HACCP and Accessibility: How a DAME Made Its self-checks 100% self-checks to All Users

Health and social services / mass catering

Medical and Educational Support Program (DAME)

‍100 % des utilisateurs autonomes en < 2 semaines

Test time ÷ 3

Paperless in all kitchens

Key Points

The challenge

Paper-based self-checks presented an insurmountable barrier for workers with disabilities (intellectual disabilities, ASD, multiple disabilities), illiteracy, or a lack of technological familiarity. Reading tables, handwriting, and entering label information—all of these tasks required skills that were beyond the reach of these individuals. As a result, supervisors had to perform the checks alone, traceability was incomplete, and the facility’s mission of promoting professional integration was compromised.

The solution

Rollout of Eezytrace, a tablet-based HACCP app designed with cognitive accessibility in mind:

• Icons and color-coding (green = compliant, red = non-compliant, blue = task to be completed)
• self-checks into small steps with a visual guide
• OCR for scanning traceability labels without having to read or re-enter the information
• Voice memos and audio-to-text transcriptions
• Photo capture integrated into the control workflow
• Contextual help (text or video) available with a single click
• Multilingual app (~15 languages)
• Custom profiles by user role
• Offline operation with automatic synchronization

The benefits

The implementation of Eezytrace has made it possible to:

• Full autonomy for workers with disabilities during their self-checks, without systematic supervision by a manager.
• The complete elimination of paper in all kitchens across the network.
• A massive time savings for supervisors, which can be reinvested in educational support.
• Full compliance during inspections (ARS, veterinary services), with a complete history accessible in just a few clicks.
• Strengthening the educational mission: employees develop transferable skills (professional digital tools, quality processes, accountability).

Key results

• 100% of users are self-sufficient in less than two weeks.
• The time required to perform the checks has been reduced by two-thirds.
• Paperless in all kitchens.

"You must have worked with people with autism; it's clear that there are well-established patterns of behavior." - Director of DAME

Food service workshops promoting employment integration

The Medical-Educational Facility (DAME) specializes in supporting people with disabilities. Among its activities, mass catering workshops mass catering as a vehicle for vocational integration: workers participate in meal production, from receiving raw ingredients through to service, including self-checks and traceability.

The workforce in the kitchen is very diverse. Some workers have intellectual disabilities, while others have autism spectrum disorders or multiple disabilities. Many cannot read or have significant difficulty with written language. Working alongside them, technical supervisors and educators—who are not always trained in digital tools—must ensure strict HACCP compliance while preserving what lies at the heart of a DAME’s mission: making each worker as independent as possible in their daily tasks.

Paper as a barrier to inclusion

Until then, self-checks relied on paper-based materials: receipt forms, temperature logs, cleaning schedules, and traceability labels that had to be filled out by hand. For workers with intellectual disabilities or who were illiterate, these documents presented an insurmountable barrier. Reading tables, handwriting, and understanding written instructions—all of these required skills that these individuals did not possess.

In practice, self-checks carried out solely by supervisors. Workers were excluded from a key part of their job, which ran counter to the educational objective. Data entry errors were frequent, traceability was sometimes incomplete, and each inspection caused considerable stress.

The competing digital solutions explored previously did not offer this level of problem-solving capability. Designed for standard users, they featured text-based interfaces, more complex menus, and navigation paths intended primarily for people who are tech-savvy. None of them truly took cognitive accessibility into account.

A tool designed to be used by a workshop worker

The facility has implemented Eezytrace, the HACCP app, which is designed around a simple principle: the tool must be usable by a worker on the shop floor, not by a quality manager at a desk. Usability takes precedence over aesthetics. Cognitive accessibility guides every usability decision.

In practical terms, several features make a real difference in everyday life.

