Sherry White | Web Professional

Digital Accessibility Transformation:

Creating an Inclusive Web Experience

Championing accessibility improvements across Champlain College’s digital properties to ensure content remains accessible to users of all abilities.

Client
Champlain College

Year
2023 – Present

Role
Accessibility Advocate, UX Designer

Project Overview

At Champlain College, I consistently advocated for and implemented comprehensive accessibility improvements across all digital properties. This initiative represented a two-phase approach: making critical improvements to the existing website in 2023 while simultaneously establishing accessibility as a foundational requirement for the new website planned for 2024.

The project focused on three core areas: converting existing PDFs to searchable web pages, ensuring remaining PDFs were fully compliant with accessibility standards, and embedding WCAG 2.2 principles into all aspects of our digital presence. Throughout this transformation, I maintained a steadfast commitment to inclusive design while preserving the effectiveness of our conversion-focused elements.

The Challenge

Higher education websites face unique accessibility challenges. They must serve diverse audiences—including prospective students, current students, faculty, staff, and alumni—many of whom rely on assistive technologies. Additionally, higher education sites typically contain a vast array of content types, from academic program information to financial aid resources, often accumulated over many years.

At Champlain College, we faced several specific challenges::

  • A large repository of important information trapped in inaccessible PDF documents
  • The need to improve accessibility while planning for a full site redesign in 2024
  • Inconsistent implementation of accessibility standards across different sections of the website
  • Limited awareness among content contributors about accessibility best practices
  • The need to balance accessibility improvements with maintaining strong conversion metrics
  • The need to balance immediate improvements with long-term planning

The goal was twofold: make critical accessibility improvements to the existing site where possible, while simultaneously establishing accessibility as a core requirement for the upcoming redesign. This dual approach required both tactical improvements and strategic planning. It also meant rethinking our approach to content creation and design.

The Approach

PDF Transformation

We conducted a comprehensive audit of existing PDF content, identifying high-value documents that would benefit from conversion to HTML. This approach made content:

  • Readable by screen readers and assistive technologies
  • Searchable by both users and search engines
  • Adaptable to different screen sizes and devices
  • Easier to update and maintain over time

PDF Remediation

For PDFs that needed to remain in document format, we implemented a remediation process to ensure compliance:

  • Added proper document structure with headings and landmarks
  • Ensured all images contained descriptive alt text
  • Applied proper tagging for tables, lists, and form fields
  • Verified reading order matched visual presentation
  • Created accessible bookmarks for navigation

Education & Advocacy

Recognizing that sustainable accessibility requires organization-wide commitment, we:

  • Developed accessible content creation guidelines
  • Conducted training sessions for content contributors
  • Created accessibility checklists for different content types
  • Advocated for accessibility considerations in all digital projects
  • Shared the business and ethical case for accessibility
  • Implemented SiteImprove monitoring to continually identify and address accessibility issues

Ongoing Monitoring & Improvement

To ensure continuous progress in accessibility, we established systematic monitoring and remediation processes:

  • Developed accessible content creation guidelines
  • Conducted training sessions for content contributors
  • Created accessibility checklists for different content types
  • Advocated for accessibility considerations in all digital projects
  • Shared the business and ethical case for accessibility

Results

28.9%

Increase in ADA compliance score

Key Takeaways

The Digital Accessibility Transformation project delivered several significant benefits:

  1. Increased content discoverability: Converting PDFs to web pages made information more findable through both internal site search and external search engines, benefiting all users regardless of ability.
  2. Improved content accuracy and timeliness: Web pages were significantly easier to update than PDFs, ensuring information remained current and accurate without requiring document recreation and republishing.
  3. Improved user experience: Even limited accessibility enhancements created a better experience for users with disabilities while benefiting all visitors.
  4. Cultural foundation: The project helped foster a culture where accessibility was considered an essential requirement rather than an optional feature for the upcoming redesign.
  5. Knowledge building: The work created institutional awareness and expertise that informed the requirements for the 2024 website redesign.
  6. Risk reduction: By proactively addressing accessibility issues, we reduced legal and reputational risks associated with inaccessible digital content.