When I joined the Accessibility NSW team, to lead the end-to-end research and design of the Accessibility NSW products and services, I knew I was taking on an important but challenging mission – to help make the NSW Government’s digital products, services and information accessible to the people of NSW, regardless of age, ability, background or situation.
Little did I know just how wide-ranging and impactful our efforts would become. What started as small, but earnest and enthusiastic efforts, turned into full-blown accessibility services and capability uplift that has been recognised globally. This small, diverse team of subject matter experts and passionate advocates, many with lived experience of visible and invisible disability, truly pioneered the field of digital inclusion across government.
As I reflect on our team's impact, I'm enormously proud of how far we've come. From the start, we recognised that achieving digital accessibility would require a comprehensive, multifaceted strategy touching all corners of the NSW public sector.
I have led comprehensive user research initiatives and as a team we have consulted, surveyed, interviewed, co-designed and conducted usability sessions with hundreds of people, including NSW and other state Government staff, accessibility teams in Government internationally, Non-Government Organisations, advocacy groups, industry giants and community. Facilitating cross-functional workshops has been a part of taking the team on the design journey to translate our research insights into innovative, actionable strategies and roadmaps for improving digital accessibility across government services. Our research and design activities have honed our knowledge in this space and allowed us to provide an informed consultancy service to NSW Government departments and create outstanding resources, available to all of NSW Government, to build true accessibility capabilities into the core of how the government operates.
“Accessible does not mean clunky or ugly—excellent design is both beautiful and useable.”
- — Accessibility NSW research participant
Key resources
- The pioneering Accessibility and Inclusivity Toolkit, now widely used by government agencies across Australia and was an Australian Access Award 2023 finalist.
- A suite of accessibility learning modules, including The Fundamentals of Digital Accessibility, which received a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars from 859 learners in our learning module pilot study.
- Procurement guidance to steer staff towards buying products and services that everyone can use.
- A community of public servants committed to accessibility, keeping inclusion top of mind by advancing technical knowledge and supporting advocacy efforts.
- An informative and enjoyable newsletter providing a consistent flow of information to keep learning current, share stories about accessibility and conversations with people with lived experience, digital accessibility experts, professionals, and enthusiasts.
Our resources are often used by other agencies to create accessibility guidance for their own specific needs.
In delivering these products, we have witnessed an uptake of people caring about accessibility, diversity and inclusion because we have repeatedly been able to demonstrate that it's better for everyone. We’ve found that people have found more purpose in their work and they care about the work that they're doing. People now understand that improving the accessibility of their work results in a wider audience, reduces complaints and is more cost effective to make your work accessible from the start, rather than having to implement costly remediation work after someone reports the issue to the press.
Our mailbox started with minimal activity and has since exploded with inquiries from all jurisdictions in Australia and just about every agency in NSW government has requested our services. This is a testament to our ability to raise awareness, promote engagement and drive action in accessibility and inclusion.
Over time, our work started delivering real, impactful change for people across the state. Services critical to citizen safety have been made accessible, whereas previously, they acted as a barrier to receiving urgent information. We’ve collaborated with teams on innovative solutions to provide affordable, inclusive access to vital services.
Behind the scenes, we've worked tirelessly to influence policies, and become a respected voice that agencies turn to for specialised technical guidance on accessibility issues.
People facing barriers to access know to reach out to us to get help, because there are still so many digital products, services and information that they can’t use. It’s been rewarding to use my experience in design to drive accessibility in the areas that can help them, but I know there’s more work to do.
“Digital accessibility has really transformed my life. And I’m able to work and accomplish everything that I want to.”
- — Accessibility NSW research participant
Achieving full digital inclusion has always been an iterative journey without a clear endpoint. We've made amazing progress, but our work is just the start. As new technologies emerge, accessibility needs continue evolving and require dedicated focus. The institutional knowledge our team has developed around training, auditing, and authentic representation of the wider community's needs can’t be easily replicated or replaced.
It's an immense honour to lead the design and research efforts within this team, to mentor others and to serve alongside such dedicated, passionate advocates for accessibility and inclusion. I can’t wait to see our achievements being built upon to create a more inclusive digital future for everyone in NSW.