Accessibility often gets treated like tax: a box to tick at the end, driven by obligation rather than care. That framing does everyone a disservice - because designing for accessibility isn't a constraint on good design. It is good design.
You are not your user
The person who built a website knows exactly where everything is. The person visiting for the first time - on an old phone, in bright sunlight, with a slow connection, or using a screen reader - does not. Accessibility is simply the discipline of designing for that wider, more realistic range of people, rather than an idealised visitor who happens to be just like you.
An experience that works for the person having the hardest time usually works beautifully for everybody else too.
Small things, big difference
- Enough colour contrast that text is comfortable to read
- Proper labels and structure so assistive technology makes sense of the page
- Everything usable by keyboard, not just a mouse
- Clear focus states so people always know where they are
Notice that none of these hurt anyone else. Good contrast helps the person in the sun. Keyboard support helps power users. Clear structure helps everyone.
Better for business, too
Accessible sites tend to be cleaner, faster and better structured - which search engines reward and customers appreciate. It widens your audience instead of quietly excluding part of it.
We design accessibility-first in our User Experience & User Interface work, because a product that works for everyone is simply a better product.
If accessibility has been sitting on your "we'll get to it" list, it's worth moving up - it improves the experience for all of your customers, not just some.