Guide

Accessible Design Principles and Heuristics

Accessibility in digital design isn’t just about adhering to standards—it’s about creating experiences that feel intuitive and inviting to everyone.

Including over 170 heuristics drawn from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and accessibility best practices, this holistic guide was produced specifically to help designers and content creators make accessibility an integral part of the design process.

Download this resource and gain the framework you need to start proactively weaving accessibility into your design practice.

Download our guide



Authored by Karen Hawkins, Principal of Accessible Design

Karen Hawkins is a human factors engineer and a certified accessibility professional with more than 12 years of experience. She is a member of the IAAP OPDC (International Association of Accessibility Professionals’ Organizational Professional Development Committee) Career Pathways Working Group, as well as a member of the W3C’s Accessibility Roles and Responsibilities Matrix (ARRM) Working Group. As both a user experience designer and director, she honed her skills leading multi-disciplinary teams in creating digital solutions for leading global companies. Today, she leads the accessible design practice at Level Access, teaching customers and colleagues alike to apply accessible design thinking to all their work.

Preview of the first page of the Design Principles & Heuristics Guide
Karen Hawkins

Karen Hawkins: Areas of specialty

  • Accessible design
  • Accessible design systems
  • Design test rules
  • Design testing methodology
  • Accessible design principles and heuristics
  • Accessible content writing
  • Accessible document formatting

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