Salpaus Further Education
Salpaus Further Education is a leading provider of vocational education in Finland, where around 13,000 young people and adults build their skills each year. More than 600 teachers and staff members work at Salpaus, creating a culture of bold learning and the joy of doing.
Salpaus offers a wide range of study paths from vocational qualifications to further and specialist vocational qualifications, as well as opportunities for double degrees. In addition, Salpaus provides qualification and permit card trainings, preparatory education, professional training for athletes, continuing education, labour market training, and integration training for immigrants.
Independent accessibility audit to support the development of the new website
Salpaus Further Education wanted to conduct an accessibility audit according to WCAG 2.2 AA level for their new website, which had been built by their existing web development partner.
They wanted an independent assessment to verify the accessibility of the site, which is a common approach: an external auditor provides an unbiased evaluation, and the original developer is responsible for addressing any issues found.
Legislation governing educational institutions requires accessible digital services, and the audit was an important part of meeting this obligation. The goal was to gain a clear overall picture of the site’s accessibility and ensure that Salpaus’ digital services serve all users equally.
Audit process, methods, and reporting
We conducted an accessibility audit for the salpaus.fi website according to WCAG 2.2 AA criteria. The audit was planned in collaboration with the client, and the views to be assessed were defined in advance to ensure that all the most essential functionalities and content areas would be tested.
Automated and manual testing
The testing combined automated and manual methods. We used a screen reader, performed keyboard testing, and evaluated usability across different devices from desktop to mobile.
All key functionalities, such as the training search and forms, were reviewed thoroughly to create the most accurate possible picture of the site’s accessibility status.
Final meeting
The audit findings were reviewed together in a final meeting, where we discussed the site’s accessibility and agreed on next steps. Salpaus’ technical partner also joined the meeting, which helped speed up the discussion and made planning the fixes clearer, as technical questions could be addressed directly between experts. We also discussed how Salpaus can support ongoing accessibility development in their own processes.
Report, summary, and accessibility statements
The results of the audit were compiled into a clear and detailed report that included the identified issues, their impact, and concrete recommendations for improvement. The findings were supplemented with screenshots and code examples to make it as easy as possible for the development team to implement the required changes.
As a final deliverable, we provided Salpaus with a complete accessibility audit report, two accessibility statements in Finnish and English, and a summary of the key findings. Supplying ready-made statements saves time for Salpaus’ experts, and the summary helps communicate the results internally and digest extensive content more easily. The accessibility issues discovered on the site can be corrected directly based on the report, and the fixes will be carried out by Salpaus’ web development partner.
A clear overview and a solid foundation for further development
Salpaus Further Education described the audit project as clear and well-structured, with the audit itself progressing quickly and systematically. They found the joint review of the report especially valuable, as the findings were illustrated with concrete examples and their questions were answered immediately.
Including their technical partner in the meeting was also seen as beneficial, as it accelerated discussion and decision-making and made planning the implementation of fixes more straightforward when the experts could address everything directly together.
The audit provided Salpaus with a clear overall understanding of the website’s accessibility status and concrete action points needed to meet the WCAG 2.2 AA level. Once the issues are fixed, both accessibility and user experience will improve across all user groups, allowing the website to better serve students and other stakeholders. The project also increased Salpaus’ internal understanding of accessibility as a continuous development process.
Salpaus Further Education reported that the audit met their needs precisely: they received a clear, well-reasoned, and practical assessment of their website’s accessibility. The report highlighted concrete corrections and serves directly as a foundation for further development. The collaboration also saved time, as everything was covered directly and without unnecessary back-and-forth, and the accessibility statements in two languages were a significant added benefit.
Wondering about accessibility? Get in touch and we will assess your website’s accessibility through an independent audit.
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