Accessibility Improvement Strategies for University Websites

This document is a case study detailing the collaboration between Axelerant and the University of East London (UEL) to enhance website accessibility in compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standards. The initiative was prompted by a review from the Government Digital Service, which identified significant accessibility challenges on UEL's website. Key issues included inconsistent focus order, semantic markup inconsistencies, poorly named links, and potential discomfort for users with vestibular disorders. The case study outlines the strategic prioritization of critical content areas, the importance of user-centric design, and the development of user personas to address these challenges effectively. Axelerant's approach emphasized compliance with accessibility guidelines and iterative refinement to improve the user experience. The results demonstrated significant improvements in accessibility rankings and overall site performance, highlighting the effectiveness of the implemented strategies.