Accessibility Compliance

At Avallain, we are committed to ensuring our digital platforms and systems are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. We are continually working towards WCAG 2.2 AA compliance to meet accessibility requirements and provide an inclusive experience for all our customers.

We are working with the best accessibility auditing organisations, including the Digital Accessibility Centre, to ensure our platforms not only conform to WCAG standards but also provide the best possible experience for our users.

Our Commitment

• We are reviewing and updating our digital products to align with WCAG 2.2 AA standards.
• We are consulting with external accessibility specialists to assess and improve our systems.
• We are creating documentation to support our customers in accessing, creating content and delivering accessible experiences.

Our Approach

At Avallain, we take a proactive approach to accessibility across all our products, ensuring they meet the highest standards for usability and inclusivity. We work with external accessibility organisations, including the Digital Accessibility Centre, to audit our platforms and continuously improve compliance with WCAG 2.2.

In addition to audits, we focus on creating an accessible user experience by ensuring full keyboard navigation, clear focus management, optimised contrast and text readability, accessible forms and error handling, appropriately sized touch and click targets and support for live content features such as transcripts and captions.

Testing & Compatibility

To ensure accessibility across different user needs, we test our products using:

• Operating Systems: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS,
• Browsers: Chrome, Edge, Safari
• Assistive Technologies:
  • Screen Readers ( NVDA, VoiceOver)
  • Keyboard Navigation and Alternative Input Methods
  • High Contrast and Custom Display Settings

We continuously evaluate and update our testing approach to align with evolving accessibility standards and user feedback.

Current Progress

Mercury Design Pack Family

Mercury, our out-of-the-box, fully responsive design pack, renders our customers’ content for use on all devices and operating systems.

It also includes:

• MercuryVertical, a vertical-based design pack,
• Mercury Primary, our child-adapted design park,
• MercuryBook, our digital book experience.

Based on this approach, we are working to ensure the following Mercury activities and MercuryBook are AA compliant ahead of June:

Note: We are working to ensure the remaining Mercury activities, including MercuryVertical and MercuryPrimary, are accessible wherever possible. This information will be updated as we provide further coverage and support. 

Avallain Author Accessibility Support Features

At Avallain, we are committed to empowering publishers and content creators with tools that support accessible and inclusive digital learning experiences. Our content creation tool, Avallain Author, is designed to help editors and educators produce WCAG-compliant, high-quality content that is accessible to all users.

Support Features:

Avallain Author currently supports several features that allow editors to create AA-compliant content:

Enhancing media library accessibility with:

• The ability to add alt text, keywords, transcripts and subtitles to assets, which can also be generated with AI.
• Asset Accessibility Status, which aligns with WCAG AA compliance rules, ensuring:
  • Images require alt text or a ‘marked as decorative’ status (captions and long descriptions are optional).
  • Audio files require transcripts or an ‘audio marked as not relevant’ status (text alternatives are optional).
  • Videos require subtitles or a ‘video marked as not relevant’ status (transcripts and text alternatives are optional).

Avallain Author includes a built-in accessibility course that guides editors on using the platform to create accessible, WCAG-compliant content effectively.

Avallain Magnet

Avallain Magnet is our learning management system with peerless content creation tools. Tailored to the educational sector, it enables you to develop, enhance and deliver accessible world-class digital products, courses and programmes.

Avallain Magnet is designed to meet WCAG 2.2 AA standards, ensuring accessibility for all learners.

Our approach includes:

• Keyboard Navigation and Focus Management: All interactive elements are fully operable via keyboard with clear focus indicators.
• Screen Reader Compatibility: Full support for assistive technologies like NVDA and VoiceOver.
• Contrast and Text Customisation: Compliance with contrast ratio requirements, plus options for text resizing and alternative colour schemes.
• Accessible Multimedia and Alternative Content: Support for captions, transcripts and descriptive text to make audio and video content accessible.
• Optimised Forms and Error Messaging: Clear labels, instructions and error messages that are readable by screen readers.
• Flexible Interaction and Input Methods: Ensuring click targets are large enough, touch-friendly, and accessible via different input devices.
• Live Content and Timed Elements: Providing alternatives for time-sensitive interactions and real-time content updates.
• Ongoing Audits and Compliance Checks: Regular reviews by external accessibility experts to maintain and improve compliance.

Feedback and Support

Avallain is committed to transparency in accessibility compliance, and detailed VPATs will be available on request ahead of the upcoming EU legislation to ensure our products meet regulatory requirements.

We value feedback from our users.

If you encounter any accessibility barriers or need assistance, please contact us at:

https://www.avallain.com/company/contact-us/general