Build accessibility into product and release decisions

Carry critical user tasks and accessibility evidence through the delivery lifecycle.

Starter draft for review. Use as a conversation or planning aid.

Start with a critical task

Choose a journey such as creating an account, completing checkout, updating a subscription, or using an internal request tool. State the intended outcome, users, included systems, and release scope.

Use a delivery checkpoint at each stage

Discovery: include disabled people in understanding the task and identify barriers across channels and vendors.
Requirements: document the applicable accessibility target, task-based acceptance criteria, accountable roles, and review approach.
Design and content: review interaction states, instructions, alternatives, errors, and recovery paths before implementation.
Implementation: use supported patterns, check changes as work proceeds, and carry findings in the team's ordinary backlog.
Validation: combine relevant automated checks with qualified manual, keyboard, assistive technology, and user review. Record methods and limits.
Release and support: recheck fixes, assign unresolved issues, verify the support route, and record who owns the release decision.

Make a release decision reviewable

Record version and journey scope; requirements; evidence reviewed; affected tasks; unresolved barriers; access support available; repair owner and date; decision authority; and review trigger. Route decisions through the organization's authorized process.

Learn from the released experience

Review support reports and task outcomes after launch. Carry recurring issues back into requirements, patterns, and team guidance. An issue count alone does not tell you whether someone can complete the task.

ACLT connection: access remains part of normal delivery when expectations, capability, evidence, and decision authority stay connected.

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