Creating an accessibility-first culture across teams

A design system becomes truly accessible only when accessibility is treated as a shared responsibility across teams. Designers, engineers, content specialists, and product managers all influence how accessible a product feels. When teams work with different expectations or uneven knowledge, accessibility often falls behind. Systems that build a strong culture start by offering training, shared practices, and clear guidance so everyone understands their role. Some organizations create accessibility training for designers and internal bootcamps for engineers to help teams gain confidence and build long-term habits.

A supportive culture also encourages teams to ask questions, share feedback, and collaborate early. When accessibility is discussed at the beginning of a project, it shapes tokens, components, and patterns instead of becoming a fix applied at the end. Regular conversations between teams help catch issues sooner and reduce the risk of inaccessible design choices slipping into production. Over time, this steady collaboration makes accessibility a natural part of the workflow and not something handled only by specialists.