The Preparing for SOAR app is the online SOAR experience that allows freshmen and transfer students to prepare for SOAR by verifying their advising groups and inputting test scores. This document summarizes the accessibility and usability barriers of the Preparing for SOAR app identified during testing, as well as how to get help with preparing for SOAR.

Get help

If you are experiencing accessibility or usability barriers at any point while using the Preparing for SOAR app and need to report a barrier or get assistance completing this step, call 608-262-4707 or email soar@studentlife.wisc.edu. An agent will be in contact with you to gather your information and help you finish preparing for SOAR.

Student accessibility & usability barriers 

The following barriers were identified while testing the Preparing for SOAR app. 

Color contrast barriers that may impact people with color blindness or low vision

Some buttons and text colors throughout the Preparing for SOAR app do not pass color contrast accessibility and may be difficult to read for people who are colorblind or have low vision. 

Magnification barriers that may impact people with low vision

When increasing magnification of the browser resolution by 175% or more, users may experience difficulty reading and navigating through the Preparing for SOAR app because some of the content on the screen becomes distorted. 

Keyboard accessibility barriers that may impact people motor disabilities or visual disabilities

When navigating through the Preparing for SOAR app via keyboard, some buttons, links, or dropdowns are not visibly obvious to navigate to (focus styling is unclear and becomes lost). Additionally, some buttons, links, and dropdowns do not function as expected when navigating via keyboard. 

Screen reader accessibility barriers that may impact people who are blind or have low vision

When navigating through the Preparing for SOAR app via keyboard and a screen reader, some buttons, links, or dropdowns are not providing enough screen reader auditory indication of state change when buttons and links are clicked or when dropdown menu options are selected.