Trackwise Accessibility Audit

Improving accessibility and consistency across a multi-module enterprise platform through structured 18F auditing.

3 screen designs showing the process of auditing Trackwise Digital
3 screen designs showing the process of auditing Trackwise Digital
3 screen designs showing the process of auditing Trackwise Digital

Product

Trackwise Digital Suite, Honeywell

Project type

Accessibility

Project type

Accessibility

Platform

Web app, Salesforce

TL;DR

Overview

TrackWise Digital is a cloud-based Quality Management System (QMS) with integrated modules that support quality, compliance, and operational efficiency. Housed in Salesforce, the platform helps global enterprises manage quality processes and make data-informed decisions with AI support.

Role

UX designer, Accessibility auditor

Tools

WCAG, 18F Checklist, Chrome DevTools, Voiceover, Lighthouse

Tools

WCAG, 18F Checklist, Chrome DevTools, Voiceover, Lighthouse

Completed

October 2025

Problem statement

As part of Honeywell’s ongoing commitment to accessibility and regulatory compliance, I conducted an 18F accessibility audit across eight key modules of the TrackWise Digital Suite.

While the platform offers robust functionality, accessibility had not been consistently validated across its modules. This created potential barriers for users relying on assistive technologies and risked non-compliance with accessibility standards.

Goals

  • Evaluate the platform's alignment with WCAG 2.1 AA standards

  • Identify common accessibility gaps found within the modules

  • Provide actionable recommendations for remediation at the component and system level

Sample TrackWise module

Sample of the Trackwise Digital products showing an environment in Salesforce
Sample of the Trackwise Digital products showing an environment in Salesforce
Sample of the Trackwise Digital products showing an environment in Salesforce

"Complaints" module in TrackWise Digital

Approach

I used the 18F Accessibility Guide as a framework to evaluate each module within the TrackWise Digital Suite against WCAG 2.1 AA and Section 508 standards. The audit combines both manual and automated testing to ensure coverage across UI patterns and interactions.

Each of the eight modules was reviewed for:

  • Keyboard navigation and focus visibility

  • Screen reader compatibility (macOS VoiceOver)

  • Color contrast ratios for text and interactive elements

  • Semantic structure and correct ARIA implementation

  • Form labeling, instructions, and error handling

View sample 18F audit for TrackWise

View sample 18F audit for TrackWise

Sample of an 18F audit in Word Doc showing multiple failures and passes
Sample of an 18F audit in Word Doc showing multiple failures and passes
Sample of an 18F audit in Word Doc showing multiple failures and passes

Next steps

After completing the individual audits for each module, I synthesized recurring patterns to identify system-wide accessibility gaps, like skipped interactive elements in the UI, that originated in shared components.

Findings

The audits revealed a consistent set of accessibility issues that came from shared components and interaction patterns. While some findings were module-specific, several systemic issues appeared throughout the TrackWise Digital Suite:

Navigation bar

  • "Skip navigation" and "Skip to main" links are programmed, but not visible for sighted, keyboard-only users

  • When a modal is opened from the navigation, focus is incorrectly returned to the top of the page instead of the triggering element

  • "Add" menu item includes a modal-on-top-of-modal pattern

Skip link on focus with Voiceover caption that says "link, Skip to navigation"
Skip link on focus with Voiceover caption that says "link, Skip to navigation"
Skip link on focus with Voiceover caption that says "link, Skip to navigation"

Data tables

  • Data tables lack accessible names via <caption> or aria-label elements

  • While data visualizations include hidden table equivalents, the tables are inaccessible to screen readers due to improper hiding techniques

Data table on Trackwise product does not include a caption element or aria-label in Chrome devtools
Data table on Trackwise product does not include a caption element or aria-label in Chrome devtools
Data table on Trackwise product does not include a caption element or aria-label in Chrome devtools

Heading structure

  • Pages included multiple <h1> elements

  • Pages do not properly nest the heading levels

  • Headings are not unique and used across different heading levels

Heading structure showing multiple heading level 1's
Heading structure showing multiple heading level 1's
Heading structure showing multiple heading level 1's

CSS dependence

  • When CSS was disabled in the browser, visual hierarchy and layout structure is lost entirely

  • Many elements become enlarged and misaligned, resulting in excessive scrolling

Trackwise product with CSS styles turned off and enlarged icons
Trackwise product with CSS styles turned off and enlarged icons
Trackwise product with CSS styles turned off and enlarged icons

Remediation

To support efficient implementation, I developed a prioritized remediation plan for Trackwise's engineering team, organized by impact-to-effort ratio. The goal was to address the most critical and easily fixable issues first, while planning for structural improvements in future development cycles.

High impact // Low effort

Focus management and navigation visibility

  • Make “Skip navigation” and “Skip to main” links visible on keyboard focus

  • Correct modal behavior so focus is returned to the trigger element upon closure

  • Remove modal-on-top-of-modal patterns where possible to simplify interaction flow

Heading structure

  • Enforce a single <h1> per page and establish consistent heading hierarchy (<h2>, <h3>, etc.)

  • Audit page templates for duplicate or skipped heading levels and correct where needed

Patagonia homepage with a skip link visible on focus
Patagonia homepage with a skip link visible on focus
Patagonia homepage with a skip link visible on focus

Medium impact // Medium effort

Data tables and visualizations

  • Add descriptive <caption> or aria-label attributes to all data tables

  • Update hidden data tables used for chart equivalents so they remain accessible to assistive technologies (e.g., avoid display:none)

Color contrast adjustments

  • Review secondary and disabled states to ensure text and icon contrast meets WCAG 2.1 AA thresholds

  • Update design tokens and component styles to bake contrast compliance into shared UI elements

Sample data table showing a caption element to label the table
Sample data table showing a caption element to label the table
Sample data table showing a caption element to label the table

Low impact // High effort

CSS and structural resilience

  • Refactor layouts to reduce dependency on CSS for semantic hierarchy

  • Introduce semantic HTML elements (<main>, <section>, <aside>, etc.)

  • Incorporate structure testing (e.g., CSS-off testing or accessibility tree validation) into development workflows

W3C's website with the CSS disabled showing the hierarchy was maintained
W3C's website with the CSS disabled showing the hierarchy was maintained
W3C's website with the CSS disabled showing the hierarchy was maintained

Conclusion

Outcome

  • TrackWise Digital advanced closer to WCAG 2.1 AA compliance while enhancing the inclusiveness and usability of its platform for all users

  • This effort created a repeatable accessibility audit and remediation process that Honeywell product teams can apply to future releases

Next steps

  • Support team adoption of automated accessibility testing in QA reviews

  • Designate an accessibility champion for both design and development

  • Schedule follow-up audit with the team once remediation is complete