Evaluating accessibility barriers in a real SaaS purchase flow
Role: UX Designer
Deliverable: Accessibility audit report with UX improvement recommendations
Context: Academic project using a real production environment
The Context
Accessibility plays a critical role in ensuring that digital products can be used by people with different abilities, devices, and interaction methods.
As part of a postgraduate UX course focused on accessibility, I conducted an in-depth analysis of KingHost’s sales page to assess whether it aligned with established accessibility and UX best practices.
The goal was to understand how accessible the purchase experience was for users relying on assistive technologies, such as screen readers and keyboard navigation.
The Problem
The central question of this project was:
Does the KingHost sales page provide an accessible experience that supports a diverse range of users?
This question has direct implications for both:
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User experience, by enabling or restricting access
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Business outcomes, by potentially limiting who can complete a purchase
Scope & Constraints
This project was conducted individually and focused on the production version of KingHost’s sales page available at the time.
Due to its academic nature, some constraints applied:
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No access to real users for usability testing
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No implementation or post-change metrics
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No validation through A/B testing
To simulate real accessibility scenarios, I performed:
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A complete purchase flow using keyboard-only navigation
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A simulated experience using screen reader tools
These constraints required prioritizing expert-based evaluation methods.
My Role
Accessibility Analysis: KingHost Sales Page
I was fully responsible for all stages of this project, including:
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Planning and executing the accessibility evaluation
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Applying an accessibility heuristic analysis methodology
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Mapping the purchase journey from an accessibility perspective
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Documenting findings and proposing UX improvements
The evaluation was conducted using an accessibility heuristic framework provided by Professor Marcelo Sales, a specialist in digital accessibility.
The final report and findings were reviewed and approved by both the course instructor and the academic review board.
Process
To evaluate the experience, I used a combination of qualitative UX methods with technical validation:
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Journey Mapping, to understand the end-to-end purchase flow
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Accessibility Heuristic Analysis, to identify barriers related to navigation, hierarchy, contrast, and interaction
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Automated accessibility auditing, analyzing the HTML and CSS structure to validate WCAG criteria and detect code-level accessibility issues
This hybrid approach helped identify both visible experience problems and underlying structural issues affecting assistive technologies.
User testing was intentionally excluded due to time constraints and the academic scope of the project, allowing deeper focus on structural accessibility issues.
Key Accessibility Findings
The analysis revealed several critical accessibility issues:
1. Keyboard navigation barriers
Multiple navigation and interaction elements were not fully operable using only the keyboard, creating major barriers for users who cannot rely on a mouse.
2. Information hierarchy issues
Incorrect heading structures and content hierarchy made it difficult for screen reader users to understand the page flow and context.
3. Interactive elements with functional issues
Some buttons and controls did not behave as expected when accessed via assistive technologies.
4. Insufficient color contrast
Certain text and interface elements did not meet accessibility contrast guidelines, reducing readability.
The automated WCAG audit confirmed several of the heuristic findings, particularly related to semantic structure and color contrast.
These findings pointed to structural UX and accessibility problems, not only visual issues.
The image below is a summary of accessibility findings and UX recommendations based on heuristic analysis and WCAG criteria.
UX Recommendations
Based on the findings, I proposed the following improvements:
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Review and correct information hierarchy and semantic structure
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Improve color contrast to meet accessibility guidelines
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Ensure all interactive elements are fully operable via keyboard
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Align button behavior with accessibility best practices
Although implementation was outside the project scope, these recommendations would significantly improve accessibility and inclusivity.
Learnings
This project reinforced an essential principle of UX design:
Accessibility must be considered from the very beginning of a product, not as a retrofit.
Designing accessible interfaces from the start is far more effective than attempting to fix accessibility issues after implementation.
Beyond usability, this analysis also highlighted that lack of accessibility can directly impact sales and brand positioning.
When accessibility barriers prevent people with disabilities from completing a purchase, the product is not only excluding users, it is also limiting its potential customer base
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In addition, inaccessible experiences conflict with the perception of a brand as inclusive and user-centered, affecting trust and long-term brand value.
Why This Project Matters
This case demonstrates my ability to:
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Conduct structured UX and accessibility analysis
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Identify systemic experience issues
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Apply accessibility best practices to real products
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Translate findings into actionable UX recommendations