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The Future of Design Systems Is Accessible | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

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Design systems can make accessibility a scalable, built-in practice rather than a late-stage compliance task. By standardizing accessible colors, components, documentation, and feedback processes, they allow improvements to spread across an entire product ecosystem. The article also highlights AI as an emerging tool for detecting and fixing accessibility issues, while emphasizing the need for responsible implementation.

Accessibility and design systems belong together

  • Only about 3% of the internet was accessible to people with disabilities in 2022.
  • Design systems offer a way to improve that figure by embedding accessibility rules into shared components and guidelines.
  • In-house design system adoption increased by 22% in 2020, and 47% of surveyed organizations reported including accessibility guidelines.
  • Accessible design is both a social responsibility and a business opportunity, given the global population of people with disabilities and their significant purchasing power.
  • Accessibility can be integrated into:
    • Tested foreground and background color combinations
    • Individual UI components
    • Consistent documentation and usage guidance
    • Ongoing feedback and testing processes
  • System-level changes can be propagated across many product instances, making accessibility fixes more efficient and consistent.

Responsible AI in accessibility

  • Design system teams are increasingly exploring AI to improve accessibility.
  • New AI-powered tools aim to identify and resolve common issues automatically.
  • Potential applications include:
    • Generating descriptions for images
    • Labeling buttons that lack accessible names
    • Adding semantic structure to interfaces
  • These tools can accelerate accessibility work, but they should supplement—not replace—human expertise, testing, and accountability.

Design systems should treat accessibility as a foundational requirement from the beginning. Teams can make the greatest impact by combining accessible system components and standards with continuous testing, inclusive feedback, and carefully governed automation.