Context
- Problem Statement
- Our Solution
- Feature Overview
Research
Final Design
The Problem
Despite existing accessibility efforts, the connection between product teams and users with disabilities remains difficult and inconsistent — compounded by varying levels of accessibility awareness among designers and the public.
Our Solution
Elevate aims to create a continuous feedback loop where real user experiences guide accessibility improvements and drive better design.
Feature Overview
Dashboard
Accessibility Score
Roadmap
Sprint Manager
Tickets
Product Ambassador
Survey
Dashboard
Accessibility Score
Roadmap
Sprint Manager
Tickets
Product Ambassador
Survey
Research
Accessible design and awareness are much more important than we think.
1/6
of the world population live with some form of significant disability.
58%
of adults say companies somewhat consider disabled consumers' needs; 16% say they do not at all.
Only
19%
of companies have adequate internal resources to test for accessibility on an ongoing basis.
Primary Research
We interviewed 4 industry professionals, 2 caretakers, and 3 from the users perspective using synthetic users, and here is what we have learned.
Insight 1
More than 2/3 of the people we interviewed stress the importance of ongoing accessibility collaboration and feedback , but resource constraints and sensitivity concerns frequently limit this process to just the initial interactions .
Insight 2
While experts emphasize leadership-driven accessibility and team-wide disability awareness , only 36% of companies have secured genuine top-down commitment to digital accessibility.
Pain Points
Product Design Team
Lack of ongoing collaboration
- Difficult to find the means and resources
- Sensitive subject
- Unintentional barriers between the design team and individuals with disabilities
Accessibility is never the priority
- Functionality of a product always comes first
- Low accessibility awareness from both product leaders and designers
- Misconception that accessibility features only benefit a small percentage of users
- False belief that accessibility can be "added later" rather than built from the start
Users with Disabilities
Communication Barriers
- Lack of accessible feedback channels to reach design teams
- Feeling unheard when feedback is provided but not implemented
- Lack of transparency about known accessibility issues or planned improvements
Evolving Needs
- Changing accommodation requirements as personal conditions progress or fluctuate
- Frustration when design teams assume accessibility needs remain static
User Type & User Story
Elevate - B2B platform
- Product Team Leaders
- Designers / Developers
- Accessibility Experts
- Regulatory Agencies
The Corresponding B2C Platform ( to be designed )
- Users with disabilities
- Regular users interested in accessibility improvements
Claire - a novice product design leader
3 years of UX design
1 year of product leadership
Understanding of accessibility standards
Data analysis and user research
Empathy-driven decision-making
Basic team management capabilities
User Story 1
As a product leader, I want to make sure our product is accessible to people with different needs and stays accessible throughout the product's life so that we can address both common and niche accessibility requirements.
User Story 2
As a company leader, I want to assess how our organization's accessibility mission and values are being embodied in daily work so that I can identify gaps between stated intentions and actual practices.
User Story 3
As a product leader, I want to clearly understand and demonstrate how our accessibility efforts impact real users' experiences so that I can raise awareness within my team, highlight improvement efforts to users, and make data-driven decisions about future accessibility work.
Key Takeaways
- Accessibility throughout product lifecycle
- Creating continuous improvement
- Building long-term relationships with users
- Raising team awareness about accessibility
- Showcasing improvement efforts to users
- Making data-driven decisions about accessibility work
- Creating transparency around accessibility efforts
Design Thinking
HMW make accessibility impact measurable and visible to both product teams and the public to drive awareness of its importance?
Accessibility score
HMW support design teams and individuals with disabilities in building sustainable, strengthening relationships throughout the product lifecycle?
A continuous feedback loop
Final Design
Accessibility Score
Score Dashboard
Main Dashboard
Score Dashboard
The accessibility score dashboard displays a comprehensive score derived from three preliminary metrics:
Active Improvements
User Feedback
User Engagement
The combination of these metrics provides a holistic measure of a product's accessibility performance.
Score Dashboard
The accessibility score dashboard displays a comprehensive score derived from three preliminary metrics:
Active Improvements
User Feedback
User Engagement
The combination of these metrics provides a holistic measure of a product's accessibility performance.
Main Dashboard
The "Embed Score" feature allows teams to showcase their accessibility commitment across platforms, raising public awareness while celebrating inclusive design.
The Feedback Loop
Product Ambassador
Tickets
Sprint Manager
Roadmap
Survey
Product Ambassador
The platform maintains a network of Product Ambassadors - primarily users with disabilities, but open to all users who can provide valuable accessibility feedback
The method of becoming a product ambassador will be a separate design initiative.
Product Ambassador
The platform maintains a network of Product Ambassadors - primarily users with disabilities, but open to all users who can provide valuable accessibility feedback
The method of becoming a product ambassador will be a separate design initiative.
Tickets
The Tickets Dashboard tracks all incoming accessibility improvement requests.
While Product Ambassadors form our core testing network providing regular, consistent feedback, any user can submit tickets to enhance product accessibility.
Sprint Manager
Tickets transform into tasks, and fall under a sprint, with potential Jira API integration to streamline workflow.
However, these specialized sprints uniquely measure both task completion and user-verified accessibility impact.
Roadmap
Elavate sprints extend beyond traditional completion through five key stages:
Ongoing
Fixed
Survey Sent
Evaluation
Completed
After making changes, we survey affected users to see if the improvements worked. Their feedback updates the accessibility score and can create new tickets for further improvements. This creates a continuous cycle where solutions are verified and refined based on real user experiences.
Survey
The Survey Dashboard displays active sprints and prompts available actions.
Positive responses enhance the product's accessibility score, while all feedback contributes to continuous improvement through potential new tickets.
In this way, a feedback loop is created
Forms sustainable connections between product teams and users, breaking down communication barriers
Enables teams to adapt to evolving user needs through continuous validation
Bridges the gap between technical compliance and real user experience
Transforms sporadic accessibility testing into continuous improvement