Digital Accessibility: A Design Responsibility That Evolves with Regulations

 

As UX/UI designers, one of the fundamental pillars of our work is ensuring that the digital products we create are inclusive, efficient, and usable for all people, regardless of their abilities. Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the Digital Accessibility Congress organized by CONAPDIS (National Council for Persons with Disabilities), where legal and technical foundations for implementing accessible websites were addressed, especially in the Costa Rican context.

This space was key to reinforcing the importance of integrating accessibility from the early phases of digital product design and development. When was the last time you checked if your website is truly accessible to all your users?

A Legal Framework That Not Only Demands but Drives Innovation

Costa Rica has a solid legal foundation in digital accessibility matters. Laws such as Law 7600, the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Law 8661), and Presidential Directive 036 establish that institutional websites must be fully accessible.

But here's what's interesting: compliance with WCAG 2.2 guidelines at levels A and AA—representing a total of 55 technical criteria—is not just a legal obligation. It's a competitive advantage that many companies have yet to discover.

According to recent studies, 15% of the world's population lives with some type of disability, representing a market of more than $1.3 trillion in purchasing power that companies are missing out on.
 

The Real Impact: Beyond Compliance

What I learned at this congress is that an accessible site is not only more inclusive, it's better for everyone. Accessibility principles improve the overall user experience:

• Better SEO: Correct semantic elements required by accessibility improve search engine rankings
• Higher conversion: Clearer interfaces and more intuitive navigation benefit all users
• Cost reduction: Implementing accessibility from the start is 6 times more economical than remedying after launch

Designing for All: WCAG 2.2 Accessibility in the UX/UI Workflow at ParallelDevs

In every project we develop, accessibility is an integral part of our UX/UI design process:

1. Previous audits: We analyze specific accessibility needs from the discovery phase
2. Inclusive design: We create prototypes that meet WCAG standards from day one
3. Continuous testing: We validate with specialized tools and, when possible, with real users
4. Clear documentation: We deliver detailed implementation guides to maintain accessibility over time

The Cost of Not Acting

Did you know that web accessibility lawsuits have increased 320% in the last three years? Companies like Target, Netflix, and Domino's have faced million-dollar lawsuits for inaccessible websites.

But beyond legal risk, there's the opportunity cost: every day your site isn't accessible, you're losing potential customers and damaging your brand reputation.

Your Next Step Toward Digital Inclusion

Digital accessibility should not be seen as a barrier, but as a natural extension of good design practices. This congress reaffirmed that complying with regulations doesn't mean limiting creativity, but expanding toward solutions that work for more people.

At ParallelDevs, we believe that true innovation happens when we design thinking of everyone. Every line of code, every visual element, every interaction should build bridges, not barriers.