Salesforce's Lightning Design System 2 (SLDS 2) is a unified UI component library built to deliver consistency, scalability, and inclusivity across its product ecosystem. Serving designers, engineers, and product managers, SLDS 2 provides the foundational UI for core products such as Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Marketing Cloud. It addresses past challenges of fragmentation by establishing a single source of truth for design and code. Guided by principles of quality, accessibility, and brand alignment, SLDS 2 empowers teams to create cohesive, efficient, and user-centric experiences while ensuring accessibility is embedded at the core of the system.

Salesforce's accessibility strategy is to embed inclusive design as a foundational principle, not an afterthought. SLDS 2 aligns with WCAG 2.2 AA standards, with accessibility built directly into its base components to simplify adoption. Each component includes dedicated accessibility guidance, covering interaction, design, and development, ensuring designers and developers apply best practices consistently.

The system integrates accessibility into every stage of the workflow. Reviews and checklists ensure compliance, while documentation features dedicated accessibility sections and an "Inclusive Design" content pillar. Collaborative processes include cross-functional partnerships between accessibility specialists, content experts, and engineers, supported by office hours and guidance channels.

Testing and validation are continuous. Salesforce works with people with disabilities to ensure real-world usability and leverages structured checklists and accessibility hubs to maintain quality. Architectural features, such as styling hooks, enable global updates like high-contrast modes. Looking forward, Salesforce is developing AI-enabled documentation to provide real-time, context-aware accessibility support across teams. This strategy ensures accessibility is consistently implemented, measurable, and scalable across the ecosystem.

SLDS 2 has delivered measurable improvements for both Salesforce and its users. Internally, the unified system reduces redundancy, aligns design and code, and accelerates development with accessibility built in. It ensures new technologies, such as AI-driven experiences, are developed on a solid, inclusive foundation.

For end users, accessibility enhancements directly improve usability. Examples include clearer focus states, higher-contrast design updates, and component-specific improvements to elements like toggles and modals. These changes create a more inclusive, reliable experience across products. The outcome demonstrates that accessibility embedded at the system level yields lasting benefits for organizations and the communities they serve.