Think about your last product release. Go back to the beginning, when you started estimating what you can do. How many user stories did you plan? How many features did you manage to fit in?
And how many did you actually complete?
The thing is, no matter how long or short your sprint is, you're likely to overestimate what you can do in that time. It's like you're living your life one sprint at a time, and always trying to fit in as much as possible in that time-frame. It's only natural to overestimate.
Now think of the last year. It's a much longer time span than a one-week sprint. What did you estimate you could have done in one year?
And what did you actually do?
It's harder to look towards the horizon and estimate, so you tend to underestimate.
Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.
-Bill Gates
Accessibility is often overlooked in long-term estimations. And that's sad, because accessibility is like compound interest for your product. Over time, the dividends pay off in ways you couldn't have imagined. Every bit of accessibility you invest in now is an investment in your product's future, opening it up to a wider audience.
It's natural to focus on what you can achieve in the short term, but don't forget to factor accessibility into your long-term plans. It may seem like a small thing now, but its impact over time is monumental. Just as Gates said, we often underestimate what we can achieve in the long run. And when it comes to accessibility, that couldn't be more true.