usability-vs-accessibility

While both usability and accessibility are critical for designing inclusive digital services, they focus on slightly different goals:

• Usability refers to how easily and effectively all users, regardless of ability, can use a product or interface.
• Accessibility focuses specifically on ensuring that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with content.

How They Intersect

A product can be usable but not accessible, and vice versa. For instance:

• A website might have intuitive navigation (good usability) but lack keyboard support (poor accessibility).
• Alternatively, it might technically meet accessibility standards (e.g., correct semantic HTML), but still confuse users due to poor layout (bad usability).

Why Both Matter

In truly inclusive design, both aspects must be considered. Accessibility ensures legal and ethical compliance, while usability enhances overall user satisfaction and effectiveness for everyone.