Accessibility

Client
Anaplan

Business impact

  • Increased awareness of Accessibility in the organisation

  • UX solutions for 28 issues raised by 3 major customers: Microsoft, Shell and Ontario University

  • UX team adopting accessibility first thinking

shows a screen from anaplan with accessibility labels for semantic markup including: headers, tab order, headings, landmarks, buttons, links and descriptive alt text
shows a full screenshot of different heading label options with merged, pointed, strong and line arrows
example of keyboard interaction labels in a design

Accessibility lead

When I was promoted to senior user experience designer as Anaplan I was also appointed as the accessibility lead for UX and an accessibility champion for product. Accessibility is absolutely a fundamental right for users and I was keen to help facilitate an accessibility first approach in our UX team, engineering and product. I managed the accessibility workload for the UX team and two other UX designers and a content designer.

Accessibility lead duties

  • UX team workshops, trainings and presentations

  • training and facilitation with product managers and engineering as well as awareness days in office

  • tool and documentation creation in Figma and confluence

  • working with customers to help find accessible solutions ad hoc and via a group inbox

  • principle designer for accessible backlog UX requirements for engineering

Enterprise and feature backlog

3 high priority clients raised a backlog of 30 accessibility defects in Anaplan which needed UX input. I worked with another designer to split the workload and provide solutions. We then worked with an engineering team. We used our own a11y annotation kit to define solutions, and present expectations for semantic markup to our engineering teams. We had to work closely with product and engineering to ensure technical solutions were feasible as well as being correct. This work span across many engineering and product teams so involved collaboration across silos.

the image shows how keyboard labels were used to show accessible requirements in a UI specification
an example image of how the keyboard tabbing label was used from the kit to show the ideal logical tabbing order

Design tools

Set up a team with 2 other designers and a content designer. Created an a11y annotation kit with the team and a spectrum of inclusivity for the team to use. With this team I also created a documentation space with basic principles and more advanced training.

a screenshot showing a figma toolkit that has labels for headings, tab stops, accessible names, buttons and links and landmwarks

Screenshot of the a11y toolkit added as an asset so designers can easily pull into feature work created by myself with another designer.

the heading figma tool allows designers to configure the arrow direction, heading level, light or dark mode and type of arrow
the tab figma tool shows options to add label, change the focus order number, change between light and dark mode, and change the arrow direction

Screenshot of some of the settings included in the figma toolkit.

the spectrum shows situational, temporary and permanent disabilities for vision, mobility, audio, cognitive, speech and physical illness.

Screenshot of the Anaplan accessibility spectrum that I created.

accessibility needs added into business personas, which highlights the key areas for accessible focus for this user

Screenshot of an Anaplan persona that I worked on with the research team.

this journey map shows how users with different accessible needs would find particular areas of anaplan to use

An example of the journey map initiative I led with another designer, used by sales, product, engineering and design.

A checklist of accessibility requirements that designers can drop into designs
a screenshot of an accessibility heuristic tool in figma

Some example of checklists I created in the design team.

Workshops and training

Delivered in person accessibility tool training, an introduction to semantic markup and accessibility design basics. I have supported the whole design team with any design queries they have. I set up documentation and useful tools and training material space. 

I assisted on defining bugs for a company wide accessibility ‘bug-bash’ and supported this initiative with prototypes/wireframes/UX/UI design advice where needed. 

screen shot of a presentation slide that explains how accessible names work