More than a checklist: three things that changed how I see accessibility

I completed the Practical Accessibility course by Sara Soueidan at the end of last year, and it completely changed the way I think about the web. I started the course expecting to learn about rules, compliance, and some code snippets. But, I ended up with a completely new mental model for how we design, who we design for, and what “quality” really means.

Of course, technical skills are very important. First of all, you might want to check out our blog post about A11Y (accessibility). A huge part of A11Y involves concepts like writing semantic HTML, using ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes for interactive elements, making sure keyboard navigation works smoothly, managing focus states, and testing with screen readers. But the most inspiring lessons from the course weren’t about just some code snippets. They were about perspective and culture.

Here are the three mindset shifts that stuck with me the most.

True accessibility is for everyone—not just “other people”

Before taking the course, my view on disabilities was rather narrow. It blew my mind when I realized that disabilities can also be temporary or even situational.

• Permanent: someone who is blind enough to need a screen reader, someone who is deaf and relies on captions, or someone with a motor disability who uses a switch device.
• Temporary: someone with a broken arm who can only use one hand, someone with an ear infection who has trouble hearing, or someone recovering from eye surgery who is sensitive to bright light.
• Situational: a new parent holding a baby navigates with one hand, or someone trying to watch a video in a loud café or a quiet library needs captions to understand the audio.

So, we are not just candidates for a permanent disability; we are all just one situation away from needing accessibility.

Whether you are watching a video on mute, trying to see your phone screen in bright sunlight, or trying to click a tiny button on a shaky bus/train, you are benefiting from accessible design. It’s not about ticking a box for a small group of users; it’s about creating a more human-centered experience for everyone.

Accessibility is a culture, not a single-role’s task

A common misunderstanding is that A11Y is just one person’s job. But in reality, it’s something every team member should care about. The tools we choose play an important role, too.

• Designers lay the foundation. They choose accessible color palettes, make sure interactive elements have clear focus styles, and design layouts that work for everyone.
• Developers bring it to life. Their role goes beyond just writing code; it includes implementing semantic HTML, managing ARIA states, and continuously testing to ensure everything is navigable and usable with both the keyboard and assistive technologies.
• The tools and frameworks we use provide the scaffolding for our work. We use the Quasar Framework, which offers a solid foundation. While no framework is perfect, we believe in being part of the solution. That’s why we actively contribute to making Quasar’s accessibility even better. For instance, I recently reviewed and labeled all A11Y-related issues on the project’s GitHub repo, creating a summary report to help guide and accelerate future improvements.

When everyone takes ownership of accessibility and we invest in improving our own tools, it becomes a part of our quality standard and not something that is just “tacked on” at the end of a project.

Focus on progress, not perfection

Looking at an existing website and seeing a long list of A11Y issues can be overwhelming. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to fix everything at once. The goal is not building the “perfectly accessible” site; it’s making consistent and meaningful progress.

Even small changes can make a big impact. Adding alt text to images, labeling a form field properly, or improving the focus style on your navigation are not just some minor tweaks. They can be the fine line between a user being able to use your site or not.

Try this: don’t know where to start? Try this now: put your mouse away and try to navigate your own website using only the Tab key. Can you see where you are on the page? Can you operate every button and link? You will learn something important in less than five minutes.

It’s about making things better for everyone, one step at a time.

From learning to action

My main takeaway is that accessibility isn’t a burden; it’s an opportunity to do better and build a web that works for everyone. I’m excited to bring these lessons into every project we work on and touch more lives.

At Dreamonkey, we care a lot about building inclusive digital experiences. Whether you’re starting a new project and want it to be accessible from the beginning, or need expert help to make your current one better, we are here to help.