Product managers

Guidance by phase

Part of
Accessibility and inclusive design WORK IN PROGRESS collection
Last reviewed
27 July 2026

In discovery

You should:

  • engage with stakeholders to explain why accessibility is important. Help them understand its value and how it impacts time and cost considerations
  • share this manual with the service team
  • request the service team and stakeholders complete basic and intermediate training, to help to embed considering all users from the start
  • ensure there's a plan to include users with access needs in user research and that incentives are planned into costs
  • start to talk to the wider team, including stakeholders, senior leadership and board members, about accessibility and its importance

In alpha

You should:

  • ensure enough budget's in place for an accessibility audit
  • start the audit procurement process
  • ensure the team are aware of how to carry out their own testing

In beta

You should:

  • ensure that accessibility testing has been carried out
  • confirm an audit has been procured and booked in
  • check people with access needs have been included in research, or proxy users have been identified if contextual users are not available
  • prioritise resolving accessibility issues
  • record identified issues in the accessibility issues and statements service
  • work with DesignOps to create your accessibility statement, which is generated in the statements service

In live

You should:

  • keep accessibility statements up to date by regularly reviewing your issues in the accessibility issues and statements service
  • ensure budget is allocated for a potential audit following changes, new patterns or components are introduced, to address potential user complaints or GDS monitoring of the service
  • continue to prioritise accessibility issues and resolve in a timely manner
  • ensure that accessibility testing is carried out on all changes to the service
  • keep on top of training and awareness of accessibility and changes to accessibility standards
  • report compliance with department standards through the Service Health Check App (opens the DfE intranet in a new tab)

This content was pair written with the DfE product community.