Accessibility & Inclusive Design

The Challenge
Meeting Standards, Creating Inclusion

Accessibility was often treated as an afterthought in digital projects — something to fix late in the process. At Lyreco, the growing scale of e-commerce made it critical to embed accessibility from the start, both to comply with upcoming regulations (European Accessibility Act) and to ensure that every customer could engage fully with our platforms.

gray concrete wall inside building
gray concrete wall inside building
white and black abstract painting
white and black abstract painting

My Role
Embedding Accessibility into Strategy

As Global UX Manager, I took ownership of raising accessibility awareness across product teams, conducting audits, and embedding best practices into design and development. I acted as both practitioner (auditing, reporting, documenting) and evangelist (building stakeholder understanding and buy-in).

Approach
Audits, Best Practices, Team Enablement

  • Accessibility audits: reviewed key digital flows (checkout, loyalty, chatbot, emails) against WCAG 2.1 standards.

  • Practical reports: created clear, prioritized recommendations for developers and product owners.

  • Design guidelines: embedded accessibility principles into the design system (color tokens, typography, components).

  • Stakeholder engagement: presented the business value of accessibility to leadership — highlighting reduced legal risk and improved customer reach.

  • Team training: coached designers and developers on inclusive design practices to ensure adoption.

Outcomes: Compliance and Better Experiences

  • Accessibility became a non-negotiable part of design reviews.

  • Improved usability for all customers, including those with disabilities.

  • Prepared Lyreco for the European Accessibility Act, ensuring readiness ahead of enforcement deadlines.

  • Increased trust from stakeholders who saw accessibility not as overhead, but as a driver of customer satisfaction and brand reputation.

What I Changed in the Organizations:From Obligation to Opportunity

Accessibility shifted from being a compliance checkbox to a core design value:

  • It became embedded in design system standards.

  • It shaped team culture and workflows.

  • It positioned Lyreco as proactive rather than reactive, turning regulatory pressure into an opportunity to serve customers better.