StudioApproach

The difference

Accessibility is the method, not the afterthought.

Most shops treat compliance as a final-step checkbox — and it shows. We build it into every stage, so the work passes the audit because of how it was made, not because we patched it at the end.

✓ Verified & documented to WCAG 2.1 AA

A four-stage method.

01

Audit

We start by measuring against the standard. Existing pages get a WCAG 2.1 AA audit — contrast, structure, keyboard operability, labels, errors — with each issue tied to the exact success criterion it fails. New work starts from the same checklist so problems never get built in.

02

Design to standard

Design happens inside the constraints, not around them. We work with the U.S. Web Design System where it fits, choose accessible color and type from the start, and structure content semantically. Compliant and well-crafted aren't a trade-off — they reinforce each other.

03

Verify

Before anything ships, we test it for real: automated checks (axe, WAVE, Lighthouse), a full keyboard pass, screen-reader review, and contrast measured on every screen. If it doesn't pass, it isn't finished.

04

Document

You get proof, not promises. We hand off a conformance summary — what was tested, what it meets, and how — so you can put compliance in the record, satisfy an audit, or attach it to a deliverable with confidence.

02 / Verification

The rigor

The checklist we run on everything.

A working extract of the WCAG 2.1 AA criteria we verify on every engagement — the same audit behind our case studies.

WCAG 2.1 AA — verified each time

  • Text contrast ≥ 4.5:1 (3:1 large text)
  • UI & graphic contrast ≥ 3:1
  • Meaningful alt text on all imagery
  • Semantic headings, lists, and landmarks
  • Full keyboard operability
  • Visible focus on every control
  • Logical, meaningful focus order
  • Persistent, programmatic form labels
  • Errors described in text, not color alone
  • Reflow to one column; usable at 200% zoom
  • Descriptive link text and labels
  • Name/role/value exposed to assistive tech
03 / Authorities

Why agencies buy this

The requirements
behind the requirement.

Accessible, mobile, plainly written public services aren't a preference — they're obligations. These are the ones our work is built to help you satisfy, and what each one actually asks for.

Section 50829 U.S.C. § 794d
Federal electronic and information technology must be accessible to people with disabilities, against a WCAG 2.1 Level AA baseline.
Built to WCAG 2.1 AA from the first screen, verified with assistive technology and documented in a VPAT / Accessibility Conformance Report.
21st Century IDEAPub. L. 115–336
Agency websites must be accessible, mobile-friendly, consistent in appearance, searchable, and designed around user needs — and paper processes digitized.
Responsive, task-oriented rebuilds on a consistent design system, with forms and flows designed for completion rather than for the org chart.
OMB M-23-22Digital-First Public Experience
The implementing guidance for 21st Century IDEA — web design standards, accessibility, plain language, and digital forms and services.
USWDS where it fits, content written for the task at hand, and conformance evidence you can put in the record.
ADA Title IIState & local government
State and local government web content and mobile applications must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
The same standard and the same proof, whether the client is federal, state, local, or education.
Plain Writing ActPub. L. 111–274
Communication to the public must be clear, concise, and written so the reader can use it the first time.
User research, content strategy, and plain-language editing treated as part of the interface — not a pass afterwards.

Citations are provided for orientation. Applicability and current requirements are determined by your agency and its counsel.

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Put the method to work on your page.

Send us what needs building or fixing and we'll walk you through how we'd approach it.

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