STK Steakhouse Accessibility Case Study

date

October 2024 - Present

client

STK Steakhouse

About STK Steakhouse

STK is a contemporary steakhouse brand known for blending exceptional food, lively ambiance, and a modern dining experience. They operate internationally across the US, Europe, and beyond, offering menus focused on premium steaks, seafood, and vibrant cocktails.

Our job was to provide STK with a website that is as impressive as their brand. This included identifying accessibility issues with their old site and overcoming them to ensure their entire customer base was provided with an excellent digital experience.

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a screenshot of the STK website homepage

Our Approach

To identify where accessibility improvements were needed on the STK site, we conducted a two-stage audit which utilised both our in-depth knowledge of accessibility and our specialised software.

First, we ran an automated scan of the website’s code, to test if the structure complied with US WCAG guidelines. This test allowed us to address 40% of the guidelines. For the remaining 60%, we applied our expertise of manual testing, that included the use of screen readers, to ensure all issues are identified and logged.

From this initial audit, we found that the existing site scored a low 36% for accessibility. This meant there were several significant accessibility barriers that prevented users from:

Successfully completing online reservations using screen readers.
Navigating the menu with keyboard-only controls.
Accessing location information for users with visual impairments.
Understanding promotional content due to poor colour contrast.

STK website: a screenshot of the old STK website with the text 'old website' on top at a slant. Underneath is a screenshot of the new STK website, with the text 'new website' above it.

Our Solutions

Once we fully understood the issues, we were able optimise their new website for accessibility features which included:

Comprehensive ARIA labelling for reservation forms to ensure screenreader can pick up all the information on the page.
Keyboard navigation optimisation across all interactive elements, which allows users who rely on keyboard navigation can access every necessary part of the site.
Alt text implementation for all food photography and location images, so that visually impaired users get clear descriptions of relevant imagery on the site.
Colour contrast remediation to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards, inability those with reduced vision or sight issues can comfortably read the webpage text.

As part of the package we offer, we also conduct monthly accessibility audits to ensure that the website continues to meet WCAG guidelines and provide an excellent online experience for everyone.

Project Results

As a result of the work conducted on the new STK site, the accessibility score has increased significantly from 36% to 99%. Significantly, this lead to STK expanding its customer base to include users who were previously unable to interact with their website effectively. We continue to work closely with STK, providing regular site audits to ensure that they maintain an excellent accessibility score.

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