Accessibility

Accessibility that improves usability. Not just compliance.

Find accessibility issues early, improve usability, and build products that are more inclusive, usable, and compliant.

HOW I WORK

My approach

Find what is happening, understand where things break down, make the right improvements, then keep refining over time.

Assess

Review the product against serviceAccessibilityFind accessibility issues early, improve usability, and build products that are more inclusive, usable, and compliant.Open service standards to identify gaps and areas of risk.

Identify

Find where users are excluded or blocked, across different abilities and assistive technologies.

Improve

Make practical changes to ensure the product is usable, inclusive, and compliant.

Validate

Test with real users and tools to confirm serviceAccessibilityFind accessibility issues early, improve usability, and build products that are more inclusive, usable, and compliant.Open service improvements are working properly.

Sound familiar?

LOW CONTRAST

Text is hard to read

Users struggle in different lighting conditions or with visual impairments

KEYBOARD ISSUES

You can’t navigate without a mouse

Parts of the product are unusable for keyboard-only users

MISSING LABELS

Forms and inputs aren’t clear

Assistive technologies can’t interpret what’s going on

INACCESSIBLE COMPONENTS

Buttons, modals, and interactions don’t behave properly

Core functionality becomes difficult or impossible to use

SCREEN READER PROBLEMS

Content isn’t structured properly

Important information is missed or read in the wrong order

INCONSISTENT PATTERNS

UI behaves differently across the product

serviceAccessibilityFind accessibility issues early, improve usability, and build products that are more inclusive, usable, and compliant.Open service breaks as soon as glossaryPatternA reusable solution to a common design problem.Open glossary term aren’t followed

FOCUS STATES MISSING

No clear indication of where you are

Keyboard users lose track and struggle to navigate

LATE STAGE FIXES

Accessibility is added at the end

Creates rework, higher cost, and incomplete solutions

View work Get in touch

Can this be fixed? Yes.

Accessibility

Design for accessibility from the start

Accessibility is often treated as an afterthought.

Build it into the process so it’s part of the product, not an add-on.

Inclusive designAccessibility-first approachDesign standardsEarly validation

Accessibility

Meet WCAG standards properly

You need to meet compliance requirements.

Ensure your product aligns with recognised accessibility standards.

WCAGCompliance auditsAccessibility reviewsGuidelines

Accessibility

Improve readability and contrast

Content is hard to read for some users.

Ensure text and visuals are clear across different conditions and needs.

Colour contrastTypographyReadabilityVisual clarity

Accessibility

Support keyboard navigation

Not all users use a mouse.

Make sure the product works fully with keyboard interaction.

Keyboard navigationFocus managementTab orderInteraction design

Accessibility

Make forms usable for everyone

Forms are often a major barrier.

Ensure inputs are clear, labelled, and easy to complete.

Form accessibilityLabelsError handlingInput design

Accessibility

Structure content properly

Assistive technologies rely on structure.

Use clear hierarchy so content is understood correctly.

Semantic HTMLContent hierarchyScreen reader supportMarkup

Accessibility

Test with real users and tools

Automated tools only catch part of the problem.

Combine tools with real testing to identify real issues.

Accessibility testingScreen readersManual testingUser testing

Accessibility

Fix issues without breaking UX

Accessibility changes can impact design.

Balance usability and compliance so both work together.

UX alignmentInteraction designInclusive UXDesign refinement

Accessibility

Create accessible design systems

Inconsistency causes accessibility issues.

Build components that are accessible by default.

Design systemsAccessible componentsPatternsDocumentation

Accessibility

Train teams to get it right

Accessibility isn’t just one person’s job.

Help teams understand how to design and build inclusively.

WorkshopsGuidelinesTeam trainingBest practices

Accessibility

Monitor and maintain accessibility

Accessibility isn’t a one-off task.

Keep it consistent as the product evolves.

Ongoing auditsMonitoringQA processesContinuous improvement

Accessibility

Make accessibility a product strength

It’s often seen as a constraint.

Use it to improve usability, reach, and overall experience.

