Explore how Auckland University of Technology (AUT) gained actionable insights into improving web accessibility through targeted audits by Catalyst.
Auckland University of Technology(external link) (AUT), one of the largest universities in Aotearoa, New Zealand, is committed to creating an inclusive environment to support student success. As part of its Disability Action Plan 2024-2026(external link), AUT aims to enhance the digital accessibility of its core systems, ensuring accessibility for all AUT staff and students.
Pictured: Anna Nelson, Student Inclusion Manager, Disability at Auckland University of Technology.
To support this goal, AUT needed to partner with web accessibility experts who could:
Led by Anna Nelson, Student Inclusion Manager, Disability at Auckland University of Technology, AUT began searching for accessibility services.
After going to market, AUT selected Catalyst for its proven expertise in web accessibility. Together, they agreed to a targeted web accessibility audit of the three systems. A web accessibility audit removes guesswork by providing a clear understanding of how each element on a page measures against WCAG 2.2. The audit combines manual and automated testing, including how assistive technologies like screen readers interact with content.
Pictured: A laptop displaying a report displaying home page issues using an older version of the Catalyst site as an example. It identifies the issue with a screenshot and how to fix it in the code.
Each system was evaluated based on the main functionality that staff and students interact with. Catalyst provided AUT with:
I felt well-informed by Catalyst’s web accessibility team, and this helped me to be confident in the process, and in the information that I fed back to the project working group.
As part of the process, Catalyst ran a focused session to answer any questions, help prioritise fixes, and shared that there are ways to improve accessibility beyond the code. For instance, content authors in the content management system can add alternative text, adjust colour contrast, or add captions to videos.
AUT is now empowered with the findings to either action the changes themselves or outsource for support.
Pictured: An open laptop displaying the AUT website landing page.
For Anna, the audit experience was positive and empowering. She felt well-informed and confident in the process.
Anna ensured that the results were shared with the broader university staff so more people would benefit from the outcomes. As a result, teams have already begun implementing the recommendations and noted how useful the audit findings were for their processes.
Our web accessibility experts at Catalyst are here to help. From audits and implementation to team training and best-practice guidance, our team partners with you to remove barriers, meet standards, and build a more inclusive web.
Dive into the details on how the Centralised Web Accessibility Checker (CWAC) combined with manual testing can help you make meaningful steps toward more accessible digital services.
Learn how to check your website's accessibility with a free open source tool.
