Accessibility Roadmap Template for PMs

What This Template Is For

Accessibility improvements rarely succeed as one-off sprints. Teams fix a batch of issues, ship, and then accumulate new problems because they never built the systems to prevent regressions. A roadmap puts structure around what is otherwise a moving target: which standards to meet, which user flows to prioritize, how to train the team, and when to measure progress.

This template provides a phased accessibility roadmap that covers four dimensions: technical compliance (WCAG criteria), assistive technology support, design system updates, and organizational capability. Each phase builds on the previous one so you are not trying to do everything at once.

Use this alongside the accessibility audit template to identify your current gaps. The audit tells you where you stand. This roadmap tells you how to close the gaps over time. For teams building accessibility into new features from the start, the inclusive design template covers the design phase. The Product Strategy Handbook explains how to sequence initiatives when competing with other priorities on the product roadmap.

How to Use This Template

1. Start with a baseline audit. You need to know which WCAG criteria you currently meet and which you fail. Run the audit first, then populate Phase 1 of this roadmap with the highest-severity findings.
2. Group issues by remediation effort and user impact. A missing skip-to-content link is a quick fix with high impact for keyboard users. Rebuilding a custom date picker for full keyboard and screen reader support is high effort. Sequence accordingly.
3. Assign each phase a target date and an owner. Accessibility roadmaps stall when nobody is accountable for progress. A single PM or engineering lead should own each phase.
4. Review the roadmap monthly with engineering, design, and QA. Accessibility work competes with feature work. Monthly reviews keep it visible and prevent it from slipping indefinitely.
5. Track conformance metrics at each phase gate. Automated scan pass rates, manual audit scores, and screen reader task-completion rates give you objective signals of progress.
6. Treat the roadmap as a living document. WCAG standards evolve (2.2 was published in 2023, 3.0 is in draft), browser capabilities change, and your product surface area grows. Update the roadmap each quarter.

The Template

Accessibility Roadmap Overview

Current State Assessment

Summarize the findings from your most recent accessibility audit. Link to the full audit document.

Phase 1: Foundation (Weeks 1-4)

Goal: Fix critical blockers, establish automated scanning, and create the a11y testing baseline.

Phase 1 Gate Criteria:

• ☐ Automated scan pass rate above 85% for WCAG A criteria
• ☐ Zero keyboard traps in P0 user flows
• ☐ CI pipeline blocks merges that introduce new A-level violations
• ☐ Accessibility statement published

Phase 2: Core Compliance (Weeks 5-12)

Goal: Achieve WCAG 2.1 AA conformance on all P0 and P1 user flows.

Phase 2 Gate Criteria:

• ☐ Independent AA audit passes for P0 flows
• ☐ Screen reader task-completion rate above 85% for core workflows
• ☐ All design system components documented for accessibility
• ☐ Engineering team trained on a11y basics

Phase 3: Full Coverage (Weeks 13-24)

Goal: Extend AA conformance to all user flows. Build accessibility into design and development processes.

Phase 3 Gate Criteria:

• ☐ Full-product WCAG 2.1 AA conformance verified by external audit
• ☐ Accessibility checklist integrated into design review process
• ☐ A11y acceptance criteria standard in user stories
• ☐ Mobile accessibility audit complete

Phase 4: Maturity and Prevention (Ongoing)

Goal: Shift from remediation to prevention. Build a culture where accessibility is part of every feature, not an afterthought.

Accessibility Metrics Dashboard

Track these metrics monthly to measure roadmap progress.

Risk Register

Stakeholder Communication Plan

Resource Requirements