Pioneering In-Vehicle Accessibility: Design System Requirements

Client: General Motors

Role: Accessibility Specialist, Design System Team

  • Working within a core team of ~6

  • Supporting a broader design organization of 130+

Overview: The goal of this project was to establish comprehensive, automotive-specific accessibility standards based on WCAG 2.2 AA and integrate them into a next-generation global design system (unifying mobile, web, and in-vehicle experiences across GM's entire portfolio).

The Challenge

  • Unique Automotive Context: Adapting WCAG 2.2 AA for complex, in-vehicle interfaces where standard solutions (e.g., keyboard navigation) are sometimes not feasible.

  • Overcoming Resistance: Addressing skepticism and lack of awareness regarding in-vehicle accessibility ("blind people don't drive"), necessitating strategic communication shifts (e.g., "text-to-speech" over “screen reader”).

  • Information Overload: Distilling vast WCAG language into concise, actionable requirements for a team already balancing a high volume of technical obligations.

WCAG 2.2 AA Analysis & Customization: Systematically sorted WCAG 2.2 AA guidelines for automotive applicability, assessing ease of implementation.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Needs Assessment: Conducted deep research and discussions with design and development to understand limitations and unique in-vehicle use cases (e.g., multifunction controllers for non-visual interaction).

Process & Contributions

Standardization & Documentation:

  • Crafted and formalized automotive-specific accessibility requirement descriptions, combining and distilling WCAG language.

  • Prioritized a "first batch" of easily implementable standards to build momentum.

  • Documented principles, "do's and don'ts," and interactive examples in Zeroheight.

  • Created accessibility annotation processes for design teams (Stark, Figma).

Guidance & Advocacy: Audited and guided the design system team on accessibility for all tokens and components; led education efforts to shift attitudes.

Impact & Results

  • Set a new, first-of-its-kind precedent for in-vehicle interface accessibility.

  • Developed 46 automotive-specific accessibility standards aligned with WCAG 2.2 AA.

  • Established 12 design principles to guide inclusive design in vehicle interfaces.

  • Proactively embedded accessibility into the design system, reducing technical debt and establishing formal governance to support long-term scalability.

  • Enhanced overall user experience for a wider range of drivers and passengers.

  • Created accessibility annotation processes for design teams using tools like Stark and Figma.

  • Fostered increased accessibility awareness and advocacy across teams.

  • Integrated a dedicated Accessibility section within vehicle Settings.


    Key Skills Demonstrated: WCAG Expertise, Design Systems (Tokens, Components, Documentation, Audits), Inclusive Design, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Strategic Thinking, Problem-Solving, Change Management, UX/UI Design.