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Overview > Context > Role > Approach > UX/QA Testing > Results > Skills > Conclusion

Web Accessibility - Grant Scheme

WAGS Project Overview

The Web Accessibility Grant Scheme (WAGS) is one of Fáilte Ireland’s flagship digital transformation programmes, supporting Ireland’s tourism sector in meeting WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility standards.

As a Web Accessibility Consultant with RazorSpire on this Web Accessibility Grant Scheme, I worked directly with 15 tourism businesses alongside third-party agencies – auditing their websites, documenting compliance gaps, and guiding each business through remediation, achieving 95%+ accessibility compliance.

What the Web Accessibility Grant Scheme Involved

My work on the scheme centred on in-depth accessibility auditing and structured compliance documentation. As a result, participating businesses moved from initial diagnosis through to full remediation, with clear guidance at every stage. Alongside this, I also applied hands-on UX QA practices of my own to strengthen the review process further.

Services

Project Management, Web Consultancy, UX Audit, Accessibility Audit (WCAG 2.2 AA) & UX Documentation

Tasks

Website Audits, Requirement Briefs, Client Support & Mentoring, Proposal Reviews, Website Feedback & Testing and Project Completion Reports

Time

Sept 2025 – Dec 2025

Context & Challenges

Many tourism businesses in the Web Accessibility Grant Scheme (WAGS) had limited awareness of website accessibility requirements and their broader impact.

A key challenge was translating WCAG into clear, practical decisions while ensuring correct implementation by external agencies within budget and project constraints. I also focused on demonstrating that accessibility is not just about compliance, but a core driver of user experience and commercial success.

Key challenges included:

  • Low awareness of accessibility requirements among clients.
  • Translating technical WCAG guidance into practical business decisions.
  • Ensuring correct implementation by external web agencies.
  • Balancing compliance with budget and delivery timelines.

Common accessibility issues identified:

  • Poor colour contrast affecting readability.
  • Missing or incorrect alt text.
  • Inaccessible forms and booking flows.
  • Lack of keyboard navigation support.
  • Structural and semantic HTML issues.
  • Incorrect or missing ARIA usage.
  • Non-responsive designs impacting mobile accessibility.

These gaps created significant barriers for users with disabilities, while also introducing legal, reputational and commercial risks for the businesses involved.

My Consultancy Role

I worked as part of a small consultancy team led by Ferg Flannery, taking primary responsibility for auditing, brief writing, client support and initial testing – with lead consultant oversight on final scans and compliance sign-off.

My responsibilities included:

  1. Conducting detailed accessibility audits across all 15 participating websites.
  2. Producing clear reports and prioritised recommendations for each business.
  3. Developing accessibility-focused website briefs for external development agencies.
  4. Supporting clients in understanding and meeting WCAG 2.2 AA requirements.
  5. Reviewing agency proposals and technical approaches.
  6. Providing ongoing feedback on designs and builds throughout implementation.
  7. Performing manual and automated testing at key stages of the project.
  8. Assisting with final validation and contributing to project completion reports.

I did not carry out the development work – my role was to define, guide and verify accessibility implementation, working alongside the lead consultant to ensure all outcomes met the required standard.

Approach & Methodology

The programme followed a structured accessibility-first process across all 15 projects.

1. Audit & Diagnosis

  • Manual accessibility testing covering keyboard navigation and interaction flows.
  • Screen reader evaluation across key page templates.
  • Automated audits using Deque Axe, WAVE and Lighthouse.

2. Issue Identification

Key areas assessed across each site:

  • ARIA usage and semantic HTML structure.
  • Code quality and heading hierarchy.
  • Colour contrast and visual accessibility.
  • Forms, inputs and error handling.
  • Mobile responsiveness and usability.

3. Strategy & Brief Development

  • Detailed accessibility requirement briefs produced for each agency.
  • WCAG guidelines translated into practical, implementable actions.
  • Fixes prioritised based on user impact and compliance risk.

