In today’s digital-first world, accessibility is no longer just a “nice-to-have.” It’s a must-have. Every person deserves equal access to online experiences, whether browsing a website, shopping online, or using a mobile app. Accessibility ensures that digital products are designed for everyone, including people with disabilities.

Accessibility means building interfaces that work for users with different abilities and interaction methods, whether someone uses a screen reader, keyboard navigation, voice controls, or needs to view content in challenging conditions.

It’s not a checklist. It’s not an add-on. Accessibility is a foundational aspect of usable and compliant software.

There are four reasons this matters:

1. It’s inclusive. Accessibility gives equal access to all users, not just the majority.

2. It promotes usability. Features that help users with disabilities also improve the experience for everyone else.

3. It’s the right thing to do. Building accessible systems is part of professional software craftsmanship.

4. It’s often legally required. Many jurisdictions have accessibility requirements (like the ADA in the U.S. or European Accessibility Act). Beyond compliance, technology should empower, not exclude.

How we started prioritising Accessibility:

A few years ago, a user told us they loved our platform but couldn’t use it without screen reader support. That feedback prompted us to take a harder look at our accessibility practices.

We realized that while we were moving fast, we weren’t always building for everyone.

Our design system looked great but lacked screen reader support.

Our navigation was simple but assumed mouse interaction.

That’s when we shifted our approach to focus on building for inclusion.

​​As we’ve integrated accessibility into our development process, we’ve seen meaningful improvement, not just in compliance, but in how we think about our users.

We're working to integrate accessibility earlier in our development process, though we recognize this is ongoing work that requires continuous attention and improvement.

From Awareness to Action: Building Our Accessibility Practice

Creating accessible digital experiences doesn’t happen overnight but it starts with small, intentional steps:

1. Understand Accessibility Guidelines: Learn about standards like WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).

2. Use Tools and Testing: Use accessibility checkers, screen readers, and color contrast analyzers.

3. Include People with Disabilities in Testing: Real feedback from real users is invaluable.

4. Train Your Team: Make accessibility part of your company culture, not just your design checklist.

Building accessibility into HighLevel

HighLevel is dedicated to building digital experiences that work for everyone. We are constantly improving our platform to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility standards and support users of all abilities.

1. Designing inclusive interfaces

We design interfaces that anyone can use:

• Color contrast and typography : readable text for people with visual impairments.

• Internationalization: supporting multiple languages and writing systems.

• Web performance: optimising speed for users with limited bandwidth.

• Logical information architecture: intuitive navigation that doesn’t depend on visuals.
  

2. Writing accessible code

Accessibility starts at the markup level:

• Semantic HTML: using landmarks and headings to make content navigable.

• Native elements: using buttons, links, and form fields correctly before adding ARIA.

• Automated checks: running tools like a11y, axe-core, WAVE, inhouse quality gates using vue3 a11y in our CI pipeline to flag issues early.
  

3. Testing for accessibility and usability

Automation catches a lot, but not everything. We test manually using:

• Assistive technologies: Mac voiceover, magnifiers, and keyboard navigation.

• Real users: people with disabilities provide feedback that automation can’t replicate.

This automation turns accessibility from a periodic audit into a continuous practice.

4. Writing accessible content

Accessibility includes language and structure:

• Clear hierarchy: headings that make sense when read aloud.

• Alternative text: meaningful image descriptions.

• Plain language: short sentences and simple words make information easier to understand.

A quick note: While we’re working hard to build accessibility into HighLevel’s platform, how you use these tools in your own implementations is up to you. If you’re building client sites or applications with HighLevel, you’ll want to make sure your use case meets accessibility requirements that apply to your business.

Getting Help

For accessibility support or to report barriers, contact [email protected].