Voluntary Product Accessibility Template – VPAT
Your VPAT or Voluntary Product Accessibility Template tells users how accessible your product or services is for users with assistive technologies. What is a VPAT? A VPAT is a document used to help users of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) make informed decisions before engaging with a service or product. The first iteration of this document […]
The ADA and your Website
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is something familiar that affects everyone. Whether it’s ramp access at a local business, handicapped parking accommodations at the supermarket, or automatic doors in and out of buildings, we all see how the Americans with Disabilities Act works to build a world accessible to everyone. The ADA accommodations are […]
A Case for Usability and UX Testing
“Nothing About Us, Without Us” If your website hasn’t been tested by real assistive technology users, how do you know it’s truly barrier-free for people with disabilities? You really can’t. That’s why it’s important to include people with disabilities in your web design and accessibility remediation process. Usability/UX testing is your opportunity to have real […]
Clear, Concise, and Convenient: The Importance of Plain Language
Learn how using plain language can improve user experience, make web content more accessible to everyone, and even boost your SEO rankings. What is plain language? Plain language is simple, straightforward, and easy to understand communication. The Plain Writing Act of 2010 defines plain language as: Writing that is clear, concise, well-organized, and follows other […]
Accessible Web to Attend Axe-Con
To us, being an a11y means never stop learning and growing our accessibility efforts. Opportunities such as Axe-Con are the perfect opportunity for our team to learn from trusted industry leaders. Axe-Con, named after Deque System’s Axe-core project, will focus on the current state of web accessibility and how it can grow further. The Axe-core […]
Disability Drives Innovation: A11y Spotlight
Haben Girma, the first person who is deaf-blind to graduate from Harvard Law School, believes that disability drives innovation. She uses the example of two Italian friends whose desire to correspond through letters sparked the invention of the typewriter. One was blind and the other sighted, so the latter created a machine where his friend […]
Announcing Our New Suite of Accessibility Tools: Accessible Web RAMP!
Since our launch in 2018, we’ve recognized the challenges that organizations are having with navigating the complexities of online ADA compliance and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). So, we created a new product that addresses these challenges: Accessible Web RAMP, a suite of SaaS tools designed to help teams discover, understand and resolve web […]
Deadline approaching for Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
In 2005 Ontario became the first Canadian Province to pass accessibility laws and has one of the most comprehensive policies created to date: The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Many countries, like the US, have laws that require government organizations or organizations that use government funds to have and procure accessible technology, websites […]
A11y Updates: Windows, Firefox and Apple
We’re always thrilled to hear about technology companies updating their products specifically for accessibility. Not only does improved technology enhance experiences for people with disabilities, but these updates move the needle a bit further towards progress. Let’s hope that other companies and organizations follow suit, because everyone benefits from accessibility. Here are some of the […]
Thirty Years After the ADA Was Passed, There Is Still Lots To Be Done
On July 26th, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. In the past 30 years, many improvements to our physical world have been made–from curb cutouts, to accessible entrances to braille buttons on elevators, ATMs and kiosks. Many people with disabilities stress that though their lives have vastly improved since it […]