Equalify: Simplifying Content Accessibility for Higher Education

When building Edupack, we listened to the needs of higher education professionals and learned that simplifying content accessibility was a top priority. This insight led us to create Equalify, an open-source project that releases tools under an Affero General Public License.

Existing accessibility scanners, while well-intentioned, often fall short in providing effective solutions for web teams. Cheaper options like accessiBe may do more harm than good, as they can lead to a one-size-fits-all approach that neglects the unique requirements of each university. Good accessibility tools, such as SiteImprove, are too expensive for many web teams.

Our interviews with higher education administrators revealed that they are overwhelmed by accessibility issues, emphasizing the need for tailored solutions. Each university has its own set of requirements, from button placement to mandated accessibility features. Therefore, we believe that a one-size-fits-all website publishing product is not feasible.

At Edupack, we conducted months of user testing and identified key problems surrounding accessibility, governance, and sunsetting sites with stale content. Our team worked closely with over 40 universities, including Harvard, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, and Georgetown, to better understand the challenges they face.

Equalify's mission is to simplify content accessibility for higher education professionals while respecting each university's unique requirements. By releasing our tools under an open-source license, we aim to provide affordable solutions that cater to the specific needs of web teams. Our goal is not to sacrifice individual requirements for ease of use but to empower universities to create accessible websites without compromising on their distinct features.

The equalify project is a testament to the power of collaboration and user-centered design. By listening to the concerns of higher education professionals, we have created a solution that addresses real-world challenges. Equalify's tools are designed to be flexible and adaptable, allowing universities to implement accessibility measures that meet their specific needs.

In conclusion, equalify represents a significant step forward in simplifying content accessibility for higher education. Our open-source approach ensures that the tools we develop are accessible to all, while our focus on user-centered design guarantees that each university's unique requirements are respected.