WCAG 2.1 AA audits & VPATs for EdTech
Get your product through district accessibility review.
When a school district or university asks for your VPAT, you’ll have an Accessibility Conformance Report that holds up — built on a real audit, tested the way their reviewers test.
| Criteria | Conformance level | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4.3 | Supports | Text meets 4.5:1 contrast. |
| 2.1.1 | Partially Supports | Assignment builder drag-and-drop has no keyboard alternative. |
| 4.1.2 | Does Not Support | Icon buttons in the toolbar have no accessible name. |
Districts are passing the deadline to you
The ADA Title II rule requires every state and local government entity — school districts and public universities included — to meet WCAG 2.1 AA across the web content they provide. The software they buy is part of that content, so procurement offices are asking vendors to prove conformance before they sign.
What you get
A WCAG 2.1 AA audit
Automated scanning plus manual testing with keyboard and screen reader on the screens a district will actually use.
An ACR that holds up
Your VPAT, written from test results rather than a self-assessment — WCAG edition, with Section 508 available.
A fix list in priority order
What to repair first, what can wait, and what a reviewer will flag — written so your developers can act on it.
A re-test when you’re ready
Once fixes ship, I verify them and update the report, so the document matches the product.
What reviewers check first
These are the criteria that most often sink an EdTech product in review. The free scan looks at every one.
- 1.1.1Non-text contentImages, icons and charts need text alternatives.
- 1.3.1Info and relationshipsHeadings, tables and form labels have to be real structure, not styling.
- 1.4.3Contrast (minimum)Body text at 4.5:1 against its background, large text at 3:1.
- 2.1.1KeyboardEvery task a student or teacher does must work without a mouse.
- 2.4.7Focus visibleKeyboard users need to see where they are on the page.
- 4.1.2Name, role, valueButtons and controls must announce what they are to screen readers.
How it works
Two to three weeks from kickoff to a delivered report.
- Scoping callWe pick the screens a district will test: login, dashboards, core student and teacher workflows.
- AuditAutomated and manual testing against all 50 WCAG 2.1 A and AA success criteria.
- FindingsA prioritized fix list your team can start on right away.
- Your ACRThe report you hand procurement, plus an optional re-test after fixes.
Who you’ll work with
I’m Karen Spies. I did WCAG compliance work for SRI International’s Education Division, and I’ve spent 17 years running web and digital projects — including large platform migrations. I know what a district procurement office asks for, and I write findings your developers and your buyers can both read.
- DHS Trusted Tester for Web, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- WCAG 2.1 AA and Section 508 conformance testing
- Hands-on remediation for WordPress and CMS-based sites
- Accessible PDF, Word and PowerPoint remediation
Find out what a reviewer would flag
Send me your product URL. I’ll scan it against WCAG 2.1 AA and send back the issues a district reviewer is most likely to catch, with the success criteria they fail. You’ll know where you stand before the question comes up in a deal.