Key Takeaways from Callibrity's Accessibility Lunch & Learn
In today’s digital world, accessibility is no longer optional—it’s essential. In February, Callibrity hosted an internal Lunch & Learn to spotlight the critical role of accessibility (a11y) in product design and software development. The conversation, led by Erica Price, Senior User Experience Practitioner at Yum! Brands, and Jack Merideth, Senior Software Developer at Callibrity, offered practical insights into building more inclusive digital experiences.
Why Accessibility in Product Design Matters
Erica Price opened the session by sharing her personal journey as an accessibility advocate. With more than a decade of experience in user-centered design, Erica emphasized that accessible design benefits everyone—not just individuals with disabilities. She pointed to a staggering figure: over 1.3 billion people worldwide live with disabilities. This statistic highlights the misconception that accessibility serves only a small portion of users.
The truth is, accessible products empower people of all abilities, creating more usable, inclusive experiences for everyone.
Using resources like Microsoft’s Spectrum of Disability, Erica explained how disabilities can be permanent, temporary, or situational. From individuals with long-term physical impairments to someone with a broken arm or a parent holding a child, people encounter barriers in different ways every day. Inclusive design considers these realities from the start.
Practical Steps Toward Inclusive Product Design
Throughout the presentation, Erica provided actionable techniques for improving accessibility in digital products, including:
-
Optimizing headings and structure for screen readers
-
Improving color contrast for users with visual impairments
-
Considering thumb-reach and device ergonomics for individuals with limited mobility
-
Simplifying content language to support assistive technologies
Her message was clear: thoughtful design choices, made early in the process, can drastically improve usability for a broad range of users.
Accessibility Starts with Development
From a development perspective, Callibrity’s Jack Merideth underscored the importance of building accessibility into products from day one. Too often, accessibility is seen as a final checklist item, but retrofitting accessible features at the end of a project is inefficient—and risks creating incomplete solutions.
Jack reinforced that accessibility requires collaboration across design, development, and testing teams. When product teams approach accessibility as a shared responsibility, the end result is a stronger, more user-friendly product.
Accessibility Should Be Part of Your Product Strategy
The session closed with a reminder that building accessible products isn’t just about compliance—it’s about creating meaningful experiences for real people. Companies that prioritize accessibility not only improve usability for all users but also reduce legal risk and expand their reach to wider audiences.
At Callibrity, we believe inclusive design is fundamental to responsible software development. Our team integrates accessibility best practices throughout every phase of product development—from discovery to deployment—ensuring digital solutions work for everyone.
Callibrity’s Commitment to Inclusive Software Solutions
Our Accessibility Lunch & Learn was more than just a conversation—it was a call to action. As technology continues to shape how we live and work, building accessible, inclusive products is a responsibility we all share.
If your organization is exploring custom software development, mobile solutions, or accessibility improvements, Callibrity can help. We approach every project with a holistic view of your business goals and your users’ needs—ensuring that accessibility is built in, not bolted on.
Let’s create better, more inclusive experiences together.
Contact us today: (513) 745–0320
Additional Accessibility Resources
For teams looking to deepen their accessibility knowledge, we recommend:
.svg){kind=small}
Article