CASE STUDY

NoRedInk

A WCAG 2.1 AA audit and multi-year remediation partnership for an e-learning platform used across grades 3 to 12, centered on the platform's most complex interactions (drag-and-drop, sentence highlighting, and dynamic feedback), with VPAT and ACR results that improved at every review.

  • IndustryEducation technology
  • PlatformWeb application
  • EngagementAudit + remediation oversight + VPAT/ACR
  • StandardWCAG 2.1 AA
THE CHALLENGE

Complex learning interactions assistive technology could not reach

NoRedInk teaches grammar and writing to students in grades 3 to 12, and its lessons lean on rich, interactive exercises. Those interactions, the very things that make the platform effective, were also where the accessibility barriers lived, and the wide range of assignment types made the platform hard to scope and test.

  1. Drag-and-drop exercises that were not operable by keyboard or screen reader.
  2. Sentence-highlighting tasks for analyzing structure and grammar.
  3. Dynamic feedback and corrective-guidance systems that were not announced to assistive technology.
  4. Progress indicators that assistive technology could not interpret.
  5. A wide range of assignment variations that made the audit difficult to scope.
OUR APPROACH

Scoped together, tested by hand and machine, prioritized by impact

We defined the scope with NoRedInk to cover the platform's most complex interactions, combined expert manual testing with automated scans, and prioritized fixes by severity and real user impact, then verified every fix across repeated review cycles.

Collaborative scoping

We worked with NoRedInk to define the audit scope across the platform's many assignment variations and complex interactions.

Manual and automated testing

Expert manual testing with screen readers alongside automated scans, so both complex interactions and common barriers were caught.

Prioritized by impact

Every defect was rated by severity and user impact, so the most consequential issues, informed by NoRedInk's own usage data, were fixed first.

Iterative verification

We rechecked each fix across repeated cycles, refining solutions with NoRedInk's team until defects were resolved.

VPAT and ACR development

We compiled and maintained a VPAT and ACR documenting conformance, updated as issues were resolved.

Ongoing biannual reviews

Twice-a-year reviews keep new lessons and features accessible, driving continuous improvement over time.

THE IMPACT

Measurable gains, review after review

  • VPAT criteria rated Partially Supports improved from 21 in the initial audit to 16 at the most recent review.
  • Criteria rated Does Not Support dropped from 7 to just 1 over the same period.
  • Complex interactions (drag-and-drop, sentence highlighting, dynamic feedback) made operable for keyboard and screen reader users.
  • A VPAT and ACR kept current as defects were resolved, giving stakeholders a transparent conformance record.
  • Biannual reviews sustain the gains as new lessons and features are added.

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