• Improved visible distinction for customers with low imaginative and prescient
• Enhanced keyboard navigation for customers with mobility impairments
• Display reader compatibility updates for smoother navigation
• Accessible Wealthy Web Purposes (ARIA) labeling enhancements to offer higher context for assistive applied sciences
But the Nexis Uni workforce’s dedication goes beyond technical updates. “Accessibility and usability have all the time been core ideas in product improvement at LexisNexis.” says Perera.
To keep up this standard, Nexis Uni has dedicated to yearly VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) assessments, making certain ongoing compliance and offering yr on yr visibility on enhancements. The assessments additionally assist the product improvement workforce to achieve an understanding of the place Nexis Uni is assembly or falling behind accessibility requirements. The workforce additionally employs automated accessibility trackers like A11ycat – an accessibility testing framework designed to assist groups determine and resolve accessibility points in digital merchandise – and guide assessments through instruments comparable to WAVE Internet Analysis Instrument, which might spotlight errors, distinction points, lacking alt textual content, and structural issues and Axe which identifies accessibility violations and gives steerage for repairing them.
Overcoming Accessibility Challenges with a Proactive Method
Even with this sturdy basis, bettering accessibility at scale comes with challenges. Many of the instruments used for compliance—like JAWS 2021, WAVE, AXE, and FastPass—are important for figuring out points, however they’re not flawless. The Nexis Uni workforce encountered false positives and missed points, significantly in advanced environments involving assistive applied sciences.
To beat these gaps, the workforce adopted a multi–layered testing technique, combining automated instruments with actual–consumer enter:
• Partnering with accessibility specialists at faculties and universities to include knowledgeable suggestions
• Conducting arms–on keyboard testing and display reader walkthroughs for each main characteristic
• Utilizing a spread of instruments—together with A11ycat and guide assessments through WAVE and Axe to catch points like colour distinction, lacking alt textual content, or improper construction
Whereas automated instruments like JAWS, WAVE, and AXE are invaluable in figuring out accessibility points, the Nexis Uni workforce acknowledges their limitations. As Perera emphasizes, they stability these instruments with arms–on testing and direct suggestions from schooling partners.
This proactive, collaborative strategy helps Nexis Uni determine and handle points early, making certain the platform is not only technically compliant—however genuinely accessible to the individuals who depend on it most.
Trying Forward: Accessibility Past 2025
Whereas 2025 has been a milestone yr for accessibility enhancements, Nexis Uni’s imaginative and prescient extends past the present regulatory horizon. The workforce is dedicated to embedding accessibility at each stage of product design and improvement, not merely as a requirement, however as a tenet.
“We’re targeted on staying proactive—anticipating and implementing new accessibility necessities as they emerge,” Perera says.
Which means continued funding in consumer–centric testing, particularly with people who use assistive applied sciences. By gathering suggestions straight from customers with disabilities, Nexis Uni is constructing a platform that displays actual–world wants—not assumptions.
Your Position in Enhancing Accessibility
Librarians and educators are on the forefront of making certain that each one college students have equal entry to academic assets. The enhancements made by Nexis Uni can straight profit your college students by offering a extra accessible and consumer–pleasant platform. For instance, enhanced display reader performance and improved keyboard navigation can considerably help college students with visible impairments or mobility challenges, making certain they’ll have interaction with content material simply as successfully as their friends.
Why Tech Suppliers Ought to Observe Nexis Uni’s Lead
The April 2026 ADA compliance deadline is quick approaching—however accessibility is about extra than checking a field.
Organizations that observe Nexis Uni’s lead will:
• Guarantee compliance and cut back authorized danger
• Ship a greater expertise for all customers, not simply these with disabilities
• Show management and social accountability in a quick–evolving digital area
Sensible Steps for Librarians and Educators: How You Can Champion Accessibility on Campus
Librarians and educators are in a singular place to advocate for accessibility. To advocate for and implement comparable accessibility enhancements, take into account conducting common accessibility assessments of the digital instruments you employ.
Listed below are steps you’ll be able to take:
• Request VPAT reviews from software program distributors to make sure compliance with WCAG 2.1 requirements
• Use free accessibility testing instruments (e.g., WAVE, Axe) to evaluate the platforms you employ
• Have interaction with distributors and ask about their accessibility roadmaps
• Present suggestions to tech firms on accessibility gaps that have an effect on college students
By taking these steps, you contribute to a extra inclusive educational setting and assist drive business–vast change.
Together, let’s make sure that all college students have the instruments they should succeed.
