Making Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh's digital spaces as inclusive as its gardens

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) is a leading botanic garden and a global centre for biodiversity science, horticulture and education. Founded in 1670, it combines public gardens with research, conservation and education, connecting people with the natural world both in person and online.

Its digital platforms play an important role in making its collections, knowledge and experiences available to a wider audience.

Making digital spaces more inclusive

We've worked with RBGE since 2020, supporting its commitment to making its digital experiences more accessible. Our work has covered a range of websites and applications, including its main website, online shop, blog and learning management system.

Through accessibility audits and practical guidance, we've helped RBGE understand the barriers people might encounter and identify where improvements would make the greatest difference.

When the team began redesigning its main website in 2024, there was an opportunity to take that work further by considering accessibility from the very beginning.

Making improvements before development began

Rather than waiting until the new website was built, RBGE brought us into the design process.

We reviewed the proposed designs from an accessibility perspective, looking at how people would navigate the website, interact with content and complete important tasks.

Identifying potential barriers at this stage gave the team an opportunity to make changes before development, when adjustments were easier to introduce. It also meant accessibility could inform design decisions rather than become something to address after launch.

A stronger starting point for the new website

Once the redesigned website was built, we carried out a full WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility audit. Our specialists combined manual testing with assistive technology, including screen readers and keyboard navigation, to assess important user journeys, forms and interactive content.

The website was already in strong shape. The audit identified a small number of remaining issues, and we provided practical guidance to help the development team address them.

For RBGE, the benefit of involving accessibility specialists early was clear: potential barriers had been considered during design, leaving fewer issues to resolve at the final audit stage.

Accessibility as an ongoing commitment

Our partnership with RBGE continues beyond the website redesign, supporting improvements across its wider digital platforms.

By bringing accessibility into the design process and maintaining independent reviews as its platforms evolve, RBGE is building a more inclusive digital experience alongside the welcoming spaces it creates in its gardens.