Intro
F6S is a leading global platform that connects startups, founders, and entrepreneurs with resources and funding opportunities. With the impending implementation of the European Union's Web Accessibility Directive, ensuring digital platforms are accessible to all users became a legal imperative. Beyond compliance, F6S recognized the importance of inclusivity, aiming to provide an equitable experience for users of all abilities
"How might we make F6S accessible for all users — today and going forward?"
Main challenge
Originally developed without a focus on accessibility, the F6S platform contained numerous issues—ranging from missing semantic structures to inadequate keyboard navigation support. Addressing these challenges required a comprehensive audit and a collaborative effort to retrofit accessibility features into the existing infrastructure.
Conducting accessibility audits
I first identified all the pages on the F6S platform and prioritized them based on traffic and user importance. I then used Accessibility Insights for Web, a Chrome and Edge extension, to run both automated and manual tests—covering around 20 key accessibility checks with step-by-step guidance. Based on the results, I documented the issues and provided clear solutions and recommendations for the developers to implement. I found hundreds (if not reaching thousand) of issues and it's important to find a solution that's effective for cost-benefit. The issues including from adding aria attributes, adding landmarks and headings, to redesigns.
A document to track all the testing that's been done
Reported issue, with details on how to replicate and the solution
A document of aria attributes that needs to be added to an interface. 490+ and counting
Before & After. Pipeline page used to not work on mobile so a redesign is needed
Implementation, testing, and validation
I worked closely with front-end developers and QA team throughout the implementation phase. One key challenge was dealing with legacy code and browser inconsistencies, which required iterative testing and occasional workarounds to achieve consistent accessibility across different environments.
For final validation, I personally verified the key user flows using screen readers and keyboard navigation to ensure practical usability, not just technical compliance.
Embedding accessibility into our workflow
In order for our future products to be consistently accessible, we need to embed accessibility into our workflow. First, before design reaches to the devs, I made sure that our design has accessiblity in mind by updating handoff process. Every design needs to have annotated components with detailed accessibility guidelines. Additionally, I added a dedicated accessibility section to our design system.
To make sure the design is well implemented, I also added accessibility test inside our testing process guideline.
Each design handoff now comes with detailed accessibility annotations
A dedicated accessibility section in the design system
A new documentation of accessibility testing process so everyone in the team can follow
Outcome
As a result of this initiative, 85% of F6S pages now pass accessibility audits, significantly improving the platform’s inclusivity and compliance readiness. We implemented a new accessibility-focused design handoff process and updated our design documentation to ensure accessibility is considered from the start of every project. Additionally, a new testing process that includes accessibility checks has been adopted by the QA team.
What’s next?
Our next step is to test with real users, including people with disabilities, to ensure that our solutions truly meet their needs in real-world scenarios.