Research on information systems has long relied on cognitive load theory to explain usability breakdowns, user error, and performance degradation. Cognitive load remains a useful concept, but it does not fully explain a growing set of problems observed in complex digital systemsespecially problems related to accessibility, understanding, and sustained use over time. This paper introduces cognitive distance as a complementary way to understand how users experience and interpret information systems over time. Cognitive distance is the felt gap between a system's internal logic and a user's mental model. It often shows up as extra effort, confusion, misunderstanding, and repeated failures to form a stable understanding of how the system works. By reframing usability and accessibility challenges through cognitive distance (not cognitive load alone), this paper argues that many modern systems are not just demanding-they are structurally distant from their users. This distance can disproportionately affect users with cognitive disabilities, neurodivergent users, older adults, and users working under stress or time pressure. The paper develops a conceptual framework linking cognitive distance to usability erosion, accessibility debt, and long-term system risk. It also discusses implications for system design, evaluation, and governance, positioning cognitive distance as an important concept for future information systems research.