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Beyond Accessibility Basics: Charting a Path for the GOV.UK Design System

taught by: David Cox


Session Summary

A well-placed accessibility strategy can multiply a team's impact, improving the lives of many. David will share how the GOV.UK Design System team built a solid accessibility strategy, advancing one of the world’s most accessible government design systems beyond the basics.


Description

Once a team is consistently meeting foundational outcomes for web accessibility, what comes next?

In 2022, the GOV.UK Design System had a lot of potential options for how to invest in improving web accessibility. The design system was generally meeting the latest version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) at the AA level, and in some cases above that level. The team had dozens of ideas on where to take the design system's accessibility work next. But what was the priority?

Join David, as he shares his experience joining the GOV.UK Design System team as Senior Accessibility Specialist. Learn how a collaboratively-written accessibility strategy was able to help the team move beyond accessibility basics.


Practical Skills

  • How to collaboratively build a practical accessibility strategy.
  • Six 'priority levels' that can be used to prioritize most web accessibility work.
  • The hidden benefits of accessibility documentation within teams.