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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt- Making Accessibility Our Top Priority
Identifying accessibility issues in our website and finding solutions
Role
Product Design Intern
Timeline
July 2023 - Aug 2023
Team
4 Designers
CMS Team
Skills Leveraged
Product Design
Product Strategy
UX Research
Project Overview
Defining the problem space
Our Accessibility Audit Approach
The Houghton Mifflin Harcourt digital platform aimed to support diverse educators and students, but its interface lacked critical accessibility features. Key issues—like poor color contrast, inconsistent keyboard navigation, and missing alt text—created barriers for users with visual, motor, and cognitive impairments.
The challenge was to redesign the platform with accessibility at its core, aligning with WCAG 2.1 AA standards while improving usability for all users.
Where could HMH make improvements to the website’s UX?
Color Contrast Checker
We reviewed all UI elements to ensure text and interactive components met WCAG 2.1 AA color contrast ratios (4.5:1+), improving legibility for users with low vision or color blindness.
Keyboard-only walkthroughs
We tested the entire platform using only a keyboard, identifying focus order issues, missing visible focus states, and inaccessible interactive elements that blocked full navigation.
WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines
Our audit was guided by WCAG 2.1 AA standards, covering perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust principles to ensure the platform is inclusive for all user types.
HTML structure & semantic review
We analyzed the platform’s HTML and ARIA roles to ensure proper use of semantic elements, clear heading hierarchies, and descriptive alt text for screen reader compatibility.
Deaf or Hard of hearing
We evaluated multimedia content for captions and transcripts, and assessed visual alert systems to make sure users who are deaf or hard of hearing have equal access to information.
Wave
We used the WAVE accessibility tool to scan pages for contrast errors, missing labels, and ARIA violations, supplementing manual checks to catch hidden accessibility gaps.
Internship
In the summer of 2023, I had the privilege of interning at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, a leading EdTech company. I was assigned to the Marketing and User Experience department, where I worked on a meaningful project focused on enhancing the accessibility and user-friendliness of the company’s website. My responsibilities included conducting in-depth research, designing innovative solutions, and creating prototypes to ensure the platform met the needs of a diverse audience. This experience allowed me to contribute to impactful improvements while honing my skills in user-centered design and digital accessibility.
Experience
Throughout the summer, I gained invaluable insights into the corporate environment. Experiencing the dynamics of a large organization with over 1,000 employees was surreal and enlightening. I learned how agile project management and daily stand-ups were instrumental in fostering collaboration, maintaining alignment, and ensuring everyone worked efficiently toward achieving the company's objectives.
Outcomes
I continued to lead my intern project, which focused on identifying and addressing accessibility issues for individuals with disabilities on our website. My team and I conducted comprehensive color blindness testing across the site to ensure a positive user experience for individuals with color vision deficiencies. This initiative underscored the importance of inclusive design and reinforced my dedication to creating accessible and user-friendly digital products.
After conducting the audit , we found these opportunity to explore
Improving color contrast to be more visually impaired friendly
Enhancing the color palette to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards ensures better readability and a more inclusive experience for all users.
Implementing Closed Captions on Videos
providing accessibility for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, enhancing the user experience for all audiences.
"Over 100 studies have shown that captions assist in comprehension and memory, and help users pay attention to the video."
Back to top navigation button
To make navigation smoother, a 'Back to Top' button is important so users can easily get back to the top of HMH’s long pages.
After my internship at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, My experience was both transformative and rewarding. Midway through my internship, I faced a significant challenge when half of my team was laid off due to the company's acquisition. Despite this adversity, I remained resilient and committed to my goals, using the situation as an opportunity to adapt and grow.
