Build Design Systems So Good (and Accessible) They Can’t Ignore You
Bridget Burke
Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2025
Hello! I’m Bridget
Accessibility is a shared responsibility
Three core beliefs:
“Against Technoableism:
Rethinking Who Needs
Improvement”
Disability is not a problem to be solved.
Our society creates barriers for individuals: physical, digital, organizational.
We put out so much digital content and we are not making it accessible.
We don’t know what we don’t know. Yet.
2. People want to do the right thing
Then why are we making inaccessible content?
3. We have to do the work
There is no all-in-one package, AI, technology, system, or software that will do it all for us.
When we don’t do the work, we end up with overlays, widgets, div and ARIA soup, etc…
One solution: build a good design system
Design systems, as we know them in user interface design and development, emerged around 2015.
We use design systems for consistency, efficiency, and collaboration.
What is a design system?
A design system is a collection of reusable components, guidelines, and assets.
A good design system ensures the collection is built with accessibility and inclusive design as guiding values and principles.
How can they help with time?
Design systems save people time.
How can they help with whelm?
Design systems have built in processes for following standards and best practices.
Guardrails and guiderails
Guardrails keep us within our boundaries and adhering to values, principles and standards (WCAG, standard practice guides, ADA…).
Guiderails are procedures and processes we define to set expectations and support and guide users.
How can they help with training?
Design systems provide guidelines and documentation for using resources; Team members provide training
A design system is a foundation
A design system is not an all-one-solution.
But a good design systems provides the foundation for creating usable and accessible digital products.
The U-M Library Design System
Why we formed
U-M Library Design System Team
How we support the U-M Library
Design System: Team
Design System: Service
Design System: Resources
Our shared resources have had the most impact on creating accessible digital content and applications.
This is how we support our colleagues.
Our shared resources
Design System: Visual Elements
Figma UI Kit
Design System: Content
Design System:
Templates & themes
Design System: Reusable Designs
Documentation site
How we design accessible resources
Our design process
We use a human-centered approach to problem-solving that involves understanding the needs of users, generating ideas, prototyping solutions, and testing them iteratively.
Accessibility must be built into every step of the process.
Test your system
We test our visual elements and components every step in the design process.
We test our components within our products. We use diverse users when possible but most of testing is done by non-native AT users.
The process of making a reusable design
So many buttons
Checklists in the process
Design
Code
Content
Button
How to build your design system
Build your team & values
Create what “you” need
No gatekeeping and don’t be afraid
Your design system can be whatever you need it to be.
You will make mistakes. Learn and iterate.
Prove the value and impact
Impact Spotlight: Slide Themes
Accessible slide deck checklist