aDesigner

aDesigner is an accessibility evaluation tool for web designers, originally released by IBM in the mid-2000s. It combined automated WCAG checking with simulations of low vision (contrast loss, blur, colour-blindness) so that sighted designers could see how a page would appear to a user with those conditions. aDesigner was an early and influential example of the 'designer-first' accessibility tooling pattern — embed simulation and audit capabilities in the design workflow rather than treating accessibility as a downstream QA problem. Though aDesigner itself is no longer actively maintained, the design pattern continues in modern tools such as browser-based vision simulators, Figma/Sketch accessibility plugins, and IDE-integrated accessibility linters.