What is the difference between accessibility and inclusiveness?

An accessible service is also inclusive

Accessibility means enabling equal access to and use of products, services, and systems for different users—for example, people with disabilities, older adults, or individuals with other specific needs.
The term "accessibility" especially refers to people with long-term impairments, but it’s not limited to them. It also takes into account temporary limitations, such as noisy environments where hearing is difficult or impossible, or situations where someone has a hand in a cast.

Accessibility aims to ensure that users can access and use a product or service regardless of limiting conditions. Accessibility requires thoughtful design and implementation of interfaces and functionalities so that users with various long-term impairments can use the service or product as smoothly as possible.

For example, accessibility can mean designing websites and applications to be usable by people with visual or hearing impairments. This includes solutions such as ensuring sufficient contrast, allowing text size to be increased without loss of content, adding descriptive text alternatives to images and icons, subtitling videos, and supporting screen readers.

Inclusivity, on the other hand, refers to a design mindset and approach that embraces diversity and inclusion throughout the entire design process.

Inclusive design seeks to ensure that all users feel welcome and included, both during the development of a service or product and in the end result. It requires broadening the design process and adopting a mindset that considers a range of perspectives, enabling different users to connect with and relate to the service or product on equal terms.

"Inclusiveness means an equal, non-discriminatory, inclusive and participatory approach."

- Institute of Occupational Health

An accessible service specifically considers the needs of people with disabilities or special requirements, whereas an inclusive service takes everyone into account without discrimination. In both cases, the goal is to promote equality and equity among all users.

Physical accessibility: The counterpart to digital accessibility

Physical accessibility refers to an accessible physical environment. For example, a wheelchair user must be provided with barrier-free access to a pavement shop.

There has been a lot of talk recently about the EU Accessibility Directive, which came into force in 2019 and will apply from 28 June 2025. The directive requires products and services to be made accessible by the deadline. While physical accessibility is about the physical environment and products, the Accessibility Directive itself, despite its confusing name, covers both physical and digital environments.

All people must be guaranteed an accessible physical and/or accessible digital environment. Many organisations have already woken up to the requirements of the Directive, but many still have a long way to go.

Accessibility is the foundation

Ultimately, the most essential aspect of any service or product is that it is usable. A usable service is safe, efficient, and smooth to use, and at its best, delivers a great user experience. If usability is lacking, accessibility, inclusivity, and physical accessibility lose much of their relevance. A service must first and foremost be usable, otherwise it serves no real purpose.

Design a product or service that is primarily usable. Understand your customers and shape an inclusive experience that takes into account their diverse needs and usage situations. At the same time, ensure that your service is accessible to people with long-term impairments and that it complies with accessibility regulations. This way, your service will be accessible, inclusive, and usable.

The differences and similarities between physical accessibility, digital accessibility, and inclusivity

The fictional Musa service offers an excellent user experience

Lena and Levi are both users of the music service Musa. Lena is a digital advisor and a single mother. Levi is a music producer living with MS, experiencing varying degrees of muscle spasticity and low vision. They both prefer using Musa because it is easy to use and intuitive. Levi also appreciates that on days when his vision is impaired, he can still use the service with a screen reader.

Musa has taken the Accessibility Directive into account and designed the service to be accessible, which is why it has a large and enthusiastic following among users with different limitations. Lena sometimes uses Musa together with her young children, who like to sit on her lap while listening. Because Musa is inclusive, it’s been designed so that even children can use it easily with its clear and colorful app interface.

Musa is accessible, inclusive, and usable. It consistently receives top feedback from its users, who recommend it to others voluntarily. Musa’s growth has been recognized in the country’s leading financial publications, and every time, the founders emphasize that the key to Musa’s success lies in understanding the diverse needs of diverse customers.