Industry perspective by Rochelle Ratkaj Moser, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Ratkaj Designs.
Accessibility is not a trend, a feature, or a checkbox on your project brief. Disability rights are civil rights. And right now, they are under threat. As federal protections quietly erode under the current administration, millions of people are being pushed further to the margins. If we’re waiting for someone else to step up, we’d better get comfy.
Designers, creatives, and communicators have the tools, the platforms, and the responsibility to build what the system is abandoning. It’s on us. The question is—will we?
Accessibility Isn’t New
Accessibility didn’t just appear in the digital age—it has been part of our shared responsibility for decades. Back in 1973, the Rehabilitation Act set the stage by banning discrimination against people with disabilities in programs that received federal funding. That law had teeth. It established enforcement mechanisms and made accessibility a legal—not optional—standard.
Then came the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. Most of us associate the ADA with ramps and elevators, but it also pushed communication and public-facing materials into the conversation. It was the first time many of us had to seriously consider how our work, even as designers and marketers, factored into someone else’s ability to engage with the world.
By the mid-90s, digital spaces began to take shape, and the law followed. In 1996, the Department of Justice confirmed that the ADA applied to websites. In 1998, the DOJ amended Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act to require federal agencies to make their digital tools—such as websites, PDFs, and software—accessible to people with disabilities. Over time, that obligation expanded beyond government agencies to include anyone working with federal dollars (even our nonprofit friends).
The World Wide Web Consortium released the first Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 1.0) in 1999, providing a technical framework to follow. These weren’t just best practices—they became the foundation of accessible design on the internet. Section 508 was updated again in 2017, this time syncing with WCAG 2.0 Level AA, setting a clearer standard for digital accessibility across platforms.
As organizations, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) and edtrust-West prioritize accessibility. The work they do directly impacts communities affected by changes in accessibility policy.
Accessibility isn’t about perfection—it’s about effort. It’s about dignity.
A Political Retreat—One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Design doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens inside systems, and the current administration is quietly and systematically rolling back the expectations that make accessibility non-negotiable.
In March 2024, the Biden administration finalized long-overdue updates to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, applying accessibility standards to state and local government websites and apps. It was a historic and necessary step, especially considering how many government services have transitioned to digital platforms.
But that progress is already under threat.
The incoming Trump administration released a new executive order requiring agencies to repeal 11 federal regulations, putting critical accessibility policies in the crosshairs. It sends a message that convenience and deregulation matter more than inclusion.
It’s not just bad politics. It’s bad design.
What the Numbers Say
The story is clear when you look at the data: accessibility isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a necessity, and we have a long way to go.
Ninety-five percent of the world’s top million websites are not fully accessible. That number should shock us. And, in 2025! With decades of design evolution and more digital experiences than ever, we’re still failing over a billion people globally who live with a disability.
Accessibility isn’t about perfection—it’s about effort. It’s about dignity.
Even among those in the creative industries, we treat accessibility as an extra layer—something to be “added in” if time and budget allow. But for the 61 million adults in the U.S. who live with a disability, that kind of thinking keeps them excluded from the very tools, spaces and messages that most of us take for granted.
As designers, we can’t hide behind technical excuses or bureaucratic slowdowns. Compliance isn’t the goal. Equity is.
Rising to the Moment
Here’s the hard truth: there’s no such thing as perfect accessibility. Every person experiences the world differently, and no single checklist can cover every need. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) give us a foundation—but not a finish line.
Accessibility is a moving target because human experience is diverse and dynamic. And yet, this doesn’t give us permission to back off—it gives us a reason to lean in.
As designers, we can’t hide behind technical excuses or bureaucratic slowdowns. Compliance isn’t the goal. Equity is.
I’m not writing this as someone who has always done this perfectly. I’m writing this as someone who realized—too slowly, if I’m honest—that accessibility isn’t a niché. It’s not optional. It’s design at its most essential.
As a designer and agency owner, I’ve shifted my entire practice to prioritize accessibility. It’s in the brief. It’s in the wireframe. It’s in the color palette, the typography, the captions, and the motion choices. When we work with clients who don’t ask for it, we build accessibility in anyway.
And the result? Better design. Every time.
Government protections are wavering. Big tech has deprioritized accessibility. Policy is no longer the reliable scaffolding we hoped it would be.
That leaves us. Designers. Developers. Strategists. Creatives. We are the people who build the digital and physical environments others have to live in.
We’re the ones holding the pen, writing the rules of engagement. That’s a power we can’t afford to waste.
Because when accessibility is treated like a luxury, the most vulnerable among us lose. And when the systems falter, we must fill the gap—not with guilt, but with grit. With knowledge. With a deep belief that good design includes everyone.
Let’s design like people are counting on us—because they are.
Rochelle Ratkaj Moser is the founder and chief creative officer of Ratkaj Designs, a globally recognized agency that merges design with philanthropy to help mission-driven organizations communicate with impact. With a focus on accessibility and inclusion, she champions design as a powerful tool for social change.
