While conducting accessibility testing, assigning issues a severity rating is helpful. Severity ratings help contextualize issues and their impact on users. The Digital Accessibility Team utilizes the following severity scale when conducting reviews.
| Severity | Description |
|---|---|
| Critical | These are issues that will stop a student/user from completing whatever task they are trying to do. There is no workaround, and outside assistance is required to complete the task. |
| Significant | These are issues that will increase the time it takes a user to complete something, cause frustration, or reduce their efficiency. They do not fully block a user but could if enough of them exist |
| Minor | These are issues that are technically not compliant with WCAG guidelines but do not impact the user's ability to complete tasks or impede their ability to use a technology. |
When accessibility issues are identified, it is crucial to address them promptly. Remediation efforts should be prioritized based on the severity of the identified issues, with higher-severity issues accorded priority over their lesser counterparts. The Digital Accessibility Team recommends the following timelines for remediating identified issues.
| Severity | Timeline to Remediation |
|---|---|
| Critical | 2 Months |
| Significant | 4 Months |
| Minor | 6 Months |