Understanding accessibility

Accessibility begins before a single component is built. Many issues that later block users come from early design decisions. These include weak color contrast, unclear labels, missing focus states, or layouts that do not support keyboard navigation. When these problems appear in the design phase, developers cannot fix them fully later, because the structure and visual patterns are already set.

Design systems help reduce these risks by making accessibility part of the foundation. They give teams shared guidance on color, language, interaction, and structure. This support helps designers spot mistakes early and make choices that include more people from the start. When teams work from a common base, accessibility becomes a natural part of every component and pattern rather than an extra step added later.^[1]