At the Open Learning Initiative (OLI), we believe every learner deserves an equitable and inclusive educational experience. The OLI Torus platform is designed to support diverse learners and instructors by removing barriers to access and continuously improving usability for all.

OLI Torus is committed to making Torus accessible in accordance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA standards. We are also mindful of our responsibilities under Title II Revision of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and have prioritized the remediation of platform features to ensure alignment with the requirement to meet WCAG 2.1 standards.

Accessibility is not a one-time achievement but an ongoing practice. We are embedding accessibility considerations into every phase of our design, research, and development processes.

Our team has conducted an internal accessibility audit that combines both manual and automated testing. Using automated testing tools such as axe DevTools, Siteimprove, and WAVE, along with manual screen reader, keyboard, and 200% zoom testing, we identified accessibility gaps that needed to be addressed to achieve WCAG compliance in time for the original Title II April 2026 deadline.

Through this process, we released Torus v32b (Read the blog post and release notes for this update), which addresses issues related to color contrast, keyboard navigation, link clarity, page hierarchy, and semantic markup. Our accessibility goals extend beyond regulatory requirements, however, and our research and development efforts to improve the user experience for all Torus users continue.

As part of our current feature development efforts, we are continuing to improve contrast and aria features for better alignment WCAG 2.2 criteria, as well as revising the drag-and-drop activity type to improve both usability and accessibility. These improvements are slated for Fall 2026.

We are also continuing to invest in staff training and professional development. Members of our team have completed Carnegie Mellon University’s Accessibility Allies Program, and additional staff are currently pursuing the Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) credential to further strengthen our expertise in accessible design and development.

You can review our 2026 Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) that we will be updating as we identify and remediate accessibility issues.

The User Experience and Accessibility team at OLI Torus will continue making progress on our accessibility roadmap, which outlines our milestones, priorities, and future commitments, including:

• Continue to work to exceed Title II compliance requirements by building towards applicable WCAG 2.2 AA success criteria
• Expanding usability testing and feedback collection with genuine users of assistive technologies.
• Continued collaboration with Carnegie Mellon’s Digital Accessibility Office to ensure alignment with institutional accessibility standards.
• Team-wide training in inclusive UX principles and accessible design best practices.

We welcome and value your feedback. If you encounter accessibility barriers, have questions, or would like materials in an alternate format, please contact our Support Team:

📧 support@oli.cmu.edu

Our support staff will respond or route your inquiry directly to the product team, where it will inform our accessibility roadmap and help guide ongoing improvements.

Last updated: July 2026