Northeastern University Accessibility Audit
Web Accessibility Remediation for Northeastern University website to make it conforms with the WCAG technical standards and comply with the ADA.
This Northeastern University accessibility audit and WCAG 2.1 AA remediation covered a major United States research university’s web presence, used by prospective and current students, faculty and the public.
A university site is vast: programmes, admissions, applications, events, news and student resources. Students and applicants with disabilities rely on all of it, so the accessibility of that content and those forms is fundamental to equal access to education.
Table of Contents
Why accessibility is required for a university website
Education providers carry clear accessibility duties. In the United States, Section 508 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title III require accessible education technology and information, and WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the working standard. For Northeastern University the stakes are direct: students, parents and staff who use assistive technology must be able to read information, complete forms and reach learning materials just like everyone else — access to education depends on it.
Scope and standard
Our Northeastern University accessibility audit assessed the site against WCAG 2.1 Level AA, mapped to Section 508 and the ADA, across the journeys that matter: programme and admissions pages, application and enquiry forms, events and news, downloadable documents, and search and navigation.
How we ran the Northeastern University accessibility audit
- Screen-reader testing with JAWS and NVDA on Windows, VoiceOver on macOS and iOS, and TalkBack on Android
- Automated audits with Deque axe, Google Lighthouse and WAVE
- Keyboard-only operation of every step, with attention to focus order and a clearly visible focus indicator
- Colour-contrast analysis, plus 400% zoom and reflow testing for low-vision users
What accessibility means on each part of the site
Because Northeastern University serves learners and families, our Northeastern University accessibility audit focused on the parts they rely on:
- Programme and information pages need a clear heading structure and readable text, so a screen-reader user can find what they need.
- Enrolment, application and contact forms need programmatic labels, clear instructions and announced errors, so signing up never depends on sight or a mouse.
- Documents, calendars and resources need to be tagged and readable, since much information is delivered as downloads.
- Any learning tools or portals need keyboard operability, managed focus and assistive-technology support.
- Navigation and content need visible focus, sufficient colour contrast and clean reflow at high zoom.
Outcome
This Northeastern University accessibility audit, combining manual and automated testing with remediation, brought the site into line with WCAG 2.1 AA expectations, so people using a screen reader or a keyboard can use it without barriers. Every fix was verified with assistive technology rather than assumed from an automated pass, so the result holds up in real use.