Volunteer: WCAG 2.1 AA Accessibility Audit for Open-Source Portal

About the role

This is a volunteer opportunity to conduct a manual accessibility audit of the Pinpoint 311 platform against WCAG 2.1 Level AA. The audit will cover keyboard-only navigation, screen reader testing with NVDA or VoiceOver, focus management, form error handling, interactive components, and the map interface.

The primary focus is the resident-facing reporting portal, where residents submit service requests with a photo and map pin. The staff dashboard and admin console are secondary but still important for municipal employees with disabilities.

Because Pinpoint 311 is free and open-source, your work will directly improve accessibility for every town that deploys the platform, expanding equitable access to municipal services. Residents who rely on reporting apps—often those least served by inaccessible interfaces—will benefit most.

Deliverable

• A findings report mapping issues to WCAG criteria, including severity and recommended fixes.
• If a full audit exceeds your availability, a focused review of the resident portal alone is still valuable.

Requirements

• Experience with manual accessibility testing, including keyboard navigation and screen readers (NVDA/VoiceOver).
• Familiarity with WCAG 2.1 Level AA criteria.
• Ability to document findings clearly with actionable recommendations.

About the platform

• The platform is open-source and publicly demonstrable at demo.pinpoint311.org—testing can begin immediately.
• Full codebase access is available; no blind testing required.
• Automated accessibility checks are already integrated into the CI pipeline, so your work will focus on issues tooling cannot catch.
• Direct collaboration with the developer (sole point of contact) ensures quick discussion and implementation of findings.

Mission

Pinpoint 311 provides modern municipal service request technology to towns that cannot afford commercial systems (which cost five figures annually). Small and financially distressed municipalities often rely on phone calls or paper forms—or residents never report issues at all. This free, open-source platform ensures all residents have a modern way to reach their local government, regardless of their town’s budget.