Accessibility Beyond Limits
At the latest edition of the DEI Cluj Talk Series, organized in partnership with Banca Transilvania, Romanian Diversity Chamber of Commerce challenged the status quo and put accessibility in the middle of discussions. Our dilemma? How can we create meaningful products, services and experiences together by ensuring they are accessible from a broad perspective?
Inclusive Design
The first speaker at the event was Emese Markovics, UX UI Design Associate Manager at Accenture, who offered a clear perspective on how accessibility has rapidly evolved from a perceived cost to a sustainable investment.
Accessible design is essential for around 15% of the population, provides additional support for a further 40%, and brings real benefits and comfort to all users.
Inclusive design involves moving away from the idea of an ‘ideal user’ and considering the full range of human experience: motor, visual, auditory or cognitive disabilities, neurodiversity, temporary conditions and real-world usage contexts.
A design that takes this diversity into account automatically addresses a wider range of needs. For example, a button large enough for someone with arthritis will also be easier to use for someone holding a baby.
Inclusive user journeys also increase conversion rates, as an accessible journey means clarity, safety and control for the user.
Why does all this matter?
- When users don’t know where they are in a process, conversion rates drop.
- When users don’t understand what’s next, drop-off rates rise.
- When they’re unsure what happens after a click, trust disappears.
An accessible product is based on three fundamental principles:
Clarity and structure – one goal per screen, a clear visual hierarchy, logically grouped information. When things are easy to understand, they are easy to use.
Predictability and prioritization – logical order, visible focus, coherent flow. Users must always know and understand what comes in the next steps.
Readable content – simple language, consistent patterns, no surprises. No one is willing to expend unnecessary cognitive effort.
Accessibility must be integrated into design, product management and engineering, through compliant, tested and adopted solutions.
Customer Experience
Another key moment of the event was the presentation by Mihai Tomescu, PhD, Inclusive Business Strategist and a person with visual impairments, who emphasized that accessibility is a common language that helps us build better experiences for everyone.
Accesibiliteza = A language we all know, an ancient language. But one we forget from time to time. We speak it every time we choose clarity over complexity, empathy over assumptions, and people over rigid processes.
As part of the learning process, Mihai came up with a set of rules that allow us to talk about accessibility in a way that makes life a little better for us, and for those around us, including everyone.
Patterns & Biases
We think in patterns and often rely on internalized biases to save cognitive effort. Thus, we make decisions on autopilot, based on assumptions and old models. Accessibility begins when we ask the right questions and rely on evidence, not prejudice.
A simple example: A customer who fills in a form incorrectly isn’t necessarily careless, they may be neurodivergent or simply overwhelmed by complexity. Accessibility begins when we choose to understand before we judge.
Simplicity = Clarity
People find it easier to take action when things are clear: they know how long it will take, how much it will cost, and whether they understand the next steps. Simple design reduces friction and builds trust.
The Power of Diversity can be our superpower
Diversity is an accelerator of innovation. Inclusive communities are more open to new ideas and create better solutions for everyone. Tolerance and innovation reinforce one another.
Don’t turn a blind eye
To communicate effectively with your audience, you must first get to know and understand them. That is precisely why the best approach is a strategy that focuses on the individual.
Digital empathy
Validation and normalization are the key elements that make a product empathetic. An empathetic product triggers positive emotions and healthy habits, building a unique customer experience.
The game of innovation
Innovation is not measured by the number of features, but by how open the company’s culture is to innovation. Clearly, companies that become early adopters become leaders and drive the market forward.
Childhood stories
Just like in Harap-Alb, people with different abilities succeed together. Neurodiversity is a competitive advantage, not a burden.
The Power of the Horses of Letea
A product doesn’t have to do everything, but it must be accessible to everyone. True value lies in freedom of access, not in excessive functionality.
The 3As of successful products
Accessibility alone is not enough. The success of a digital product depends on three fundamental pillars that must coexist.
– Affordability – a reasonable cost for users
– Availability – the product must offer high availability, regardless of device, platform or connection
– Accessibility – inclusive design, integration with assistive technologies
Fail Safe
Accessibility isn’t something you tick off a list, it’s something you cultivate. It is built incrementally, through testing, feedback and continuous adjustments.
The Applicable Legal Framework
Finally, Argentina Rafail, Co-Head of Employment at Dentons, explained the implications of the application of Law 232 and the transition from mere compliance to genuine accessibility.
Law 232 marks an important step in the evolution of digital accessibility. We are no longer just talking about compliance with technical requirements, but about a real shift in perspective: for whom we build digital products and how easily they can be used in real life.
The legal framework puts two essential categories under the microscope: hardware and terminals – ATMs, electronic devices and digital infrastructure – e-commerce platforms, internet banking, and mobile apps.
Compliance versus Reality
The law establishes clear criteria, but meeting the legal minimum is only the starting point, not the ultimate goal. A product may be “compliant on paper,” but difficult to use in practice.
For example, an app may meet accessibility standards, but if the text doesn’t scale correctly or the interface isn’t designed for real-world scenarios, the user may encounter roadblocks at critical steps, such as completing a payment.
With the implementation of the new legislative framework, it is no longer enough to simply claim that a product is accessible, you must be able to demonstrate this through testing, documentation, and real-world user experience.
The real challenge is moving beyond the logic of minimum compliance and transitioning to an inclusive design that works for all end users, regardless of abilities, context, or temporary limitations. For organizations, this means a transition from “sufficient” solutions to truly usable solutions and from legal requirements to responsibility toward people
Accessibility thus becomes not just an obligation, but an essential criterion of quality and trust in today’s digital products, transforming products into coherent and equitable digital experiences.
Romanian Diversity Chamber of Commerce welcomes open dialogue and collaboration between the business community, experts and the wider community, viewing accessibility as a key pillar for the development of equitable and sustainable digital solutions.