ADA Web Accessibility

WSEMS Site Audit

The UN Convention on Rights for Persons with Disabilities states that access to information and communications technologies is a basic human. Accessibility coincides directly with best practices for the web, such as SEO, usability and responsive web design. Case studies have shown websites that work to meet accessibility standards have increased audience reach and better search results. More information can be found at https://www.w3.org/standards/webdesign/accessibility.

W3C Guidelines For Accessibility

• Perceivability: Provide content that is easier for users to see and hear, including images and other multimedia.
• Operability: Make it easer for users to navigate the website, find and use content, while providing enough time to read content without causing any kind of physical reactions, such as seizures.
• Understandability: Make content appear and operate predictably, ensuring content is readable and understandable, helping users to avoid and correct mistakes.
• Compatibility: Make the site robust to maximize compatibility with current and future tools.

https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/glance/

Audit Methodology

An audit was completed of the Wisconsin Special Education Mediation System’s website, www.wsems.us, to determine compatibility with guidelines for Web Content Accessibility (WCAG). Subsequently, modifications were made to the site to ensure it followed WCAG 2.1 level AA guidelines.

The Audit was completed using the Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool (WAVE), selected for its assessment capabilities against WCAG 2.1 guidelines and ease of understanding in reporting metrics.