StartNoo Accessibility Standard

Last Updated: August 1, 2025
Applies To: All StartNoo digital properties and applications

Our Commitment to Accessibility

At StartNoo, we believe technology is most powerful when it includes everyone. That's why accessibility is not an afterthought, it's a core design principle. We are committed to building inclusive, equitable, and empowering digital experiences for all users, regardless of ability.

To ensure our platforms serve the broadest range of people, StartNoo requires all websites, applications, and digital content to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

Our Accessibility Standard: WCAG 2.1 Level AA

StartNoo requires that all digital properties meet or exceed the WCAG 2.1 Level AA standard. This level ensures that content is:

Perceivable – Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.
Operable – User interface components and navigation must be operable.
Understandable – Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable.
Robust – Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.

We follow the success criteria listed by W3C under WCAG 2.1 Level AA, which can be reviewed here.

Integration into the Development Lifecycle

Accessibility is integrated at every stage of the StartNoo product lifecycle—from concept to launch.

1. Design

All wireframes and mockups must follow WCAG 2.1 AA contrast, layout, and structure requirements.

Designers are trained to prioritize accessible color contrasts, touch targets, text sizing, and intuitive navigation.

2. Development

Developers are required to use semantic HTML and ARIA attributes as appropriate.

All interactive elements (buttons, forms, modals) must be navigable via keyboard and screen readers.

Accessibility linting tools and browser extensions (like axe DevTools) are integrated into the development workflow.

3. Testing

Manual and automated accessibility testing is required before code merges to production.

We use a mix of tools including WAVE, Lighthouse, axe, and keyboard testing.

User testing includes individuals who rely on assistive technologies whenever possible.

Reporting & Tracking Accessibility Issues

Reporting

StartNoo provides a clear path for internal team members and external users to report accessibility issues:

A feedback form is accessible from every page.
Reports may also be submitted to: accessibility@startnoo.com

Issue Tracking and Resolution

All accessibility issues are triaged and tracked in our product development tool (e.g., Jira or equivalent).

Tickets are assigned accessibility tags and prioritized based on severity.

Status updates are available for all submitted issues, and issues remain open until fully remediated and re-tested.

Documentation and Process Ownership

Accessibility Documentation

All accessibility-related decisions, tickets, tests, and remediations are documented.

A centralized Accessibility Knowledge Base is maintained for team reference and onboarding.

Responsibility & Training

The Accessibility Lead is responsible for policy enforcement and lifecycle integration.

All engineers, designers, and content creators are trained in accessibility annually.

We regularly review updates from W3C and incorporate changes into our processes.

A Culture of Inclusive Innovation

StartNoo's accessibility policy is more than compliance—it's a reflection of our values. We aim to lead with empathy, design with dignity, and innovate with every student, graduate, donor, administrator, nonprofit, employee, and employer in mind.

Building inclusive technology isn't just the right thing to do, it's the smart thing to do.

For more on WCAG, visit the official W3C documentation:

WCAG 2.1 Full Guidelines

User-Driven Accessibility Controls and Assistive Technology Support

StartNoo is committed to achieving foundational accessibility by designing and developing all digital properties to meet or exceed WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards from the outset.

To provide our users with immediate, on-demand customization options and complementary assistive tools to supplement our inclusive by design built, StartNoo has integrated the LevelAccess Userway Accessibility Widget.

This tool is a non-essential overlay that empowers users to customize their visual interface based on their personal needs without requiring any change to their device settings or use of their existing assistive technology (AT). The tool is displayed on reported pages undergoing accessibility enhancement.

Using the Accessibility Widget:

The LevelAccess Userway widget is visible as a small, universally recognized accessibility icon located at the top left of all pages on StartNoo's digital properties.

Users can tab to the Accessibility icon to launch the Accessibility Menu, which offers a suite of user-defined adjustments, including:

Content Adjustments: Changing font size, adjusting letter spacing, aligning text, and highlighting links.
Color & Contrast Adjustments: Inverting colors, adjusting contrast, and changing text colors.
Orientation & Reading Aids: Enabling a reading guide, activating a screen-mask, and pausing animations.
Assistive Profiles: Applying presets optimized for specific needs, such as Seizure Safe Profile, Visually Impaired Profile, and Cognitive Disability Profile.

The use of this widget is entirely optional and is designed to supplement, not replace, native accessible and inclusive design that is WCAG compliant by default.

Documentation and Feedback:

Instructions and detailed information on the LevelAccess Userway widget's features and how it interacts with different assistive technologies are managed by our third-party provider and can be found on their platform documentation: LevelAccess Userway Help Center and LevelAccess Userway Move the widget.

We encourage all users to contact us directly at accessibility@startnoo.com for immediate feedback or support regarding the use of this tool.