Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025: Why Inclusive Design Matters More Than Ever

At IVE, we believe that great design doesn’t leave anyone behind. Whether it’s a brochure, website, eDM or digital ad — content should be easy to access for all. Because if you’ve got something worth saying, everyone should be able to hear it, see it, or experience it — no matter how they engage.

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The heart of accessibility: universal design

Accessibility is often misunderstood as being solely about disability. But that’s only part of the picture. At its core, accessibility is about universality—designing content that works for all people, in all situations, across all devices. Whether someone is living with low vision, using a screen reader, experiencing cognitive overload, or simply scrolling with one hand on a busy train – there’s lots of scenarios that need to be accounted for in considered design. And when it’s done well, it helps your audience feel included, independent, respected and connected. And that’s powerful.

At IVE, we’ve been designing with inclusion in mind for over a decade. We partner with leading brands, national charities and government organisations to ensure their content works for more of their audience. From digital to print, we help teams communicate clearly, inclusively, and with impact — everywhere their message shows up. 

We’ve redesigned digital platforms ensuring every piece of content could be accessed by visitors using assistive tech – resulting in improved SEO performance and user experience. We’ve also worked with large retailers to implement accessibility across in-store and online assets and partnered with government bodies to ensure their essential services are usable by all.

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So let’s talk standards: What does good accessibility look like?

For digital content, our designers are trained to follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which are the global standard. The current version (WCAG 2.2) outlines four core principles—known as P.O.U.R:

• Perceivable – readable, visible, hearable (e.g. text alternatives for images, readable fonts)
• Operable – easy to navigate and use the interface (e.g. keyboard or screen reader)
• Understandable – clear, consistent and predictable
• Robust – works now and with future assisted tech

There are three levels of compliance: A, AA, and AAA. Most Australian organisations aim for Level AA, which is now considered best practice—especially in sectors like finance, health, and government.

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How we help: Bringing inclusion to life

Accessibility is built into how we think, create, and deliver across every brand touchpoint. Here’s how we approach it:

• Review existing content, platforms and identify risk areas
• Test with assistive tech (like screen readers)
• Roadmaps for staged accessibility improvements
• Accessible formatting for websites, PDFs and forms
• Dedicated accessibility specialists to review, guide, and champion best practice

And across it all, we ensure all content is aligned to the visual, brand identity…because accessibility doesn’t mean boring or bland. It means smart, user-first design.

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It’s time to see, hear and experience accessibility differently

The future of communication is inclusive. It’s flexible. It’s human-centred. And it’s now.

Accessibility isn’t a one-off project or a ‘nice to have’—it’s a core part of how brands engage with their audiences, build trust, and create meaningful connections.

Together, we can make every message count and make every user feel seen.