamic content can be tricky for screen reader users. ARIA live regions help ensure these updates are announced appropriately. This makes real-time content—like alerts or chat messages—usable by people relying on assistive tech.
3. 400% Zoom with Reflow
Zooming in shouldn’t break your layout. Our platform supports up to 400% zoom while maintaining clarity and structure. This helps users with low vision, presenters, or anyone needing magnification without compromise.
4. Use of Forced Colors
Some users require high-contrast color schemes to read comfortably. Forced colors override default themes and apply system-level high contrast, supporting users with low vision, color blindness, or light sensitivity.
5. Clear Date and Time Formats on Forms
Ambiguous input formats can lead to costly errors. By clearly displaying expected formats (e.g., DD/MM/YYYY), we reduce friction for users in different locales, screen reader users, and anyone rushing through a form.
6. Replace Colors with Patterns in Charts
Color-only indicators exclude colorblind users. By introducing patterns (stripes, dots) into charts, we make visuals more interpretable for everyone—including those printing in black and white or reviewing dense data.
7. Enable Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard navigation allows users to work efficiently without a mouse. This is a game-changer for people with mobility challenges, power users, and anyone who prefers faster workflows using tab and arrow keys.
8. Enable Dark Theme
Dark mode reduces eye strain, especially in low-light environments. It benefits users with light sensitivity, migraine sufferers, or anyone staring at screens for long periods—enhancing focus and comfort.
9. Show All Buttons Without Hover
Hiding actions behind a hover can be confusing and inaccessible. Making all buttons and icons visible ensures everyone—especially keyboard and screen reader users—can find and interact with them without guesswork.
10. Enable Voice Input for Now Assist Panel
Voice input enables hands-free interaction and data entry, which is vital for users with mobility impairments. It’s also useful for multitaskers, temporary injuries, or anyone wanting a faster way to work.
11. Enable Data Table for Charts and Graphs
Tables provide an accessible, linear way to present complex visual data. With structured formats, users can explore insights via keyboard or screen reader—plus, it makes copy/paste and export workflows smoother.
12. Reduce the Motion
Fast animations can disorient or trigger physical discomfort. Reducing motion across transitions helps users with vestibular conditions, migraines, or ADHD, while offering a calmer experience for everyone.
13. Enable Keyboard Focus on Tooltip Text
Tooltips with truncated text should be accessible to keyboard users too—not just mouse hovers. By enabling keyboard focus, we ensure full context is available to anyone using a keyboard or assistive tech.
Tools
There are various tools available for assessing web accessibility, which is crucial for ensuring compliance with WCAG standards. Tools like axe DevTools and Lighthouse Google’s built-in Chrome tool provide automated testing capabilities, making it easier to identify violations during development. WAVE offers a visual overlay to evaluate accessibility directly on the webpage. For a more hands-on approach, screen readers such as NVDA and JAWS allow testers to experience the site as users with disabilities would. Additionally, tools like Contrast Checker and Color Oracle help designers ensure that color choices are accessible to all users, including those with color blindness. Utilizing these tools can significantly enhance the user experience for individuals with disabilities, ensuring that our digital content is inclusive and user-friendly.
Resources
📄 Figma Template for A11y Documentation
📬 Questions? Contact: accessibility_support@servicenow.com
📥 Download the full deck (attached below)
