The Project: I started a new job at a company that was in the process of refactoring an old Enterprise web interface. This older interface had been designed with a color scheme in mind, but not accessibility. The project was already underway when I started, but I noticed a problem.
The Problem: While the team was making great strides in re-organizing this interface, the text/color combinations were not accessible. I noticed that some color combinations, such as the white text on orange button, were being carried foward from the old system into the new.
The Offer: I asked the team lead if the company had an Accessibility document as part of their design foundations. They didn't. So I offered to do the research into our proposed color scheme, fonts and workflow, and create a document on Accessibility that the company could follow.
Research: I start every task with research. For this project I researched: WCAG AA Accessibility Guidelines, design systems and how other similar companies approached this task. I consulted with my team and started on a Confluence document for the company.
The Document: After finishing my research I consulted with my team, then started on a Confluence document for the company. This document included an overview of what accessibility is, how it's used, why it is useful for both disabled and not disabled people and general best practices. Then, using the WEBAIM contrast checker site I reviewed our color scheme and color combinations. These were added to our color swatch document.
The Result: One of the great parts of UX is that it removes a lot of the guesswork. With user stories and research it stops being a matter of opinions, and becomes a matter of facts. Creating accessible design is the same. The facts are, if it's built for those with low vision and reading technology, then it's also easier for those without disabilities to read and understand. Having the company agree on accessibility standards enabled us to change the conversation with marketing on which branded colors to use, to which of our color combinations were the most accessible.
