Accessibility Reality Checker (3 - minute Simulator)

Link to Rise Course (Quick Share) Accessibility Reality Checker

Copy /Paste Link: https://share.articulate.com/kdeNT__CFskcknh1QTeIp

Project overview

I created this project because most accessibility training fails in a predictable way. It explains rules, but it doesn’t change decisions. Teams ship inaccessible experiences because the tradeoffs are invisible in the moment. I worked to build something that puts some of those tradeoffs out into the open.

 

Instead of building a tutorial, I built a short decision simulator: three common, high-impact accessibility choices (contrast, keyboard navigation, and alt text). I framed each choice under the question “Which would you ship?”  The simulator allows the review to choose and get immediate consequences, then see an “accessibility” score. I made the simulator small, fast, and opinionated because that is how product decisions and learning content approval happens in the real world.

 

This is not and was not intended to be a comprehensive accessibility course. It’s a pressure test for everyday judgment.

 

Prompts and constraints

The Build-a-thon prompt was to explore what the Rise Code Block can really do. My personal guide was:
“Can I build something that feels like a real product review decision instead of another accessibility checklist?”

My constraint and format drivers were:

• No long explanations up front
• No hidden scoring
• Do not pretend or ignore nuances
• The review must make a decision and live with the result

Tools and implementation

• Built entirely in Articulate Rise 360’s Code Block
• Plain HTML, CSS, and JavaScript only
• Custom UI, state management, scoring logic, step flow, results meter, and share text are all handled in the Code Block
• Intentionally used:
• Semantic HTML
• Keyboard-operable controls
• Visible focus states
• High-contrast color choices
• The experience itself is designed to model the behaviors it’s teaching. The experience had to go beyond just talk about the experiences.

 What I learned

• I need to spend a lot more time upskilling on HMTL and JavaScript. Vibe Coding can be fun. 
• Rise’s Code Block is capable of much richer, multi-step interactions than I use it for.
• Using the Code Block require you to be disciplined about structure, focus management, and state.
• Small UX decisions (focus order, feedback timing, contrast, visual hierarchy) have a big impact on whether a user experience feels accessible, useable, or sloppy.
• Accessibility cannot be taught in 5 minutes, but a quick accessibility review can expose bad decisions and highlight options for better user experiences instincts
• This type of tool/ format is good for awareness, decision calibration, but not for deep technical training.  I like to call this a “feature” of the simulator not a bug. I acknowledge simulator has some real limitation for real work use in it’s current state.