Scaling Accessibility in Enterprise Salesforce Implementations

Accessibility isn't just a compliance checkbox—it's a fundamental aspect of inclusive design. Here's how we achieved 95% WCAG 2.1 conformance at scale.

The Challenge

When I joined The Home Depot's Salesforce team, we faced:

Multiple Salesforce instances with inconsistent accessibility

Limited accessibility expertise across teams

Tight deadlines and competing priorities

Complex custom components

Our Approach

1. Build Accessibility into the Design System

We created accessible components as the default:

All components met WCAG 2.1 AA standards

Comprehensive documentation with accessibility guidelines

Automated testing built into the component library

2. Educate and Empower Teams

Accessibility training became mandatory:

Monthly workshops on accessibility best practices

Office hours for accessibility questions

Accessibility champions in each team

3. Automate Testing

We implemented multiple layers of automated testing:

Unit tests for component accessibility

Integration tests for user flows

Continuous monitoring in production

Key Learnings

Start with Standards

Salesforce Lightning Design System provides excellent accessibility foundations. Build on these rather than reinventing the wheel.

Focus on Common Patterns

Most accessibility issues come from a small set of patterns:

Form inputs and labels

Focus management

Color contrast

Keyboard navigation

Make it Easy to Do the Right Thing

The best accessibility strategy is making accessible components the path of least resistance.

Results

After 18 months:

95% WCAG 2.1 AA conformance

Zero accessibility-related compliance issues

Improved usability for all users

Faster development with reusable accessible components

Recommendations

For teams starting their accessibility journey:

Start with automated testing to catch low-hanging fruit

Invest in education—accessibility is everyone's responsibility

Build accessibility into your design system

Test with real users who rely on assistive technology

Make accessibility part of your definition of done

Conclusion

Accessibility at scale requires systematic approaches, but the benefits extend far beyond compliance. Accessible design is simply better design.