Embedded Accessibility: How Global Excel Reduced Audit Findings by 97% with Allyant 

Summary

Global Excel Management, Inc. (Global Excel), a worldwide provider of travel risk management and travel insurance technology solutions, knew accessibility was becoming increasingly important to its clients. But like some organizations beginning their accessibility journey, the team recognized the need to partner with outside expertise to address accessibility issues consistently.

Partnering with Allyant, Global Excel implemented a structured accessibility process supported by Allyant’s software platform, remediation guidance, and ongoing expert support. Over time, accessibility moved upstream—from audit findings to everyday development practices.

Today, accessibility is embedded directly into the company’s workflows. Developers, QA specialists, and product teams consider accessibility from design through deployment, dramatically improving outcomes.

The results speak for themselves: The number of issues surfaced in audits has dropped more than 97%, from hundreds of issues to a handful, and accessibility has become a sustainable part of Global Excel’s product development culture.

Key Highlights

• Objective: Build internal accessibility expertise and integrate accessibility into development workflows to support WCAG conformance and evolving client expectations.
• Solution: Partner with Allyant to implement a structured accessibility program supported by the Allyant Platform, expert guidance, developer education, and ongoing WCAG-based audits.
• Products used:
  • Allyant Platform (audit management and Knowledge Base)
  • Accessibility Audits
  • Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPAT) and Letters of Conformance (LOC)
  • Accessibility consulting and support
• Results: Audit findings reduced 97%, while accessibility became embedded across development, QA, and product workflows.
• Impact: Accessibility is now integrated into Global Excel’s development lifecycle, enabling teams to design, test, and launch digital experiences with accessibility in mind while confidently responding to client accessibility requirements in procurement and RFP processes.

Objective

Canada-based Global Excel first began exploring accessibility in 2017 when clients started asking questions about compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). While the company recognized accessibility was important, the team quickly realized that understanding the standards, and implementing them effectively, was more complex than expected.

“When we first learned about accessibility, we were focused on compliance with one law, the AODA,” explains Development Team Lead Mandi Bailey. “We didn’t know how complex accessibility was to solve or how to solve it sustainably. We lacked the internal knowledge as well as the tools to support.”

At that time, the team had little exposure to accessibility concepts such as screen reader compatibility or how design decisions impact users with disabilities. Without a structured process, accessibility issues were difficult to identify and even harder to resolve.

At the same time, Global Excel wanted to ensure its platforms and digital products met the expectations of clients around the world, not just in Canada. Instead of focusing narrowly on AODA requirements, the team chose to align with the broader, and most recent, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the global framework underpinning most worldwide digital accessibility regulations.

But before they could achieve that goal, the company needed a strategic partner to support building internal accessibility expertise and integrating accessibility into everyday development work.

Solution

Global Excel partnered with Allyant to establish a scalable accessibility program built around education, structured remediation, and accessible tooling.

Turning Audit Findings into Learning Opportunities

Allyant began by auditing Global Excel’s digital platforms against WCAG standards. The first results revealed hundreds of accessibility issues.

“It was overwhelming at first,” Bailey recalls. “But the way in which the Allyant Platform prioritizes high-impact issues by severity made it clear to us where to start.”

Charmi Virani, a Business Analyst and QA Specialist, began using the Platform daily. “The Allyant Knowledge Base became our go-to resource for whenever we needed to understand how to address an accessibility issue,” she says. “When we needed code-level support to understand how to address an accessibility issue, we’ve found easy-to-follow guidance, and access to support for more complex problems.”

Instead of vague recommendations, the platform provides developers with actionable explanations, examples, and multiple implementation approaches for resolving accessibility issues.

That clarity accelerated the team’s internal understanding, helping team members close knowledge gaps and build accessibility directly into design and development.

Ongoing Support and Expert Guidance

In addition to software, Allyant’s accessibility experts provide ongoing support as the team implements changes.

When developers encountered complex accessibility questions, or when clients raised concerns about specific issues, Global Excel could consult directly with Allyant’s team.

“Allyant’s third-party validation has been instrumental to our success,” says Director of Information Systems Jeffrey Renon. “Allyant-produced VPATs and Letters of Conformance add much-needed credibility to our work. But beyond documentation, having Allyant subject matter experts join our client conversations often saves us months of back-and-forth when the client has questions about accessibility standards. That access saves us time, and time is money.”

This combination of software, guidance, and education helped Global Excel move beyond reactive remediation toward proactive accessibility practices.

Shifting Accessibility Left

Over time, accessibility moved upstream into the company’s development lifecycle.

Designers began evaluating accessibility implications during the design phase. Developers considered screen reader compatibility and semantic structure before releasing new features. QA teams incorporated accessibility checks into testing workflows.

“For every design we suggest, we’re thinking accessibility first,” explains Product Owner Oluwaseun Popoola. “It’s now part of our refinement, testing, and definition of done.”

Results

Five years into its journey, Global Excel has fundamentally changed how it approaches accessibility.

The most significant improvement is in audit outcomes. Early accessibility audits identified nearly 200 issues across the company’s digital properties. Today, the most recent audit surfaced just five, a more than 97% reduction.

“When we saw five, we threw a party,” Bailey adds.

With annual audits in place, the Allyant Platform remains central to Global Excel’s accessibility program, helping teams identify issues, prioritize remediation, engage support, and maintain accessibility standards over time.

And now, as clients ask about accessibility during procurement processes or in their RFPs, Global Excel can confidently demonstrate its commitment to accessibility with Allyant-validated documentation.

What began as a learning curve has become an operational strength. By embedding accessibility into its workflows, Global Excel has not only improved digital experiences for users, it has built a sustainable accessibility program that will continue to evolve alongside its technology.