Part 2: Making Accessibility Core to Product Strategy
The moment that transformed my understanding of accessible product leadership wasn't in a planning session—it was during a routine workday when I couldn't complete my own expense report. As someone with anxiety, I found myself staring at an internal tool's complex workflow, my heart racing as I tried to navigate through unmarked required fields and unclear validation rules. The form kept timing out, erasing my work because I needed more time to gather receipts and double-check entries.
Before:
"Error: Unable to save changes. Form validation failed."
After:
"We found 2 items that need your attention in the Personal Details section. Your other sections are saved. Click 'Show Me' to highlight what needs to be fixed, or 'Save as Draft' to come back later. Everything you've entered is safe."
This wasn't a public-facing product that had gone through rigorous UX testing—it was "just" an internal tool that "just needed to work." That experience fundamentally changed how I think about product leadership. It showed me that accessibility isn't just a feature we add to our products—it's a mindset that should shape how we lead our teams and guide product development from the ground up.
Working in innovation teams has taught me valuable lessons about balancing speed, resources, and priorities. While I'm not primarily a Product Manager, I've had opportunities to lead smaller initiatives in fast-paced environments where time and budgets are tight. Through these experiences, I've discovered that making accessibility core to our work isn't about having unlimited resources—it's about changing how we think about leadership itself.
Rethinking Our Product Development Process
I used to treat accessibility like a separate track of work—something to be handled by specialists or addressed in dedicated sprints. But that expense report experience showed me how this approach creates exactly the kind of fragmented, exhausting user experiences we should be preventing.
Now, I encourage teams to weave accessibility thinking into every aspect of our process. Instead of creating a separate accessibility backlog, we integrate accessibility considerations into every user story. "As a user, I want to reset my password" becomes "As a user who might be experiencing high anxiety, I want to reset my password without losing my progress or having to memorize complex requirements."
This shift in thinking extends to how we run our teams. Those clear, well-organized specifications that help me process information during brain fog? They help everyone work more effectively. The multiple ways to contribute in meetings that accommodate my anxiety? They lead to richer discussions and better decisions from the entire team.
Making Our Leadership More Accessible
One of the most damaging assumptions I've encountered is that internal products don't need to prioritize accessibility. I've heard the reasoning too many times: "It's just for employees; we know who's using it." This thinking not only assumes none of our colleagues face access challenges but sends a clear message that their experiences don't matter.
Product leaders have a unique opportunity to challenge these assumptions. When we make our leadership practices more accessible—by providing multiple ways to contribute to discussions, sharing materials in advance, organizing documentation thoughtfully—we're not just accommodating different needs. We're modeling the kind of inclusive thinking that naturally leads to more accessible products.
Starting Today: Making Accessibility Part of Your Leadership DNA
Here's what you can do to begin shifting your product leadership approach:
Integration Over Separation:
Weave accessibility considerations into every user story
Make accessibility testing part of your regular development cycle
Treat accessibility as a core aspect of user experience, not a separate concern
Inclusive Leadership Practices:
Share materials before meetings
Provide multiple ways for team members to contribute
Create clear, findable documentation with consistent structure
Continuous Improvement:
Question assumptions about who uses your products
Make one small accessibility improvement in every release
Celebrate when teams identify potential barriers early
Remember, the goal isn't perfection—it's progress. Start where you are, use what you have, and keep iterating. The most powerful change you can make as a product leader isn't in your roadmap—it's in how you think about and practice leadership itself.
