Richard Clinch
Experience Design Lead,
Harvard University
Creating a Scalable Digital Transformation by Leading with Accessibility
Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | 4:30PM–5:30PM MT
Session Type:
Poster Session
Delivery Format:
Poster Session
In large-scale digital transformations, accessibility is often treated as a checkbox late in the process. What if it became the force of transformation instead? As our Ivy League university migrated thousands of websites to new shared Drupal and WordPress platforms, we made disability inclusion the foundation of our Design System. Instead of adding accessibility after launch, we built it into our principles, component designs, team workflows, and governance. Accessibility reviews, testing with assistive technology, and formal standards became the architecture of how we design and build. Leading with accessibility didn’t slow us down. It helped our teams become more focused, consistent, and confident. And it created a culture shift in our community, from checkbox compliance to people-focused. In this session, attendees will come away with strategies for integrating accessibility in design systems from the start, incorporating inclusive testing, and sustaining accessibility as platforms evolve across complex digital landscapes.
