Why Make Your Website Accessible, Anyways?

I've done a lot of tinkering and attempts at optimization on https://Brennan.day, and one of the foundational principles of the project was to be accessible from the start—making an accommodating website was not going to be an afterthought. But what does that mean, exactly? I think it's good to actually write a blog post explaining that. An accessible starting point, if you will. Web accessibility (sometimes shortened to a11y[1]) is "the practice of making your websites usable by as many people as possible." There is a wide range to consider here: visual impairments, hearing impairments, mobility impairments, cognitive impairments, and more. I'll start off, though, with some of the most important things that I think beginner web developers don't hear enough. Designing for Disability Means Designing for Everyone Anytime you develop with accessibility in mind, or improve a product for someone with a disability, you're actually improving it for everyone. This is called the curb cut…