Problem
As more accounting colleges adopted our review course as part of their curriculum, it was becoming increasingly imperative that the course adopt a strict ADA Accessibility rating.
Exploratory
Most accessibility guidelines go hand-in-hand with usability principles. Initially, I conducted a massive amount of research into ADA history and best practices. I became deeply invested and passionate about making sure ADA permeated into the top of every mind in the corporation, even if they weren’t assigned to the sprint for the review course.
Implementation
Using the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA Conformance, I created a framework in which Accessibility was instituted from the design and development level, all the way to testing and quality assurance. I wanted to make sure everyone involved remembered to take accessibility into consideration.
I conducted Continuing Education and Empathy Mapping sessions with the developers, testers and product managers. The sessions were helpful for the first sprint and eventually there was a shift in the dev culture regarding usability.
I created a UI color system of accessible colors and CSS variables to reduce inconsistencies of color contrast ratios in the course. The foundation of this color system was adapted from a previous project that was already ADA compliant and close to the course’s overall branding.
In addition to other pushes, I created processes in which tab order and form fields were correctly labeled, intuitively ordered and documented. I trained others to adopt this system as well.
Here is a sampling of screens from our ADA audits and the UI system of accessible colors and CSS variables I created. The foundation of this color system for the courses was based off the blue color scheme of our checkout process.
Testing
We instituted a host of programs to screen ADA issues in order to develop empathy and understanding within our team. Some of these programs were adopted by our testers and were incorporated into the testing of all future updates. Programs adopted into testing included, JAWS, NVDA, AxE, Lighthouse, as well as browser add-ons that simulated color blindness, vision impairment and motor skills impairment.
“The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect.”
Gleim Publications develops and distributes study and reference materials to help customers learn and understand Accounting and Aviation. Their mission is to maximize knowledge transfer while minimizing your time, frustration, and cost. They provide to accountants and pilots with easy-to-use, effective knowledge transfer systems. This stems from the company’s founder, Dr. Irvin Gleim (a prolific Professor of Accounting at University of Florida) having a passion for both accounting and aviation. He leveraged his self-study products to include pilot training as well.
