Epic Paths
Welcome to our website. Here you’ll find our latest articles on not only accessibility and ADA Compliance but additional information on maintaining a compliant website. In addition, we will release web related content to enhance your web space. Along with our articles, we also offer options for testing and certification of ADA compliance and if needed the latest version of VPAT that best suites your needs. If you need a new design or custom coding done make sure to take a look at what we have to offer.
Accessibility Information and Training
One in four adults in the United States has a disability that impacts their ability to interact with the online world. At Epic Paths, we strive to ensure that everything we create or add to our clients’ websites are usable by people of all abilities.
There are many types of disabilities out there, some permanent, some temporary – so what does it mean to be disabled?
A disability is any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) opens a new window
Under the terms of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), everyone is equal when it comes to gaining access to information on the web, whatever their physical or cognitive abilities. ADA web compliance enables wider, easier access to websites.
Accessibility Testing
It’s important to be ADA compliant when developing websites as it allows equal access and equal opportunity to everyone including those with disabilities. We take a look at various impairments and how they limit users’ access to the web. As well as covering the regulations on web and digital accessibility worldwide in order to avoid any unintentional discrimination against those with disabilities. And we will take a look at ensuring your web and digital content is fully accessible with a look at strategies for design and development and possible testing through different types of Audits.
Audits and VPATs are intended offer our clients a chance to provide an enhanced user experience to their visitors, and although extensive, this shouldn’t be considered as an exhaustive list for improving accessibility and user experience. As the website gets more traffic, it is highly recommended to collect feedback from users to discover additional pain points, usability issues, and future improvements.
The focus of an Audit is based on testing compliance with WCAG 2.1 criteria, Section 508 Refresh, ADA Compliance, and overall accessibility of the website to users with disabilities and their Assistive Technology (AT).
ADA Remediation and Troubleshooting
It’s undeniable that the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many businesses to re-evaluate their online presence. Some had no presence, scrambling to get a functioning website up and running. Others were overly confident thinking they’re all set, quickly realizing that their website isn’t good enough to support the sudden traffic from their home-bound customers.
Regardless of which group your business fits into, you have undoubtedly had to consider your website and whether or not it is going to keep you afloat during this unprecedented crisis. But there is one aspect that you may have overlooked – accessibility.
The level of accessibility your website offers is critical to its success and should be one of the key considerations when building or improving a website. Whether you are looking at a brand new look or trying to bring your current site into compliance with the latest accessibility guidelines. Or if you have identified multiple areas for improvement on your website but are not sure how to fix them, or don’t have the in-house resources to do so, get in touch with us now. We offer options to evaluate, remediation, or troubleshoot your website’s needs.
Custom Themes
themes
Custom Code
Custom Work
Meet the Developer
Matthew Dempsey
Top Rated
Previous Experience
For the last 30 plus years I’ve worked in the IT world as a designer, developer, and programmer in multiple languages and environments. At my last employer, I worked for five years as a team lead doing Technical Accessibility work on Microsoft Products and PDFs both simple and complex technical documents. I am well versed in the latest compliance requirements for PDFs and Web pages – not only general Section 508 Refresh Guidelines (final rule Jan 18, 2017), but also WCAG 2.0/2.1, HSS, VA, PDF UA, ISO requirements.
Through this work multiple collaborations were born with HHS (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services), BLH, AccessibilityOz, ICF, and PCG.Through these collaborations standards were promoted to a very high standard meeting all Federal Guidelines and International Guidelines.
- Server maintenance and updates
- Production system maintenance and update (TRAC)
- TRAC administrator
- Organize and Add projects
- Assign projects to appropriate Staff or Team Members where appropriate
- Follow production timelines and assignments for target due dates
- Pass completed projects to upper Management and Clients
- Department IT point of contact
- Develop guidelines and establish parameters for quoting work to potential clients
- Using established parameters to quote potential projects for current clients
- Tag Document 508 Compliant
- Peer Review – Tagged Documents for 508 Compliance
- Quality Control – Tagged and Reviewed Documents for 508 Compliance as well as the higher standards developed for the company.
- Interview potential Job Candidates Administrative Staff for Team openings.
- Train new and current Team members for Document Remediation to 508 Compliant and company standards
- Monitor Team needs, production, and communication
- Maintain active Monthly Team meetings for production efficiency, inter team communication, management announcements, additional training, and open question and answer sessions to enhance team moral, spirit, and success
- Maintain and Update Department Documentation and Standards
- Support any additional Team, Management, Client, or internal company requirements as they arise
- Actively Monitor and research new 508 remediation techniques, standards, and news releases
- Schedules and runs accessibility reports for website landing page and additional pages
- Scan and tag downloadable content, via documents, video, or sound files, for accessibility, including captioning.
- Reviews tagged documents for conformity and compliance.
- Makes reccomendations based on detailed reports for accessibility compliance.
- Consults with clients and vendors to implement accessiblity reccomendations.
- Develop and implement outreach and training for web designers,developers and content providers as indicated
- Develop webinars, presentations, and supporting content to a wide variety of audiences.
- Develop updates and regular training for WCAG updates to the A.D.A. section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
- Perform other duties as assigned, independently or collaboratively in a team based environs.
Freelance Work
For the last several years, I’ve worked as a Freelancer. I’ve been doing a lot of work with both Bootstrap based websites and WordPress Blog/Ecommerce style websites. Where I did front/back-end work and implementation of the design for all page designs including advanced “contact us” forms which might include check-boxes replaced with checkbox images. Or custom Content slider for dragging or sliding content left or right (geared toward mobile devices), testimonial slideshow and multiple other code snippets designed specifically for individual clients. While not all client’s consider ADA Compliance, I still incorporated it where possible (In order to stay on budget I will point out items that should be considered and give the client possible options to address compliance).
