Accessibility Audit, trainning and Remediation
Digital Accessibility Consulting & Services
Digital accessibility is not only the right thing to do—it’s also the law.
Any organization with a digital presence, whether a government agency or a private company, must assess the level of accessibility of its website, apps, digital documents, forms, and online courses, among others, in order to comply with digital accessibility laws. Although there are several tools that automatically check accessibility, these tools are only able to detect less than 30 percent of accessibility issues. Therefore, a manual accessibility review is required, conducted by an expert who can identify issues and provide recommendations to fix them and ensure access for blind users, thus complying with the law.
I offer a manual review service based on a methodology I have developed, using a specific process that incorporates assistive technology tools such as screen readers and Braille displays. This allows me to compare accessibility guidelines with real navigation as experienced by a blind user. I provide results in a written report that not only identifies accessibility issues, but also highlights important considerations and includes technical solutions, such as code examples to resolve them. I use the WCAG 2.2 guidelines as a reference (the standards required for legal compliance).
Training
I offer training services to educate your organization’s staff on digital accessibility. These trainings can be delivered individually or in groups. Topics range from creating accessible digital documents in PDF, Word, and PowerPoint formats, to developing accessible websites.
Learn about my experience and knowledge in digital accessibility
My experience is grounded in both my perspective as a blind user of assistive technology and my work as a developer of apps and websites.
I am Dr. José Manolo Álvarez, with more than 30 years of experience dedicated to website evaluation, accessible document consulting, mobile application accessibility, and delivering international presentations and workshops. I am also a university professor in the field of assistive technology and universal design. Throughout these years, I have actively promoted best practices in accessibility and raised awareness of its importance in both the public and private sectors.
I was also a driving force behind Law 229 of 2002 in Puerto Rico, legislation aimed at ensuring web accessibility for government agencies, establishing a pioneering legal framework in Spanish-speaking regions for equitable access to digital information. Additionally, I have organized and coordinated multiple conferences, events, and initiatives focused on digital accessibility in Puerto Rico, creating spaces for training, dialogue, and collective advancement in this field.
Summary of Qualifications
- More than 30 years of experience in digital accessibility, advising and remediating websites, applications, documents, and other content to ensure usability for blind users.
- Experience working with private companies, universities, government agencies, and various organizations, supporting the development and implementation of accessible solutions.
- Comprehensive knowledge of policies, resources, challenges, and solutions related to digital information access for blind individuals.
- Experience helping organizations comply with accessibility and universal design regulations through technical assistance, training, and consulting.
- Expert developer of websites and web applications using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
- Strong understanding of usability and the challenges faced by blind users in accessing digital information.
- Extensive experience using assistive technologies such as screen readers, Braille displays, speech recognition, and text-to-speech tools.
- Proven ability to conduct academic research related to digital accessibility and apply findings to real-world practice.
Contact
If you are interested in discussing your digital accessibility needs, feel free to contact me for more information.
manolo@manolo.net