On May 21, Dustin Thomas, professor of practice at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), spoke to PRSA Volunteer Chapter members about the importance of accessibility in graphic design. His presentation, ‘Design for All: Accessibility in Graphic Design’, offered clear guidelines on how to make websites and digital design elements usable and understandable to everyone.
With more than 20 years of experience in both advertising and technology, Thomas had a successful career as a copywriter and creative director before becoming a professor at UTK. His most notable clients include Apple, Nike, Ford, Coca-Cola and America’s Navy.
Thomas started his presentation by explaining that accessibility in digital design and media is not only a growing concern within society but also becoming a legal requirement. Accessibility in design is creating visual content that can be easily understood by everyone, people with disabilities and those without. Accessibility in design encompasses many elements such as color, typography, layout, functionality and readability.
Thomas stressed that accessibility isn’t just a technical standard that visual communicators should meet, but a mindset and a practice rooted in empathy and responsibility.
Thomas guided attendees through the four principles of accessible design, which can be remembered through the acronym P.O.U.R. The first principle being perceivable, meaning users must be able to use websites with at least one of their five senses. This includes using color contrast, alt text for screen readers, and captions for video content.
The next principle is operable, explaining that users must be able to easily interact and navigate the content. Functionality must be accessible using both a keyboard and mouse.
The third principle is understandable. Content must be clear and predictable so all users can easily comprehend the information. Layout, plain language and well-explained forms help users comprehend the information.
The final principle is robust, explaining that the design must be compatible with current and future technologies. This means continuously testing the content with accessibility tools to ensure reliability, especially for those with screen readers.
Accessible content is essential, as 1 in 24 users with disabilities encounter errors on home page elements. Thomas shared an alarming statistic from WebAIM, which found nearly 51 million accessibility errors across websites.
Thomas highlighted the three most common areas of failure in accessibility: poor color contrast, unreadable typography and missing or insufficient alt text.
Using examples from popular global websites currently failing accessibility standards, the presentation illustrated the importance of educating yourself on accessibility requirements. Thomas also shared helpful resources to guide designers in making informed, inclusive design decisions.
By embracing and promoting accessibility, professionals and organizations can guarantee no person is barred from accessing content or information. This commitment not only broadens reach and inclusivity but also demonstrates social responsibility and strengthens brand credibility.