Evaluating Accessibility in Sequential Onboarding Flows: A Conceptual Framework and Scoring Rubric

Abstract Inclusive onboarding is a prerequisite for equitable access to digital services, particularly in domains such as digital health where early interaction barriers can lead to abandonment and exclusion. However, prevailing accessibility standards and evaluation frameworks remain predominantly compliance oriented and provide limited guidance for assessing sequential and time constrained onboarding flows. This paper introduces a conceptual evaluation model that operationalises accessibility assessment for onboarding interfaces with adaptation goals. Building on the established POUR principles, the model replaces Robustness with Personalisation and defines four evaluation dimensions: Perceivability, Operability, Understandability, and Personalisation. To support reproducibility and practical adoption, the approach integrates a structured scoring rubric, radar chart visualisation, and remediation mapping. The model is demonstrated through two expert evaluations and a formative user study (n = 4) using a digital health onboarding prototype. Expert assessment yielded an overall accessibility score of 2.9 out of 5, with strongest performance in Operability (4.0 out of 5) and weakest performance in Personalisation (2.0 out of 5). Participant ratings indicated higher Perceivability (3.25 out of 5) but lower and more variable Operability (2.75 out of 5), suggesting that onboarding accessibility can vary under assistive technology mediation and individual interaction strategies. Findings indicate that dimension-level accessibility scores can be translated into actionable design requirements that guide targeted onboarding improvements. Within this structure, Personalisation reflects the system’s readiness to support tailoring through adaptive or configurable onboarding pathways. The paper contributes a practical framework for evaluating onboarding accessibility beyond static compliance checking and for supporting adaptation-informed onboarding design.