

Accessible design systems with Karen Hawkins
May 22, 2025
Karen Hawkins, an expert in accessibility and design systems and the Accessible Design Practice Lead at Level Access, joins the discussion. She dives into the importance of integrating accessibility into design from the start. Key topics include the responsibilities of designers to prevent gaps in accessibility, enhancing user experience with thoughtful context, and the relationship between design systems and internationalization. The conversation encourages a cultural shift towards inclusivity in organizations, making accessibility a priority throughout the design process.
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Design Systems' Accessibility Gap
- Design systems are a perfect chance to integrate accessibility from the start, but often teams bolt it on later.
- The main issue is design teams not knowing their exact accessibility responsibilities, causing gaps.
Consider Keyboard and Screen Reader
- Designers should consider keyboard accessibility early to improve assistive technology experiences.
- Think creatively about complex components' keyboard and screen reader interactions to optimize accessibility.
Use Structural State Changes
- Avoid using color alone to show state changes in components; use structural design changes.
- Use tokens to modify text styles or borders to enhance accessibility for different states like hover and focus.