Include — Design for Everyone

Overview

Accessibility is not a feature. It's not a phase. It's not something you "add" after the design is "done." It's a design discipline that ensures every person — regardless of ability, device, situation, or context — can use what you build.

One billion people worldwide have a disability. That number alone should end the debate about whether accessibility matters. But accessibility is not just about permanent disability. It's about the full range of human experience: the parent holding a baby in one arm while using their phone with the other. The commuter reading a screen in direct sunlight. The user in a noisy cafe who can't play audio. The person recovering from eye surgery. The aging executive whose eyesight isn't what it was five years ago. The teenager with ADHD trying to focus on a multi-step form.

Everyone experiences situational or temporary impairment. Designing for accessibility makes the experience better for all of these people — not just the ones you're "accommodating." Curb cuts were designed for wheelchair users. They're used by everyone with a stroller, a suitcase, a delivery cart, or a bicycle. Good accessible design works the same way.

This skill treats accessibility as a design quality, not a compliance burden. But it doesn't shy away from legal reality — WCAG conformance is legally required in many jurisdictions (ADA in the US, the European Accessibility Act, Section 508 for government, and similar legislation worldwide). Ignoring accessibility is both a design failure and a legal risk.

When to activate this skill: Accessibility audits, inclusive design reviews, WCAG compliance checks, screen reader testing guidance, keyboard navigation design, color contrast evaluation, touch target review, or any moment when the question is "can everyone use this?"

Skill family

Include works alongside the full Intent skill system. Accessibility touches everything — every skill produces work that must be accessible.