Accessibility means designing things so that everyone can use them, including people with disabilities. An accessible building has ramps and elevators so people in wheelchairs can enter just as easily as those who can climb stairs. An accessible website includes features that let blind people use screen readers to hear what's written on the page.

When designers think about accessibility, they're asking: “Can everyone participate, or are we accidentally leaving some people out?”

Accessibility shows up everywhere. Closed captions on videos help deaf people follow along, but they also help anyone watching in a noisy cafeteria. Audiobooks were created for blind readers but became popular with everyone. Curb cuts (those small ramps where sidewalks meet streets) were designed for wheelchairs but help anyone pushing a stroller or pulling a suitcase.

Good accessibility often improves things for everyone, not just people with disabilities. When you create an accessible science fair project with large, clear labels and straightforward language, you're helping people who have vision problems or learning differences, and you're also making your project easier for everyone to understand. Thinking about accessibility means thinking about all the different ways people might experience the world.