The accessibility maturity framework
Accessibility is not a single project. It is a capability that grows. This framework describes five levels, from reacting to complaints through to building accessibility in by default, so you can see where your organisation sits and what good looks like next.
Use the framework to set a shared language with your board and delivery teams, to benchmark where you are honestly, and to plan the smallest next step that moves you up a level. Most organisations we meet sit at level one or two and want a credible path to level four.
Reactive
Accessibility is addressed only after a complaint, an audit failure or a blocked tender. There is no owner and no plan, and the same issues recur.
You are here if: accessibility work only happens when something goes wrong.
Compliance
The organisation runs audits and remediates issues to meet WCAG 2.2. Work is project based and tends to focus on fixing what was found rather than preventing it.
You are here if: you commission audits and fixes, but each new release reintroduces problems.
Operational
Accessibility is built into how projects are delivered. Designers, developers and content authors have the skills and checks they need, and issues are caught earlier.
You are here if: teams test for accessibility during delivery, not just at the end.
Strategic
Accessibility is integrated into procurement and governance. Suppliers are held to standard, conformance evidence is maintained, and the board sees regular reporting.
You are here if: accessibility is a condition in contracts and a measure at the leadership table.
Inclusive by design
Accessibility is embedded across the organisation and assumed in every decision. People with disability are part of the process, and inclusion is a default rather than a requirement to be met.
You are here if: accessibility is simply how you work, end to end.
Free maturity self assessment
Answer a short set of questions and see where your organisation sits across the five levels, with a tailored view of what to focus on next. No account needed to start.
Moving up a level
Each step up is a different kind of work. Getting from reactive to compliance is about evidence: an independent audit and a plan. Compliance to operational is about capability: training and process. Operational to strategic is about governance, procurement and reporting. We help organisations move one level at a time, with the smallest change that holds.
Know where you stand, then plan the next level
Take the free self assessment, or talk to a specialist about a maturity uplift plan.