I was driving home with my dog the other day. I was tired and running on autopilot. I suddenly realised I missed my usual turn.
Damn, I thought.
I took the next turn and hoped I'd be able to get back on track. But I didn't. It was an unfamiliar street, one-way and I couldn't turn back.
Driving along the street, I saw it started to open up into a green area I hadn't seen before. It was a park with a bench in the sun where dogs are allowed to run free!
How great!
I can let my dog run free and relax. I spent 30 beautiful minutes in the sun and Cosmo had a great time running after birds.
That accidental wrong turn led us to a park I'll be visiting again today. Sometimes, you get where you didn't even know you wanted to get by accident. Accidents are good, but they're not what you always want.
Here's the thing.
You don't want to be accidentally accessible.
Sometimes, websites end up being accessible without trying. You might have good colour contrast. Your website might work for everyone. Your headings might be in a logical order, making it easier for screen readers to navigate the content. The buttons on your website are large and well-spaced. You've used simple, clear language throughout your site. Your website's layout is simple and consistent across pages.
That's great! And it happened by accident to boot!
But when you don't plan for accessibility, it's easy to break it when you update your website.
And then what will you do?