Accessibility Compliance Case Study

Case Study: Accessibility Compliance Program
University of Kansas | SWIFT Education Center

The Brief

SWIFT needed forward-facing materials to meet federal digital accessibility requirements across a nationally distributed research initiative serving K–12 educators, researchers, and policymakers.

The Challenge

No formal accessibility program existed. Existing materials had not been systematically audited, and there were no documented standards, production workflows, or organizational baseline for accessible design.

What I Did

Audited existing materials against WCAG 2.2 Level AA criteria and Section 508 requirements, applying relevant AAA criteria where appropriate. I identified issues involving document structure, tagging, logical reading order, alternative text, typography, and color contrast.

I then rebuilt production workflows so accessibility became a requirement at the start of each project rather than a remediation step at the end. To make the system sustainable, I authored a branded Accessibility Resource Guide and developed a Rise 360 staff training module so team members could apply the standards independently.

The Result

Established an organization-wide accessibility workflow for publications and digital materials. Adobe Acrobat accessibility audits, Tags panel reviews, and manual checks were incorporated into quality assurance. Brand color combinations were evaluated using WebAIM Contrast Checker, with a minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratio for normal text.

Accessibility became part of SWIFT’s design and production process, supported by documented standards, training, and repeatable quality-control practices.

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