Accessibility Audit Coral & Ladbrokes Navigation
Role: Mid level UX Designer | Player Experience Team
Sector: Online Gambling
Challenge: Accessibility check
Timeline: 2 weeks ​
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SKILLS + EXPERIENCE
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Accessibility WCAG standards
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Heuristic Analysis
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Inclusive Design
Context
Brief: Entain’s rapid acquisition of brands meant that accessibility checks had not been carried out across the newly acquired platforms.
Issue: The UX team was tasked with redesigning the navigation for Coral and Ladbrokes, but before moving forward, an accessibility audit of the existing navigation interfaces was necessary.
Existing Situation: The team was learning about accessibility on the job, working to ensure the redesigned navigation met accessibility standards and provided an inclusive user experience.
Business Impact: The audit was presented to the wider global UX team to highlight the importance of accessibility and to inform the redesign process, aligning it with best practices.
Why Accessibility Matters
Many people view accessibility as only relevant to a small percentage of users with disabilities. But in reality, accessibility improves usability for everyone—regardless of their abilities or circumstances.
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Data Tells Us:
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Vision changes with age: Once users reach 30, they often experience declining vision and may wear glasses.
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Colour blindness: 1 in 12 men are colorblind, meaning colors must have enough contrast to be distinguishable.
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Dyslexia: 1 in 10 people have dyslexia, meaning font style, size, and spacing must be carefully considered for readability.
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Suboptimal browsing conditions: Many users browse in bright light, with distractions, when they are ill, fatigued, or stressed.
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Accessibility isn’t just about ticking compliance boxes. It’s about designing for real-world users who are not always at 100%. Most users will be in situations where they need designs that reduce friction.
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My Approach:
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Focus on the majority, not just a minority: Many users will experience impaired vision, fatigue, or distractions, so we need to design with all of these factors in mind.
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Good design benefits everyone: Accessibility includes simple, readable text, high contrast, clear layout, and easy navigation—features that enhance usability for all users, not just those with disabilities.
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Better usability = Better engagement: When accessibility is prioritized, users stay engaged longer, leading to higher retention and better overall user experiences.
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Good accessibility = Good design.
Automated Testing & Human Assessment
Using the Deque Axe browser extension, I ran an accessibility audit on the homepages of Coral and Ladbrokes.
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Scope: This audit focused only on the header, ribbon, and bottom navigation—content was excluded.
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Common Issues Found (Automated Testing):
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Missing alt text on key images and logos – Affects visually impaired users using screen readers.
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Low contrast on primary buttons – Makes it harder for colourblind users and anyone in bright light conditions.
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Incorrect heading hierarchy – Causes confusion for screen reader users, making it harder to navigate.
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Common Issues Found (Human Assessment):​
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Duplication of icons with inconsistent labels – Increases cognitive load for all users.
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Small tap areas on bottom nav bar icons – Difficult for users with cold hands or reduced dexterity.
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Crowded uppercase text on ribbon – Slows reading for all users and makes it harder for dyslexic users.
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Screenshots below with labels highlighting the issues.
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Ladbrokes Sports Homepage
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Ladbrokes Casino Homepage
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Coral Sports Homepage
Coral Casino Homepage
Heuristics Analysis Ladbrokes
A heuristic evaluation was conducted to identify usability and accessibility friction points.
Here’s what we found:
1 - Status Visibility
Low contrast account icon and bottom nav.
2 - Match between system and real world
Icons labels inconsistent Gaming / Casino / Promos
3 - User control and freedom
News and blogs no way back
Switching from Sports and Gaming is hard for a new user
Poker can not be accessed from Sports ribbon
4 - Consistency and standards - familiar patterns
Menu in bottom nav bar moves position
7/8 icons is unconventional and adds to cognitive load
Inconsistent - header / logo and home across verticals
Back button replacing logo on the Sports header is very unconventional - Ladbrokes logo disappears
5 - Error prevention
Icons misleading with multiple entry points
6 - Recognition rather than recall
Inconsistencies throughout increase cognitive load - recall is working harder for infrequent and new users
7 - Flexibility and efficiency of use
With a content heavy multi vertical system it would be hugely beneficial if users could personalise their preferences
Icons Duplications and Inconsistencies
Over time, siloed teams from Sports, Casino, and Promos each used the same icon library differently within their verticals. This led to inconsistent icon use across Coral and Ladbrokes, increasing cognitive load for users.
Example from Coral:
The same labels were applied to different icons across the platform.
Slots uses two different icons depending on the section.
The Home icon location shifts from the ribbon to the lower navigation bar between Sports and Casino.
Why This Matters:
Users rely on icon recognition – changing icons across verticals forces them to recall meaning instead of recognizing familiar symbols.
Small icon labels make recognition harder, especially for new or infrequent users.
Inconsistencies add unnecessary friction, leading to confusion, slower navigation, and a poor experience for all users.
How we Addressed It:
We collated and tracked icon inconsistencies as part of a navigation project.
The table in my audit highlighted the inconsistencies and was used to inform navigation improvements.
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Key Takeaways and Reflections
Learning on the Job.
This audit was my first deep dive into accessibility. I had to quickly upskill, using a mix of automated tools and human assessment to identify key usability barriers.
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Making Accessibility Understandable
The goal wasn’t just to identify issues but to present findings in a clear, actionable way so the wider UX team could understand and advocate for improvements.
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Critical Issues Identified
One of the most striking problems was contrast issues, particularly the green CTA buttons on a red background.
Given our majority-male customer base, and that 1 in 12 men are colourblind, this was a major accessibility failure impacting key interactions.
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Impact & Next Steps
The audit findings raised awareness and informed our navigation redesign project (covered in a separate case study).
By addressing these issues, we ensured a more accessible, user-friendly experience for all customers.
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Final Thought:
Accessibility isn't just about compliance—it’s about making digital experiences easier and more inclusive for everyone.
