Accessibility by Design: Building Online Services That Work for Everyone

Episode 32 of the Michael Martino Show podcast, hosted by Michael, titled "Accessibility by Design: Building Online Services That Work for Everyone" was published on June 6, 2025 and runs 3 minutes.

June 6, 2025 ·3m · Michael Martino Show

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Summary

The word “accessibility” can sometimes feel like a compliance checkbox, a paragraph at the bottom of a project plan, or worse, something we bolt on after the fact. I want to challenge that. Real accessibility is about dignity and respect. It’s about building government services that include everyone Accessibility is not a feature – it’s the foundation Accessibility is not a “nice to have.” It’s not a line item. It’s a values decision. When your building an online service — say, a form to report a workplace injury or a portal to apply for benefits — you have to remember, you are not just building for the ideal user with a fast connection, full vision, and perfect dexterity. You are building for everyone — people with visual impairments, people using screen readers, people with cognitive differences, older adults who might not be as comfortable online, and yes — people in rural communities still struggling with slow internet. If the service doesn’t work for everyone, then it doesn’t work. Start early Accessibility isn’t something you audit at the end. It’s something you design into the process. When you are modernizing your services, you need to include people with lived experience. Not just to “test” the product at the end, but to co-design it from the start. Tools, teams, and trade-offs If you’re a product manager, service designer, or developer in government, here’s the truth: you need a baseline understanding of accessibility. Not everyone has to be a WCAG wizard, but everyone should understand the basics. Things like: Using semantic HTML — so screen readers can make sense of your content. Ensuring proper color contrast — so people with low vision can read your text. Making sure everything works with a keyboard — not just a mouse. Avoiding auto-play videos or flashing content that can trigger seizures or overwhelm users. To be clear -- these things don’t slow you down. They often make your service better for everyone. Ever tried filling out a complex form on your phone with one hand while holding a coffee? Accessibility design helps with that too. Bring accessibility specialists in early. Test with real users. Use automated tools — sure — but don’t stop there. Combine tech with empathy. This is cultural, not just technical Accessibility isn’t just a line in your digital strategy. It’s a culture shift. It’s saying, “We care enough to build things right — not just fast.” That kind of mindset ripples through an organization. It shapes hiring. It shapes priorities. It shapes how you measure success. When you celebrate accessibility wins in your teams — when you highlight inclusive design in demos, in retros, in show-and-tells — you’re telling everyone, this matters. To wrap When you build accessible digital services, you do more than meet standards. You build trust. You tell people — no matter your abilities, your background, your bandwidth — this service is for you. You matter. Don't just digitize old systems -- reimagine how inclusive government can be.

Episode Description

The word “accessibility” can sometimes feel like a compliance checkbox, a paragraph at the bottom of a project plan, or worse, something we bolt on after the fact.

I want to challenge that. Real accessibility is about dignity and respect.

It’s about building government services that include everyone

Accessibility is not a feature – it’s the foundation

Accessibility is not a “nice to have.” It’s not a line item.

It’s a values decision.

When your building an online service — say, a form to report a workplace injury or a portal to apply for benefits — you have to remember, you are not just building for the ideal user with a fast connection, full vision, and perfect dexterity.

You are building for everyone — people with visual impairments, people using screen readers, people with cognitive differences, older adults who might not be as comfortable online, and yes — people in rural communities still struggling with slow internet.

If the service doesn’t work for everyone, then it doesn’t work.

Start early

Accessibility isn’t something you audit at the end. It’s something you design into the process.

When you are modernizing your services, you need to include people with lived experience. Not just to “test” the product at the end, but to co-design it from the start.

Tools, teams, and trade-offs

If you’re a product manager, service designer, or developer in government, here’s the truth: you need a baseline understanding of accessibility. Not everyone has to be a WCAG wizard, but everyone should understand the basics.

Things like:

Using semantic HTML — so screen readers can make sense of your content.
Ensuring proper color contrast — so people with low vision can read your text.
Making sure everything works with a keyboard — not just a mouse.
Avoiding auto-play videos or flashing content that can trigger seizures or overwhelm users.

To be clear -- these things don’t slow you down. They often make your service better for everyone. Ever tried filling out a complex form on your phone with one hand while holding a coffee? Accessibility design helps with that too.

Bring accessibility specialists in early. Test with real users. Use automated tools — sure — but don’t stop there. Combine tech with empathy.

This is cultural, not just technical

Accessibility isn’t just a line in your digital strategy. It’s a culture shift. It’s saying, “We care enough to build things right — not just fast.” That kind of mindset ripples through an organization. It shapes hiring. It shapes priorities. It shapes how you measure success.

When you celebrate accessibility wins in your teams — when you highlight inclusive design in demos, in retros, in show-and-tells — you’re telling everyone, this matters.

To wrap

When you build accessible digital services, you do more than meet standards. You build trust.

You tell people — no matter your abilities, your background, your bandwidth — this service is for you. You matter.

Don't just digitize old systems -- reimagine how inclusive government can be.