The not-so-simple world of accessibility: Part 4

Enter part 4

We made it to Part 4. The final post in this series.

In Part 1, we explored the complexity of accessibility and why shifting left matters. In Part 2, we talked about leadership and process. In Part 3, we focused on the people who rely on accessibility every day.

Now, we’re ending with something deeper: how we sustain this work. Because accessibility isn’t just something we do once. It’s something we carry forward. It’s a mindset. A commitment. A culture.

A personal story – When accessibility faded away

I once joined a project where accessibility had been done well—at least at the start. The design system had keyboard support, the components were labeled, and the team even had an accessibility checklist.

But as deadlines piled up, the accessibility advocate left, and new folks joined, the momentum slipped. Designs skipped contrast checks. Components shipped untested. When I flagged issues, the response was, "We’ll fix it later."

That "later" never came.

Until one day, someone new to the team asked, "Why doesn’t this work with my screen reader?"

That question reignited the conversation. It reminded us that accessibility doesn’t live in a checklist. It lives in people. And it thrives only when we build systems to support it.

Elevate the vibe – Sustaining accessibility over time

Accessibility isn’t a project—it’s a practice

This work doesn’t end at launch. Every sprint, every release, every redesign is another opportunity to uphold or break accessibility.

We need to treat accessibility like performance, security, or quality. It needs dedicated time, tooling, and ownership.

It can’t rely on one person. It needs to live in every role, every phase, and every decision.

Build a culture where accessibility is everyone’s responsibility

Accessibility thrives in culture. That means celebrating the wins. Normalizing feedback. Creating psychological safety where anyone—designer, engineer, intern—can raise an issue without fear.

Culture means accessibility isn’t a blocker. It’s a value.

When teams genuinely care, they don’t wait for someone else to file a bug. They build access into every pixel, every line of code, every conversation.

Set up systems of accountability (not just intention)

Good intentions fade. Systems endure.

Make accessibility visible. Use scorecards, dashboards, or audits. Bake it into definitions of done, QA processes, and acceptance criteria.

Assign ownership. Not just for fixing bugs, but for keeping standards alive.

Track progress. Share results. Make it part of how you define success.

Documentation, onboarding, and mentorship matter

When people join your team, what do they learn about accessibility? Is it in the onboarding? Is it in the style guide? Are there go-to folks who can help?

If not, build it.

Create documentation that’s clear and kind. Include accessibility in design tokens. Build how-to guides that explain not just the what, but the why.

Make accessibility mentorship part of your team rituals. It shouldn't just be knowledge—it should be community.

Celebrate wins and normalize feedback

Don’t just call out the bugs. Celebrate the fixes. Share stories where someone did it right.

Give shoutouts in Slack. Add wins to your retros. Make success contagious.

And when things fall short, don’t shame. Be honest. Feedback is love. Accessibility is everyone’s learning curve.

Champions build community across teams

You don’t need a big title to be a champion. You just need curiosity, care, and consistency.

Identify the champions across your org—in design, in dev, in QA, in research. Give them space, support, and recognition.

Champions help hold the thread. They bring others along. They keep the mission alive.

Keep momentum even when things change

People leave. Priorities shift. Budgets shrink.

But if accessibility is part of how your team sees the world, it won’t vanish when things get hard.

Revisit your processes. Protect the time. Keep the conversations going. Even small actions—like including a screen reader test in PR reviews or running contrast checks on new colors—can keep the vibe alive.

Self-reflection – Are you building for the long haul?

Ask yourself:

Is accessibility part of my team’s regular rituals?

Do new hires learn about accessibility in their first month?

Do we celebrate accessibility wins out loud?

Do we have systems to track, improve, and sustain accessibility?

If not, now’s the perfect time to start.

Vibing out

Sustainable accessibility is a love letter to the future. It says: "We’re not just here to build fast. We’re here to build well."

This work doesn’t belong to one team. It belongs to everyone. And when we make space for accessibility in our culture, our systems, and our hearts—we don’t just create better products.

We create a better web.

Let’s keep the vibe alive. Always.