Why Accessibility Belongs in Every Design Conference

Walk into almost any design conference and you’ll find sessions on typography, branding, storytelling, digital workflows, and the latest creative tools like Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Canva, Microsoft Word, Figma, Sketch, or Webflow. However, you may not find much in the way of training on accessibility.

That wasn’t always the case everywhere. Several years ago (before 2018), even Adobe MAX, the world’s largest creativity conference, didn’t include accessibility. But they recognized the importance of teaching inclusive design and have since made accessibility a regular part of their schedule, with dedicated sessions and labs. Other conferences, like SXSW and HOW Design Live, are beginning to follow suit.

Yet, others still have not recognized the importance of teaching accessible design.

And that’s the point: the design industry is slowly shifting toward accessibility, but far too many conferences (you know who you are) still treat it as optional or, worse, completely overlook it entirely.

Accessibility is Design

Design isn’t just about aesthetics, innovation, or client satisfaction—it’s about communication. If the end product excludes people with disabilities, then the design is incomplete. Accessibility isn’t a side topic. It isn’t “extra credit.” It is a core principle of inclusive design, and it belongs at the table every time we discuss design practices.

Imagine teaching about bridges without mentioning safety standards. Imagine holding a medical conference that never once touches on ethics. In the same way, a design conference that omits accessibility is neglecting a fundamental aspect of what design is supposed to achieve: equitable communication and inclusion.

The Risk of Silence

By not incorporating accessibility into the curriculum of design-centered conferences, organizations miss a chance to prepare their members for the real world, where laws, client demands, and social responsibility converge. When accessibility is treated as optional, professionals leave conferences without the skills to meet these expectations.

For industries like architecture, engineering, and construction, (AEC) where design touches the public directly, the stakes are even higher. Excluding accessibility isn’t just an oversight; it’s being non-responsive to the RFP requirements that mandate deliverables meet Section 508 and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and may include additional local state and legislation requirements.

Clients Expect Compliance

Accessibility isn’t just best practice—it’s law.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has made it clear that inaccessible digital content can be a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Over the past several years, the DOJ has entered into multiple settlements with cities, universities, and private companies requiring them to make websites, digital documents, and applications accessible.

And the benchmark is consistent: the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Whether or not WCAG is written into a contract, it has become the de facto global standard.

This has a direct impact on how we use our tools. Proposals, reports, and marketing materials created in Adobe InDesign or Microsoft Word must be tagged correctly for accessibility. PowerPoint presentations must be navigable by screen readers. Web content designed in Figma, Sketch, or Webflow must meet WCAG color contrast, keyboard navigation, and semantic structure requirements.

If professionals aren’t trained in accessibility within the very tools they use daily, they simply cannot deliver on what their clients need—or, in many cases, what their clients are legally required to provide.

In other words, accessibility isn’t just about being inclusive—it’s about meeting your clients’ requirements. And if design professionals don’t have the training, they can’t deliver what their clients legally and operationally need.

Leading by Example

The conferences that stand out as forward-thinking are the ones that embrace accessibility as part of their DNA. Adobe MAX is a perfect example of this shift: what was once missing is now a regular feature, with sessions and labs dedicated to accessibility.

For example, this year’s 2025 Adobe MAX includes:

• Dax Castro, ADS : Powerful, Inclusive, Beautiful: Accessible Graphic Design in Adobe Tools [L6391]
• Chad Chelius, ADS: Designing with Accessibility in Mind Using InDesign [L6362]
• Rob Haverty: Designing for Everyone: Adobe and the Future of Accessibility in Education [OS201]
• Jason Hoppe: Crafting Stand-Out Marks: Designing Effective Logos & Brands [L6341]
• Erica Gamet: Smart(er) Text Styling: Unlocking the Power of GREP in InDesign [S6352]
  
  

This mix of accessibility-focused sessions alongside traditional design classes demonstrates the balance every design conference should strive for: teaching the craft of design while also ensuring those designs are inclusive.

A Call to Action

If a conference is truly about design, then accessibility must be part of the conversation. To exclude it is to ignore one in four people in the U.S. living with a disability. It’s to perpetuate the idea that good design is only for some, not for all.

The organizations that take this seriously will set themselves apart as leaders. The ones that don’t will find themselves scrambling to catch up.

Because here’s the truth: inclusive design is design. Without it, we’re not just missing an opportunity—we’re missing the boat.

If you find yourself at Adobe MAX this October, find me. Reach out and let’s grab a coffee or a selfie and talk about what we can do to make inclusive, accessible training part of what is expected and not just an extra!