Digital products and services are central to how organisations engage customers, serve communities, and drive innovation. Yet for over a billion people worldwide, inaccessible digital design continues to create invisible barriers. The World Health Organisation reports that “An estimated 1.3 billion people – or 16% of global population worldwide – experience a significant disability today.” This figure underscores the scale of exclusion that can occur when accessibility is not considered from the start. 

Digital Design touches nearly every aspect of daily life, and yet, a significant portion of the global population continues to face barriers that prevent them from fully participating online. What was once treated as a technical obligation is now an opportunity, a space for brands to lead with clarity, compassion, and creativity.   

Moving Beyond Compliance 

Forward-thinking organisations are embedding accessibility from the earliest stages of design. This shift isn’t just about compliance with legal standards; it’s about meaningfully connecting with real people. Accessibility today covers far more than screen readers and colour contrast. It considers a wide range of needs, including physical impairments, neurodivergence, cognitive differences, and even temporary or situational barriers, like poor internet access or noisy environments. 

Inclusive design aims to meet users where they are, making digital experiences more equitable. Designing inclusively benefits everyone. It builds brand trust, extends market reach, and reduces legal risk. But beyond performance metrics, inclusive design supports a fundamental idea: that design is social, not just visual. It shapes how people feel, whether they belong, and how empowered they are to engage with the world. 

Examples of Inclusive Innovation 

Some of the world’s most recognisable brands are proving what’s possible when accessibility becomes a design principle rather than an afterthought.  

Apple, for example, integrates accessibility across every device. Features like VoiceOver, a screen reader for visually impaired users, and AssistiveTouch, which supports users with limited mobility, are available out-of-the-box. These tools aren’t positioned as special accommodations; they are core to the user experience.  

Microsoft’s Seeing AI app takes this further, using artificial intelligence to narrate the physical world for blind and low-vision users. It reads documents, identifies currency, and even describes images, helping users navigate the visual landscape with greater independence. Now available on Android and in over 18 languages, its expansion reflects Microsoft’s global commitment to inclusive innovation.  

In the physical world, Asda is bridging digital and spatial inclusion through its collaboration with GoodMaps. In a growing number of stores, the supermarket provides indoor navigation technology that offers audio and visual directions to key areas like pharmacy counters and checkout tills, empowering blind and partially sighted customers to shop independently.  

Closing the Gaps Through Education 

Despite these advancements, the broader landscape still has far to go. A 2025 WebAIM study, found that 94.8% of the top 1 million home pages still contain accessibility barriers, often simple ones like missing image descriptions, poor colour contrast and unlabeled links. These figures point not only to gaps in execution but also to a persistent lack of awareness and training in inclusive design principles.  

Addressing these gaps requires not only better tools but better education. At PACE, we’re helping designers and communicators build the understanding they need to lead in this space. 

As part of our new Advanced Digital Communication Design course, PACE offers a unit dedicated to embedding accessibility, diversity, and inclusion into the design process from the ground up. This unit encourages designers to rethink how communication works across a wide range of user experiences. It’s about designing with people, not just for them. Rather than presenting accessibility as a checklist of quick fixes, the course invites learners to explore its broader social, historical, and ethical dimensions. 

As expectations evolve, so must design practices. Inclusive design is not simply about meeting standards; it’s about exceeding them to reflect modern values, expand access, and build stronger connections.