Case Study
WCAG 2.1 AA Audit and VPAT Delivery for a Leading Educational Publisher
Key Result Highlights
- Identified approximately 1,000 accessibility defects across different user workflows.
- Released audit findings every 2 days to maintain momentum and meet deadlines.
- Enabled immediate client feedback through a living audit report updated throughout the engagement.
- Provided guided design recommendations to resolve issues with minimal disruption.
- Delivered a comprehensive, submission-ready VPAT detailing all accessibility impacts and compliance status.
The Client
The client is a long-established educational publisher with 25 years of industry leadership, committed to delivering high-quality digital solutions and ensuring their platforms meet modern accessibility expectations.
The Challenge
The client needed to validate WCAG 2.1 AA compliance for their Student, Teacher, and Admin portals as part of a Texas submission. Although an external vendor had already tested the platform, the client required a rigorous third-party audit to uncover any gaps, verify findings, and ensure complete accuracy. The audit needed to span three test environments and conclude with a comprehensive VPAT, all within a six-month window.
Critical Success Parameters
- Build a structured, backward-planned audit covering all personas and environments within the fixed timeline.
- Set clear timelines upfront to support client remediation planning and resource allocation.
- Maintain transparent collaboration through bi-weekly meetings and continuous reporting.
- Provide expert consultation on complex accessibility defects.
- Engage native users and certified accessibility specialists for accurate evaluations.
- Deliver a detailed VPAT aligned to stakeholder expectations and submission requirements.
Our Approach
- Assembled a team of CPACC and Section 508-certified accessibility testers to conduct the audit.
- Developed a sprint-based plan to efficiently cover shared and unique features across personas.
- Created a detailed backlog mapping features across environments for structured execution.
- Produced an in-depth audit report with specific recommendations, findings, and rationale.
- Ensured continuous updates to the audit log, enabling real-time client feedback and adjustments.
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