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The people your studies are for are often the people your website shuts out

A site running studies in macular degeneration, Parkinson’s, diabetic neuropathy or Alzheimer’s is recruiting people who may have low vision, a tremor, reduced sensation in their hands, or a family member reading on their behalf. Small grey text, tiny tap targets and forms that cannot be used with a keyboard are not cosmetic problems for this audience. They are the reason someone gives up.

Audit against WCAG 2.2 AA, then the fixes. On your existing website.

The audit

Automated tools find some of it. We check the rest by hand.

  • 01Colour contrast and text size, including on buttons and over images
  • 02Keyboard use from the first link to the submitted form
  • 03Screen reader behaviour on study pages and the pre-screener
  • 04Form labels, error messages and time limits
  • 05Tap target size and spacing on a phone
  • 06Headings and page structure
  • 07Images, video captions and transcripts
  • 08Motion, autoplay and anything that flashes
  • 09PDFs you ask patients to open, such as flyers and consent summaries

Deliverables

What you receive

01

An audit report

Each issue with where it is, who it affects, how serious it is, and the WCAG criterion it relates to. Written so a site director can follow it.

02

The fixes

Made on your existing platform, in a staging copy, then published. Where something cannot be fixed without a redesign, we say so and suggest the smallest workable change.

03

An accessibility statement

A plain page for your website saying what standard you work to, what is known to be imperfect, and how to ask for help.

04

A short guide for whoever updates the website

How to add a study page, an image or a PDF without undoing the work.

Context

Sponsors ask, and regulators have started to

Accessibility increasingly appears in sponsor and CRO questionnaires, alongside diversity and inclusion in enrollment. Separately, a 2024 federal rule under Section 504 sets WCAG 2.1 AA as the standard for the websites of organizations that receive funding from the US Department of Health and Human Services, with compliance dates in 2026 and 2027 depending on size. Whether that applies to your organization is a question for your counsel, not for a web agency. What we can do is make sure the website would stand up if the answer is yes.

Standards referenced: W3C WCAG 2.2 and the 2024 Section 504 final rule.

Scope

No overlay widgets, no compliance certificates

We do not install accessibility overlay plugins. They do not fix the underlying problems and are widely criticized by the people they claim to help. We also do not issue certificates of compliance, because no honest auditor can guarantee that every page is perfect for every person. We fix what is wrong and document what was done.

Questions

Is this included in a new website?

Yes. WCAG 2.2 AA is part of every website we build. This service is for websites built by someone else.

How long does it take?

Usually one week for the audit and one to two weeks for fixes, depending on what it finds.

Will the website look different afterwards?

A little. Some text gets darker, some buttons get larger. Most visitors only notice that it is easier to use.

Does it need repeating?

Websites drift as content is added. Care Plan clients get a quarterly re-check. Otherwise, once a year is sensible.

Try your own pre-screener using only the Tab key

If you cannot reach the submit button, some of your patients cannot either. Send us the address and we will tell you what we find in ten minutes of looking.

Or write to info@trialsfocus.com. We reply within two working days.