Design for Accessibility — Free… | Liquorice Digital Agency Melbourne

At Liquorice, we believe that great design is for everyone.

This guide introduces the fundamentals of accessibility in digital design. It’s not an exhaustive list – accessibility is broad, nuanced, and constantly evolving, but it’s a starting point for creating inclusive digital experiences that meet the diverse needs of your audience.

Download our Design for Accessibility guide

Why accessibility matters

Accessibility ensures that everyone, regardless of ability or circumstance, can interact with your brand. By designing with accessibility in mind, you’re not only meeting legal and ethical standards but also reaching a broader audience, building trust, and delivering better user experiences for all.

How we approach accessibility

Our approach to accessibility is grounded in human-centred design. Through research and testing, we gain a deep understanding of your users—their goals, challenges, and environments. This empathy-driven process informs every decision we make, ensuring the final product works seamlessly for everyone.

Our services include:

User research to identify accessibility needs
Wireframing and prototyping with accessibility considerations
Iterative testing and design validation to refine usability
Implementation of accessible design principles, from colour contrast to screen reader compatibility

At Liquorice, we’re passionate about designing for inclusivity and would love to partner with you to create meaningful digital experiences that work for everyone.

Visual disabilities

This user group includes individuals with blindness, low vision, or colour blindness. Visual disabilities can impact how users perceive and interpret visual content.

Do

Use high contrast between text and background.
Provide alt text for all images and meaningful graphics.
Ensure text is resizable without breaking the layout.
Use descriptive labels for forms and buttons.

Don’t

Rely on colour alone to convey meaning.
Use small font sizes or decorative fonts that are hard to read.
Include images with text that isn’t also available in plain text.

Examples

Good

A website with adjustable font sizes and screen reader-friendly navigation.

Bad

An infographic without alt text or sufficient contrast.

Auditory disabilities

This user group includes individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Barriers can arise when key information is communicated solely through audio.

Hearing Loss (Sensorineural, Conductive, and Mixed)
Noise-Induced and Trauma-Related Hearing Loss
Auditory Processing Disorders (APD)
Tinnitus and Related Disorders
Genetic and Syndromic Hearing Disorders
Infections and Diseases Affecting Hearing
Deafness

Do

Provide captions or transcripts for all audio and video content.
Use visual indicators for important alerts or notifications.
Ensure compatibility with assistive devices like hearing aids.
Use clear and readable typography for written content.

Don’t

Depend solely on sound to convey critical information.
Use auto-play audio without a clear way to pause or stop it.
Overlook the importance of written alternatives for multimedia content.

Examples

Good

A video with synchronized captions and a downloadable transcript.

Bad

A webinar with no captions or visual aids.

Cognitive, learning and neurological disabilities

This category includes individuals with conditions such as dyslexia, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and anxiety. These conditions can affect memory, focus, information processing, and understanding of complex instructions.

Intellectual disabilities
Learning disabilities
Mental health disabilities (anxiety, delirium, depression, paranoia, schizophrenia)
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Perceptual disabilities
Memory impairments
Multiple sclerosis
Seizure disorders
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Neurodiversity

Do

Use plain language to make content easy to understand.
Break information into small, manageable chunks.
Provide clear navigation and logical information hierarchy.
Use consistent design patterns to reduce cognitive load.
Allow users to control animations or auto-play media.

Don’t

Overwhelm users with large blocks of text or complex jargon.
Rely solely on colour or visual cues to convey meaning.
Use distracting animations, flashing content, or unexpected changes.
Create time-sensitive tasks without offering flexibility.

Examples

Good

A form with step-by-step guidance and progress indicators.

Bad

A website with inconsistent navigation menus and dense paragraphs of text.

Speech disabilities

This user group includes individuals who may have difficulty speaking or communicating verbally, such as those with speech impairments or conditions like stuttering.

Laryngeal and Structural Speech Disorders
Selective and Psychological Speech Disorders
Neurological and Developmental Speech Disorders
Speech Sound Disorders (Articulation and Phonological Disorders)
Hearing-Related Speech Disorders
Fluency Disorders
Voice Disorders

Do

Provide alternative communication methods, such as chat or email.
Ensure voice-recognition features work alongside manual input options.
Use clear, consistent prompts for voice interactions.

Don’t

Require speech as the only input method for critical functions.
Include vague or unclear prompts for voice-controlled features.
Design interfaces that interrupt or limit users’ ability to retry speech input.

Examples

Good

A voice assistant with a keyboard input option.

Bad

A customer service line that relies solely on voice commands without alternatives.

Physical disabilities

This user group includes individuals with limited mobility, coordination, or strength, such as those who use wheelchairs, prosthetics, or assistive devices like keyboards or eye-tracking software.