A short pit stop before the next articles dive into the individual 15/15 apps. Because one thing is important enough to warrant its own article.
Where the name comes from
15/15 represents a WHO figure: approximately 15 percent of the world's population lives with a disability. With around 8.1 billion people, that is over 1.2 billion — not thousands, not hundreds of thousands. Over one billion people.
Und die Zahl ist nicht statisch. Die Augen lassen mit dem Alter nach, das Gehör wird schlechter, die Neuronen feuern nicht mehr so schnell wie noch vor 20 Jahren. Dazu kommt die schlichte Wahrscheinlichkeit eines Unfalls, einer Krankheit, eines Schlaganfalls. Wer heute uneingeschränkt durchs Leben geht, hat keine Garantie dass das so bleibt. Die Kategorie „betroffen“ ist keine feste Gruppe anderer Leute — es lohnt sich für jeden, kurz darüber nachzudenken.
How often accessibility is treated as a checklist anyway
Accessibility is often treated like a checkbox on a list. Increase contrast, add alt-text, done. Formally, something has been accomplished — but the actual problem has not been solved.
The real problem: Most software is built for the average user, and anything deviating from that is patched on afterwards. The result is apps that are technically accessible but still feel wrong — because they were never designed for the situation, but merely repaired for it after the fact.
How we do things differently at 15/15
Each of the apps is designed for a specific situation from the very beginning — not built generically and then made accessible. During development, we simulate the affected users directly as test personas before a single line of UI code is even written. Every action in every app runs through a visible, labeled control — no hidden gesture knowledge that you have to learn first.
This does not mean everything is perfect. Quite the opposite — the last article showed how much the individual apps vary. But the fundamental approach is correct from the very first minute.
Why this matters for everyone, not just those affected
Accessible software is almost always better software. Large font, clear structure, minimal distraction, unambiguous controls — this does not only help people with impairments. It helps anyone who is tired, stressed, sitting in poor light, or simply wants to get something done quickly without having to decipher a UI.
Accessibility is therefore not a compromise in favor of a small target group. It is good design with a clear priority: solve the most difficult situation first, then everything else falls into place.
Where we stand
All 15/15 apps are built according to this principle. Not perfect yet, clearly at the very beginning — but a real first step, not an afterthought repair attempt.