Client Overview
Big Timber Media (BTM) partnered with Think Tank QA (TTQA) to ensure their client, ABDO Publishing, met critical WCAG Level AA compliance for four websites and two online ebook readers by the Apr 2026.
The Challenge
The digital ecosystem, including abdodigital.com and the abdozoom.com database, faced significant accessibility barriers. Key challenges included:
Interactive Controls
Missing accessible names for buttons and search fields.
Visual Obstacles
Frequent color-contrast failures and nondescriptive link titles.
Navigation
Lack of visual focus indicators for keyboard users and improper HTML structure.
Assistive Technology
Screen readers identify non-interactive text as “clickable” and skip regions like map interactive elements.
Solutions & Services
TTQA executed a multi-phase engagement over a 2-week primary audit window, followed by long-term consulting.
1. Detailed Conformance Audits
TTQA performed a WCAG 2.2 AA Accessibility Audit using a mix of automated tools (Axe DevTools, Google Lighthouse) and manual testing (JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver). This included:
- Evaluation of embedded iframe ebook readers.
- Audit findings reports identifying Critical- and High-severity issues.
2. Expert Consultation
- Provided up to 10 hours of consultation directly with BTM's development team to guide the complete rebuild of abdodigital.com.
- Facilitated walkthroughs of recommendations to ensure the dev team could implement fixes efficiently.
3. Compliance Documentation
- Delivered Voluntary Product Assessment Templates (VPATs) using the latest ITI templates to provide transparent reporting for BTM’s vendors.
Results
Foundational Improvements
Addressed critical reflow issues and text resizing failures that made pages unnavigable at 200% zoom.
Enhanced User Experience
Remediated “Keyboard Traps” in modals and corrected meaningful sequences for screen reader users.
Verified Final QA
Conducted a final review of the rebuilt abdodigital.com staging site to ensure the new component-based architecture met all AA standards.
Technical Impact Summary
| Category | Issue Addressed | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Visual | Color Contrast & Reflow | Guaranteed readability for low-vision and mobile users. |
| Keyboard | Focus Visible & Tab Order | Enabled full site navigation without a mouse. |
| Screen Reader | ARIA Labels & Alt Text | Provided context and interactivity for blind users. |
| Structure | [lang] Attributes & HTML | Ensured proper language identification and SEO. |
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