You are unique. You set up your desk a certain way. Your browser has certain extensions you use every day. Maybe you use a mechanical keyboard with switches that go click-click. Or a laptop keyboard is enough.
No one is like you.
This person isn't like you. And neither is that one over there. They don't use what you use. They don't spend their day like you do. They don't have the same priorities either.
So I can understand it's hard to relate to them.
What if they don't use their mouse to drag and drop files to upload them in your product? What if they can't tell red from green apart and they completely miss your red error message box? For someone with limited vision, a poorly labelled button is a major blocker. For someone with motor impairments, a small click target makes it impossible to get on with their day.
Empathy is difficult. How can you understand what challenges others face? But understanding these experiences is critical to inclusive products.
Developers and designers often rely on checklists for accessibility. While guidelines like WCAG are essential, they don't capture the human element. Building empathy requires engaging with users, listening to their needs and testing with diverse groups.
Technical compliance alone isn't enough. When empathy guides our design decisions, we prioritise human experiences.
Accessibility benefits everyone. Clear navigation helps those in a hurry. Captions help non-native speakers like myself. Thoughtful design removes obstacles before they become problems.
If your goal is just to meet the standard, you might be done quite fast. After all, it's a checklist and you're already good at checking things off a list. But if your goal is to create an inclusive product, you need empathy.
It might be difficult. But it's worth it.