Inclusive designProduct strategyUser reachExperience quality

Accessibility

Design for accessibility from the start

Accessibility is often treated as an afterthought.

Build it into the process so it’s part of the product, not an add-on.

Inclusive designAccessibility-first approachDesign standardsEarly validation

Accessibility

Meet WCAG standards properly

You need to meet compliance requirements.

Ensure your product aligns with recognised accessibility standards.

WCAGCompliance auditsAccessibility reviewsGuidelines

Accessibility

Improve readability and contrast

Content is hard to read for some users.

Ensure text and visuals are clear across different conditions and needs.

Colour contrastTypographyReadabilityVisual clarity

Accessibility

Support keyboard navigation

Not all users use a mouse.

Make sure the product works fully with keyboard interaction.

Keyboard navigationFocus managementTab orderInteraction design

Accessibility

Make forms usable for everyone

Forms are often a major barrier.

Ensure inputs are clear, labelled, and easy to complete.

Form accessibilityLabelsError handlingInput design

Accessibility

Structure content properly

Assistive technologies rely on structure.

Use clear hierarchy so content is understood correctly.

Semantic HTMLContent hierarchyScreen reader supportMarkup

Accessibility

Test with real users and tools

Automated tools only catch part of the problem.

Combine tools with real testing to identify real issues.

Accessibility testingScreen readersManual testingUser testing

Accessibility

Fix issues without breaking UX

Accessibility changes can impact design.

Balance usability and compliance so both work together.

UX alignmentInteraction designInclusive UXDesign refinement

Accessibility

Create accessible design systems

Inconsistency causes accessibility issues.

Build components that are accessible by default.

Design systemsAccessible componentsPatternsDocumentation

Accessibility

Train teams to get it right

Accessibility isn’t just one person’s job.

Help teams understand how to design and build inclusively.

WorkshopsGuidelinesTeam trainingBest practices

Accessibility

Monitor and maintain accessibility

Accessibility isn’t a one-off task.

Keep it consistent as the product evolves.

Ongoing auditsMonitoringQA processesContinuous improvement

Accessibility

Make accessibility a product strength

It’s often seen as a constraint.

Use it to improve usability, reach, and overall experience.

Inclusive designProduct strategyUser reachExperience quality

01/12

Proof. Pudding.

Not theory. Already delivered.

Case study

Problem

Services needed to be usable for a wide range of users and accessibility requirements.

Process

Embedded accessibility standards and structured patterns into core service design decisions.

Outcomes

Improved usability and accessibility coverage across a national-scale platform.

View full case study

Case study

Problem

Cross-touchpoint journeys needed stronger readability, consistency, and interaction clarity.

Process

Aligned interface patterns and accessibility considerations across digital ownership touchpoints.

Outcomes

A more inclusive, coherent interface that worked better for a broader range of users.

View full case study

Case study

Problem

Identity verification journeys required strong accessibility and compliance under strict constraints.

Process

Refined content hierarchy, form clarity, and interaction states for assistive technology support.

Outcomes

A clearer, more inclusive experience with stronger accessibility confidence in critical journeys.

View full case study

Case study

Problem

Legacy patterns and inconsistent components created accessibility gaps across journeys.

Process

Improved component behaviour, focus states, and keyboard support across key flows.

Outcomes

More consistent, usable interactions that reduced accessibility friction in day-to-day use.

View full case study

Related resources

Related guides and glossary terms for this service.

Related glossary terms

Accessibility Adaptive Design Affordance Behaviour Cognitive Load Comprehension

LET'S WORK TOGETHER

Ready to improve your product?

UX, research and product leadership for teams tackling complex digital services. The work usually starts where things have become harder than they need to be: unclear journeys, inconsistent products, competing priorities, or teams trying to move forward without a clear direction. I help simplify the problem, shape the right next step, and turn complexity into something people can actually use.

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Previous feedback

I had a fantastic experience working with Andy. One of his most impressive achievements during our time at NHS HEE was masterminding a deeply complex information architecture for a new platform that brought together a large number of legacy websites.

Will Parkhouse

Senior Content Designer

01/20