Stop Providing Workarounds. Start Providing Equal Experiences.

Most teams don’t even realize they’re doing it wrong.

They build a feature with the latest tech—WebGL, voice input, fancy interactions—then tack on a “fallback” for users when that tech doesn’t work. Sounds reasonable, right? After all, not everyone has a high-end browser, a fast connection, or perfect vision.

But here’s the problem: offering a backup is not the same as offering a real experience.

When you design with fallbacks in mind, you’re unconsciously admitting that some users are getting the “real” version while others get the afterthought. That’s not inclusion. That’s a hierarchy of experiences.

Accessibility isn’t about giving people an alternate path. It’s about giving everyone the same destination, with dignity.

If your main experience is intuitive, delightful, and efficient—but your fallback is clunky, slow, or limited—then you’re not practicing inclusive design. You’re building tiers of access. You’re saying, “This is for most people. You get something else.”

So what should you be doing instead?

Design one experience that works for everyone.

That doesn’t mean ditching innovation. It means using technology in a way that enhances the experience without defining it. It means asking: if someone turns off JavaScript, uses a screen reader, or has a slow connection—can they still complete the task just as effectively?

Here’s the shift:

• Don’t write fallback code. Write inclusive code from the start.
• Don’t layer accessibility on top. Bake it in.
• Don’t ask, “How can we support edge cases?” Ask, “How can we support everyone?”

Because the goal isn’t to provide a Plan B.
The goal is to build a product where no one needs one.