Public sector case study: centralized token registry halves accessibility remediation time

Design · 4 min read

Faced with fragmented component libraries and inconsistent accessibility outcomes across its web and kiosk products, a European transit authority consolidated visual and interaction tokens into a single, governed registry. Tokens had semantic names, formal accessibility annotations, and a release cadence tied to automated audits.

The central registry enabled teams to enforce accessible defaults and to roll out fixes once, across all platforms. Accessibility-related regressions were caught earlier because the token CI pipeline included regression tests for color contrast, focus size, and ARIA presence. Product teams reported that the time spent handling accessibility tickets after releases dropped by roughly half.

Governance was key: a cross-functional steering group approved token changes, and design reviewers were required to attach a short accessibility rationale to any token modification. The authority's experience highlights that tooling alone isn't enough — governance and shared responsibility turn accessible tokens into durable organizational practice.