Before writing a single prompt, I mapped every WCAG 2.1 AA requirement against Power BI’s technical reality, what metadata exists inside a PBIX, what can be inferred, what cannot be detected programmatically, and which checks would meaningfully improve accessibility without producing false positives. This step was critical. Power BI is not a web page, and WCAG cannot be applied blindly. I had to define, rule by rule, which tests were feasible, how they should work, and how they should be interpreted.

With that groundwork in place, I built the MVP of the PBIX Accessibility Audit around the most reliable and impactful checks:

• Text and non-text contrast
• Alt text completeness
• Titles (Page, Visual and axis)
• Decorative shape detection
• Logical tab order
• Clutter
• Font scaling

Most importantly, all these checks had to respect data privacy.

Once the Report Auditor was stable, I expanded PBIX A11y into a full accessibility ecosystem by building standalone tools, each one created in direct response to real user needs, and each one grounded in the same WCAG‑aligned, Power BI‑specific logic:

1. Colour‑blindness Simulator
   (including image upload and HEX‑based simulation)
2. Alt Text Generator
   (static WCAG alt text + dynamic DAX alt text)
3. Colour Contrast Checker
   (Relative Luminance + APCA methods)
4. Theme Accessibility Audit
   (contrast, font scaling, chart titles, axis titles, UI colours)
5. Cognitive Load Score
   (layout density and visual complexity)
6. Minimum Font Size Calculator
   (a method using proportionality to the canvas size)
7. UI Layout Calculator
   (sizes for canvas margins, buttons, padding, shapes, icons and border radius)
8. Visual Design Audit
   (combined visual, structural, and readability checks)

Every tool was shaped by real feedback from Power BI developers. Their insights helped refine the logic, improve clarity, and ensure the platform remained practical, predictable, and trustworthy. Although this initial feedback was important, the platform still needs to be tested by people who rely on assistive technologies.

Throughout the build, I kept the principles consistent:

• WCAG 2.1 AA alignment
• GDPR‑safe behaviour (no uploads, no storage)
• Clear, actionable explanations
• Predictable UI
• Minimal visual clutter
• Accessibility first, always

Result

PBIX A11y is now a free, browser‑based accessibility platform used by Power BI creators, teams, and organisations who need reliable, privacy‑safe accessibility checks. It provides automated audits for both reports and themes, generates accessible alt text, simulates colour‑blindness, calculates cognitive load, evaluates layout and font scaling, and offers practical guidance grounded in WCAG and real‑world Power BI design.

Shortly after launch, I had the opportunity to write about PBIX A11y for the Microsoft Community Blog, sharing the story behind the tool and the accessibility principles that shaped it. That post sparked valuable community discussion, including a key piece of feedback requesting support for PBIR and PBIP formats. With Microsoft shifting toward project‑based report structures, this insight was both timely and essential. I updated PBIX A11y to support PBIX, PBIR, and PBIP, ensuring the tool remained future‑proof and aligned with how Power BI authors actually work.

The response from the community was immediate and encouraging. Within just two weeks of launch, PBIX A11y was nominated for the Inclusive Awards 2026 in the D&I Tech Initiative category in the UK, a recognition that validated both the need for the tool and the care taken in its design.

What began as a missing capability in the ecosystem has become a platform that helps the entire community build more inclusive analytics, responsibly, transparently, and with accessibility at its core. PBIX A11y shows how thoughtful design, accessibility expertise, and responsible AI collaboration can meaningfully improve how people build and consume data.

2. Galaxy Maths Quest

Context

My son is neurodivergent and struggles to focus on anything he doesn’t enjoy. The maths websites recommended by his school as well as the revision package were boring, visually cluttered, and not designed for neurodiverse learners. With my background in digital accessibility and data visualisation, I could see exactly why they weren’t working.

Problem

Homework sessions revealed several barriers:

• Too many distractions on each page
• Small fonts with poor character differentiation
• Weak visual hierarchy
• Overcrowded layouts
• No consideration for cognitive load
• No alignment with his interests

He couldn’t stay engaged, and the tools weren’t built for children like him.

Approach

I used Copilot as my prompting partner and Lovable as the build environment to create Galaxy Maths Quest, starting with a Times Tables MVP that followed:

• A galaxy theme aligned with his hyperfocus
• No ads, no chat, no external contact
• WCAG 2.1 AA compliance
• GDPR aligned behaviour
• Clear typography and predictable layouts
• Minimal visual clutter
• Dark/light mode

Once the MVP worked, I expanded the platform into additional “quests” based on his real pain points:

• Number Bonding
• Fractions
• Data Challenges

I later added full localisation in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and German, and shared the platform publicly.

Testing included real users, whose feedback helped identify bugs and usability issues. I fixed these by brainstorming solutions with Copilot before promoting the build.

Result

Galaxy Maths Quest is now a free, child safe, multilingual maths platform with four missions, designed specifically for neurodiverse learners. It is calm, predictable, accessible, and engaging, and most importantly, it works for my son. What began as a personal need became a tool that can support many more children through thoughtful design, accessibility principles, and responsible AI collaboration.