Accessibility Conformance Testing the Public Website

Situation

As a User Experience Deisgner II at IMT Insurance, I contributed to the design of the public website.

Task

After being in the position for a year, I observed efforts to improve the accessibility of the site and add an accessibility tool (accessiBe). I observed that these efforts fell short of a systematic solution, and began looking for a more comprehensive way to integrate accessibiltiy into the design and development processes.

Action

I searched for and found a systematic process for accessibility testing. The method was the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Section 508 "Trusted Tester" Conformance Testing process. This process provides a "trusted" foundation for those who conduct accessibility testing on sofware that is required to be Section 508 compliant. The DHS provides free training and tools to conduct the testing. I learned the process and conducted the test on the public website. The test found that the site conformed with 27 of 41 guidelines.

Results

I developed design guidance to address every instance of non-conformance on the site and presented the guidance to the UX Manager, the President, and DEI Coordinator. After the presentation, we made a plan to bring the site into conformance, integrate the design guidance into the design system, and continue accessibility testing the company's online services. The company now has a method to accessibility conformance test the online services and make accessibility a part of the regular design and development process.

Much of my work has been finding and implementing best practices to support the maturing of the UX area. This project is one example of how I found and implimented a method to provide systematic results and support the maturing of the UX area.