Accessibility Theft: Protecting Designers from “Accessible” Tools That Fail

Many instructional designers are exploring alternatives to legacy authoring tools, and vendors have responded with bold accessibility claims, influencer partnerships, and polished demos. But when designers adopt these tools in good faith, they often discover accessibility barriers only after a project is underway — creating extra work, limiting learner access, and shifting blame onto the designer. This growing pattern, which I call Accessibility Theft, is becoming increasingly common as new tools enter the market.
In this session, we’ll examine how Accessibility Theft impacts designers and learners, why vendor claims so often fall short, and how to recognize the red flags early. Through real examples and practical guidance, attendees will learn quick, repeatable methods for evaluating accessibility in new tools, even without deep technical expertise. Designers will leave with actionable steps to avoid being “grifted” by inaccessible tools and to protect their workflows from systemic accessibility failures.