Visual aids and an intuitive color-coding system. Pictograms replace text wherever possible. Green for compliant, red for non-compliant, blue for a task to be performed: any user can understand the result of an inspection without reading a single line. The challenge was articulated from the outset by the facility director: "To have pictorial aids that facilitate understanding and accessibility of the material." - Director of DAME

Step-by-step self-checks into sequential stages. Each task is broken down into micro-actions, with a logical sequence and progressive validation. A visual breadcrumb trail constantly shows the user where they are in the check, making the process easier to follow. This sequencing naturally aligns with specialized educational support methods. The school director’s feedback was immediate: “For people who have difficulty following sequences on their own, this is a tool that guides their practice.” — Director of DAME

Optical character recognition (OCR) allows traceability labels to be scanned. The information—batch number, best-before date, supplier—is automatically extracted, without the worker having to read or re-enter it. For people who have difficulty with written text, this feature removes a significant barrier.

Voice notes and audio-to-text transcription offer an alternative to writing. An employee who is unable to write down an observation can dictate it. The app transcribes it. The reaction during demonstrations is always the same: "It's great—it makes things accessible to many people for whom writing isn't an option."

The ability to take photos directly within the workflow allows you to document a receipt, a cleaning, or an inventory—without having to write anything down.

Built-in context-sensitive help provides users with digital procedures directly within the workflow. A simple help button displays instructions for the current step—either as text or a video. Workers never get lost, even without a supervisor by their side.

A multilingual app —available in about 15 languages—allows non-native speakers or foreign workers to switch the interface to their native language with a single click. The entire app changes instantly.

Custom user profiles tailor the interface to each user's role. A warehouse worker doesn't see the same screens as a quality manager. Fewer options on the screen mean less cognitive overload and a lower risk of errors. "It also lets us assign roles and tasks to everyone, so it's great."

Alerts and notifications on tablets allow critical information (product recalls, safety instructions) to be displayed as pop-ups requiring acknowledgment, directly on the user’s screen—without relying on email.

Finally, offline functionality ensures a seamless user experience even in kitchens where Wi-Fi is unreliable or unavailable. Entered data syncs automatically as soon as the connection is restored, with no data loss.

Empower every worker to take control of their own work

The most striking impact is the renewed autonomy of workers. Some individuals, who were previously unfamiliar with digital tools, are now able to perform their self-checks , with minimal assistance. Adoption reached 100% of all user profiles in less than two weeks.

The time required to conduct these checks has been reduced by two-thirds. This improvement not only boosts productivity; it also frees up time for supervisors, allowing them to refocus on their primary mission—educational support—rather than filling out paper forms.

Archiving is automatic. In the event of an inspection, the complete audit history is accessible with just a few clicks: product traceability, photos, temperature readings, and corrective actions. You can feel completely at ease during audits.

Paper has been completely eliminated from all kitchens in the network.

Beyond compliance, the educational aspect has been strengthened. Workers develop transferable skills: using a professional digital tool, understanding quality processes, and a sense of responsibility. The tool also helps structure the daily routines of supervisory teams: "It’s truly a tool that can help better organize work because it’s intuitive, and it also allows us to clearly visualize what we need to accomplish each day." — Director of DAME

Traceability is also becoming a management tool: "Being able to ensure traceability also gives me a way to monitor practices."

Why it worked

Three key factors account for this success.

First, a user interface designed for everyone. The app was designed to be intuitive and seamless for any user, including those with disabilities—such as intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, or reading difficulties. Every screen and every interaction was designed with universal accessibility in mind.

Second, a UX sequence aligned with specialized educational methods. Breaking tasks down into micro-steps, creating a logical sequence, and providing progressive validation—these are exactly the principles educators use to structure the learning of complex tasks.

Third, a variety of options that allow each worker to overcome their specific barrier. Those who cannot read rely on icons and colors. Those who cannot write use voice memos. Those who struggle to read a label scan it using OCR. Those who do not speak French can switch to their own language. The tool doesn’t ask the user to adapt: the tool adapts itself.