The UPMC Health Plan’s internal design system, known as Orchid, helps designers and developers create consistent digital experiences for the companies 2+ million members. I have contributed to the development and maintenance of design system through the research, design, and testing of components in addition to accessibility specific efforts. The following is a catalog of just some of the accessibility initiatives I have helped lead to support the Orchid Design System.
Component Accessibility
As part of the team of designers responsible for building and maintaining our internal design system known as Orchid, I had the opportunity to infuse accessibility best practices and standards into UPMC Health Plan’s digital products at an atomic level.
Accessibility from the First Pixel
While designing components for the new design system, I ensured that accessibility best practices were incorporated at the earliest stages of the design process by consulting W3C and other trusted accessibility expert guidance.
Assistive Technology Testing
Following the development of components, I performed quality analysis on the coded elements in our Storybook environment and verified support for assistive technologies like screen readers, alternative input devices, and screen magnifiers.
Accessibility Training
Team Training Sessions
To promote a culture of accessibility at UPMC, in 2021 I began providing monthly accessibility training sessions to my team of 12 UX designers and researchers. Since that time I have created over 20 presentations on various accessibility topics and shared my knowledge throughout the company.
Topics have included:
- Introduction to the Social Model of Disability
- Keyboard Navigation Introduction
- Disability Etiquette
- Disability Laws and Regulations for the Health Insurance Industry
- Color Contrast Testing
Larger Company Presentations
In addition to monthly accessibility discussions with designers, I have also spoken to groups of 20-100+ across multiple departments about the importance of accessibility for UPMC members and fellow employees.
Accessibility Research
Health Insurance Industry Analysis
In late 2021, I conducted a review of how major insurance industry competitors approached accessibility on their public facing websites to help UPMC craft a better strategy for improving our accessibility practice.
Using a combination of automated and manual testing, I was able to generate a comprehensive snapshot of what major players in the insurance industry were doing to ensure accessible experiences for their customers.
My research provided clear and actionable recommendations for how UPMC Health Plan could distinguish itself as a leader in accessibility and help facilitate discussions with partners in the company’s marketing and legal department on the most important next steps we needed to take to improve.
Accessibility User Research
Eventually, I was able to persuade the Orchid Design System leadership to standup a new sub-team of designers focusing on creating tools, conducting research, and reviewing Orchid resources from an accessibility perspective.
The first major initiative the Accessibility Track undertook was planning an accessibility study involving people with disabilities.
I lead a team of designers through:
- Selecting a suitable test site relevant to members with disabilities
- Researching specific areas of impairment and assistive technology solutions
- Constructing personas based on accessibility needs
- Preparing for a moderated live test blind and low-vision screen reader users during Q2 of 2022.
Working on this project has been one of my most rewarding experiences during my time at UPMC Health Plan. I have had the opportunity to introduce junior designers to an important topic that is often ignored in designer education and help prepare my research colleagues with more inclusive research strategies that can be used on a range of products.