4. Implementation Oversight

  • Agency work reviewed at key stages against WCAG 2.2 AA standards.
  • Clear, actionable feedback provided to both clients and developers throughout.
  • Proposals and technical approaches evaluated before implementation began.

5. Testing & Final Validation

  • Completed websites re-tested against WCAG 2.2 AA.
  • Final scans run and verified by lead consultant.
  • Project completion reports delivered, with any exceptions clearly documented.

UX QA Test Case Documentation

I used this programme as an opportunity to apply formal UX QA documentation principles to accessibility work, structuring findings in the same reproducible format used by QA teams in product development.

The accessibility test cases reflect this approach, applied retrospectively to real audit findings from the programme. The UX heuristic evaluation has been added as an extension, applying the same methodology to broader usability principles as part of my ongoing professional development.

Each test case was evaluated against two frameworks:

  1. WCAG 2.2 AA – Accessibility standards: Colour contrast ratios, keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, form error handling, image alternative text, focus management, and reflow at mobile viewports.
  2. Nielsen’s Usability Heuristics – UX standards: Visibility of system status, error prevention, consistency across pages, help and documentation, and match between system and real-world expectations.

Each finding was logged with:

  • Test ID – a unique reference for tracking across projects
  • Test type – Accessibility, UX Heuristic, or Functional
  • Standard – WCAG success criterion or heuristic number
  • Preconditions – exact setup required to reproduce the test
  • Steps – numbered reproduction steps
  • Expected result – what correct behaviour looks like
  • Actual result – what was found, with screenshot reference
  • Severity – Critical / Major / Minor / Info
  • Pass / Fail – clear binary outcome
  • Recommended fix – specific, actionable guidance for the developer

This format ensures findings are documented in a way that can be handed directly to a developer, tracked in a sprint board, and retested after fixes are applied.

Note: Client and agency details are anonymised in the documents below in line with programme confidentiality requirements.

View Sample Test Case Document
View Sample Audit Document

The Results

My consultancy directly contributed to measurable improvements following agency implementation:

  • Achieved full WCAG 2.2 AA compliance across all participating websites.
    • Note: with clearly documented exceptions where applicable.
  • Delivered significant improvements in:
    • Usability for users of all abilities.
    • Mobile accessibility and responsiveness.
    • Structure, navigation and interaction clarity.
  • Translating accessibility into business value, helping clients see beyond compliance to understand its role in:
    • Expanding audience reach.
    • Improving overall user experience.
    • Strengthening brand reputation.
    • Future-proofing their digital presence.

By combining technical expertise with clear communication, I enabled businesses to confidently deliver accessible, inclusive and high-performing websites, ensuring their digital experiences are usable by all users regardless of ability.

Skills Demonstrated

  • Accessibility Auditing (WCAG 2.2 AA).
  • Inclusive Design Strategy.
  • Manual & Automated Accessibility Testing.
  • UX QA Testing & Documentation.
  • UX & Interaction Design Evaluation.
  • Technical Analysis (ARIA, semantic HTML, code quality).
  • Stakeholder Education & Mentorship.
  • Quality Assurance & Compliance Validation.

In Conclusion

My role on the Web Accessibility Grant Scheme centred on identifying accessibility barriers, defining clear solutions and ensuring those solutions were effectively implemented through third-party agencies.

By combining rigorous auditing, structured guidance and thorough testing, I helped businesses achieve WCAG 2.2 AA compliance while embedding accessibility into their broader digital strategy.

This work not only improved compliance, but also ensured that each website could be used by people of all abilities – reinforcing accessibility as both a user experience priority and a key driver of long-term digital success.

What this programme demonstrated above all is that accessibility and UX quality aren’t separate disciplines – the same structured, evidence-based thinking that makes a good audit makes a good QA process.

Work Recommendations

Ferg Flannery – WAGS Lead Consultant, RazorSpire.

Ian Cleary – CEO, RazorSpire.

Web Accessibility Grant Scheme - Web Accessibility Consultant