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Before joining STAR Autism Support, Parker worked with an agency that supported the development of some of STAR’s initial SaaS product suite. He later joined STAR itself to lead an internal effort to unify the product suite into a more cohesive and user-friendly technology platform. As part of improving the overall product ecosystem, ensuring accessibility has been a critical and ongoing focus.
Recognizing the need for updated accessibility standards, Parker brought in ADACP. “We had completed Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPATs), but they were outdated. We asked ADACP to provide new VPATs for us for a clear picture of where we are now and a roadmap for improvement,” he says.
STAR completed three VPATs with ADACP—one each for its Media Center, Links Curriculum, and SOLS platforms. Each audit took about two weeks and included prioritized recommendations. “The process was fast, easy, and gave us both flexibility and structure,” Parker adds.
STAR used insights from the VPATs to quickly improve accessibility and guide future development. “The opportunity for impact was immediately clear. It gave us a focused direction for both remediation and future development, while moving us towards a unified product ecosystem with accessibility as a core tenet,” Parker says.
“Digital accessibility matters—our clients ask about it, and our customers rely on it. The VPATs provide documentation, direction, and demonstrate our commitment to making inclusive, effective tools for everyone.”
“Looking ahead, our development team plans to base all future product improvement decisions on user data to better support the teachers who use our products and measure student success,” says Parker. “We intend to be more proactive in understanding our customers’ needs and behaviors.
“Ultimately, success starts with student outcomes, which depends on strong product adoption. That adoption hinges on a seamless onboarding and user experience, which is closely tied to accessibility.”
Currently, STAR provides hands-on training to ensure teachers use the tools effectively and can measure their progress with student learning. “Our trainers work directly with teachers to help them apply our tools in the classroom,” Parker adds. “Monitoring this process shows the increasing value of what we do for teachers and their students.”
“We’re focused on building empathy with our users as we design and refine our products. VPATs play a key role in this effort, improving ROI through expanded accessibility and ensuring our products can be used effectively across a variety of circumstances, meeting educators exactly where their current needs are.”
Parker also notes that STAR will continue updating VPATs with ADACP and plans to assess new products like SOLER, their social learning and emotional regulation program. He concludes: “Developing a strong understanding of how customers use our products and ensuring that our products are accessible supports equity and inclusion, which is central to our commitment to continuous improvement.”
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