Liz Brown – How To Design for Accessibility: for UX Designers (WCAG 2.2) (Download)
Why do beautifully designed interfaces still frustrate millions of users? The answer often lies in accessibility oversights. With lawsuits against non-compliant digital products increasing and 1 in 4 adults having some form of disability, designing accessible interfaces isn’t just ethical—it’s essential for business success. Yet most designers struggle with dense WCAG guidelines that don’t clearly explain how to actually design accessible, aesthetic interfaces.
About the Course and Instructor
Liz Brown, a seasoned UX designer with extensive government and corporate experience, delivers practical accessibility training specifically for designers. Having designed Section 508 compliant interfaces for the U.S. Department of Defense, CDC, and all military branches, Brown teaches the concrete how-tos missing from other accessibility courses.
This course translates complex WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 guidelines into 51 actionable best practices that designers control. You’ll learn to design accessible interfaces from the start rather than fixing issues later—saving time, money, and legal headaches.
What You’ll Master
Accessibility Fundamentals
Understand who accessibility serves, including permanent, temporary, and situational disabilities. Learn the compelling business case, legal requirements (ADA, Section 508, WCAG), team responsibilities, and when to test. Discover the best testing methods and tools while busting common accessibility myths.
Color Contrast Mastery
Learn four essential color contrast best practices. Discover which UI elements require specific contrast ratios—buttons, borders, logos, disabled states, and controls. Experience vision impairments firsthand through red-green, blue-yellow, and no-color simulations. Master tools for building accessible color palettes and checking contrast across apps, websites, and virtual reality.
Color Independence Techniques
Design interfaces that communicate without relying solely on color—critical for colorblind users. Learn to design accessible error messages, menu items, links, and progress trackers. Master techniques for making charts, graphs, and data visualizations accessible through patterns, icons, and labels. Understand how to combine multiple accessibility tactics effectively.
Wording Interactive Elements
Discover why “read more” links harm accessibility, usability, and SEO—and what to use instead. Learn button versus link wording best practices, creating clear signifiers (the correct term instead of “affordances”), and writing labels that communicate purpose independently. Explore UX history from Feng Shui (4000 BC) to modern usability pioneers.
Styling Buttons and Links
Master seven techniques for signifying clickability: shape consistency, border radius for personality, fill and color for hierarchy, shadows for elevation, managing competition and priorities, proximity for breathability, and capitalization for tone. Learn when to be consistent, distinct, or similar in your styling decisions, plus what visual treatments to reserve exclusively for buttons versus links.
You may also be interested in these courses:
- Daniel Walter Scott – Figma UI UX Design Essentials (Download)
- Mike Freeman – AutoCAD Complete Course (Download)
Interactive States Design
Design all 10 fundamental interaction states including focus, hover, active, visited, disabled, and more. Learn which elements need multiple states and how to determine accessibility requirements independently. Understand differences between style guides, design systems, and design standards.
Advanced Link Styling
Explore alternatives to underlines using three advanced strategies while maintaining accessibility. Use link contrast checkers to ensure compliance and learn which styling should be reserved exclusively for links to avoid user confusion.
Practical Learning Experience
The course includes activities, quizzes, downloadable action summaries for each section, and real-world examples from corporate, government, and nonprofit projects. You’ll gain skills to identify accessibility violations just by looking at designs and speak confidently about accessibility compliance.
Career Benefits
Stand out as a top-tier designer with accessibility expertise—a rare skill that impresses employers and clients. Send developers mockups requiring fewer changes, save project time and money, and safeguard teams from discrimination lawsuits. Add professional development credentials to your resume and LinkedIn.
Who Should Enroll
This training suits UX, UI, and product designers at any level, aspiring designers building foundational skills, design team managers overseeing accessibility compliance, and developers involved in design decisions. No prior accessibility knowledge required.
