Making accessibility part of everyday delivery
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) protects workplace pensions in the UK, helping ensure employers and pension schemes meet their responsibilities to savers.
Identifying the issues to support users
When TPR brought several Automatic Enrolment websites in-house, it needed a clear picture of how well they supported users. Where were people encountering barriers, what needed to change, and how could its teams make lasting improvements?
We partnered with TPR to answer those questions, combining independent accessibility audits with practical support and training. Together, we helped bring the services into line with WCAG 2.2 AA and build the team’s confidence in delivering accessible experiences.
What we did
- Independent accessibility audits
- Practical guidance on prioritising and resolving issues
- Screen reader and assistive technology training
- Support for developers and content teams
- Verification against WCAG 2.2 AA
- User testing with disabled participants
- Guidance on ongoing accessibility checks and reviews
Understanding the barriers
Our initial audit identified more than 100 accessibility issues. The websites met only 40% of the WCAG 2.1 AA criteria, leaving TPR with a substantial programme of improvements.
The team needed to understand what those findings meant for the people using its services. We explained the issues in clear, practical terms, connecting technical requirements to their impact on users. This helped TPR see where barriers occurred and focus its efforts where they would make the most difference.
Giving teams the confidence to act
Resolving the issues required close collaboration with the people responsible for the websites. We worked alongside TPR’s developers and content teams, providing straightforward guidance as they made changes.
Hands-on training in screen readers and assistive technologies helped teams understand how people experienced their services. This gave them a stronger basis for making decisions, assessing fixes and recognising potential barriers in their everyday work.
By combining training with support throughout the improvements, we helped turn the audit findings into practical action and build knowledge within TPR.
Demonstrating the improvement
Once the updates were complete, we retested the Automatic Enrolment products against WCAG 2.2 AA, moving beyond the standard used in the original audit.
The retest demonstrated full compliance with WCAG 2.2 AA across the audited products, with 100% of the targeted criteria met and just three non-blocking observations remaining.
This gave TPR clear evidence of the progress made and assurance that its teams had addressed the barriers identified.
Keeping accessibility in focus
Our work with TPR continues. We have delivered user testing with disabled participants to provide further assurance that the changes work in practice and have not introduced new issues.
We have also supported TPR in building regular checks, expert reviews and audits into its development process. Alongside the improvements to its services, TPR now has a stronger foundation for keeping accessibility part of everyday delivery.