Designing for Everyone: Using Accessibility to Work Smarter, Not Harder
Building Better From the Start
Every course, project, or message begins with the same question: How do I make this clear and useful for others?
That question sits at the heart of accessibility.
When instructors or staff start a project with accessibility in mind—whether they’re building a course in Canvas, writing an announcement, or designing a presentation—they are anticipating how people will experience what they create. A heading added here, alt text written there, or a simple choice of colors that everyone can read are examples of small design choices that provide a clearer, more inclusive experience from the start.
Think of it like building a bridge. You can finish the structure and add ramps later for those who need them, or you can design those ramps into the original plan. The first approach isn’t wrong, but the second takes a little more thought up front and results in a design that is stronger, smoother, and open to everyone from day one.
At UIC, Learning Technology Solutions (LTS) encourages that second approach: treating accessibility as a design mindset, not a last-minute fix. When accessibility is part of the foundation, courses run more smoothly, learners spend less time struggling with format or function, and instructors spend less time revising what could have worked for everyone the first time.
Once you start thinking this way, you’ll notice accessibility showing up everywhere—in everyday tools, spaces, and moments that quietly make life a little easier for all of us.
Accessibility in Everyday Life
When we ask Siri to read a message aloud, turn on captions during a video, or switch our devices to dark mode, we’re using tools that began as accessibility features. None of these feel extraordinary anymore. They’ve become part of the background; simple accessible design choices that help all of us navigate the world without calling attention to themselves.
When instructors design with that same principle in mind, it can change everything for a student who relies on those features to learn. Instead of feeling singled out or self-conscious, that student can simply participate by reading captions alongside classmates, using voice-to-text to write an essay, or reviewing materials formatted clearly enough to follow with ease. In those moments, accessibility stops being an accommodation and becomes what it was always meant to be: a seamless part of learning that simply works.
Change like this doesn’t happen by accident. It grows when more people start to see the value in designing with everyone in mind. And as more educators and organizations take that idea to heart, accessibility becomes less about individual effort and more about shared practice—something that’s supported, encouraged, and modeled from the top down.
Designing With Intention
At UIC, accessibility isn’t just a goal; it’s something we’re actively building into the tools and processes that faculty use every day. Through Learning Technology Solutions (LTS) and the Learning Design team, instructors have access to resources that make designing with accessibility in mind both practical and achievable.
The university’s transition to Canvas and the implementation of Yuja Panorama are central to that effort. These tools give instructors insight into how accessible their course materials are, identifying potential barriers such as missing headings, non-descriptive links, or low color contrast before students ever encounter them. With that feedback, faculty can make small adjustments that have a big impact on the learning experience.
What’s so powerful about this approach is that it meets instructors where they are. No one has to be an accessibility expert to create meaningful change. A quick check in Yuja Panorama or a simple fix suggested by Canvas can transform how students interact with a course, thereby improving usability, clarity, and equity in one motion.
When accessibility is supported by the right tools, it becomes second nature. It stops being a task to remember and starts becoming part of how we design, teach, and communicate.
Moving Forward Together
Accessibility isn’t a destination; it’s a practice that grows stronger each time someone chooses to design with intention. Every heading written clearly, every caption thoughtfully added, every color choice made with visibility in mind sends the same quiet message: this space was built for everyone.
At UIC, that belief guides how we teach, design, and support one another. But the idea reaches far beyond our campus. Whether you’re creating a syllabus, a slide deck, or a digital sign, designing with accessibility in mind doesn’t just help others, it helps you build work that endures.
As accessibility becomes woven into the way we work, the effort fades and the impact grows. We spend less time fixing and more time designing. Our work becomes easier to use, easier to share, and easier to trust. That’s the real power of thoughtful design: clarity, connection, and care that lasts.