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Resources > SAGE College Publishing > Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion > SAGE College DEI - Access

Using Assistive Technology

Facilitate Access for All

Removing Barriers to Student Purchasing When Using Assistive Technology*

By Scott Harris, Sr. Content Development Manager, and Jonathan Hritz, Sr. Product Manager

The Challenge

When the Vantage digital platform commercially launched in 2019, students were taken to a separate web page to redeem their access codes, which caused confusion and introduced navigation issues for assistive technology (AT) users. Students faced two problems: 

  1. When an AT user clicked the "Buy Access" button, they were not warned that they would be taken to a different website to complete their purchase.
  2. Once the user was on the new website, they still had to navigate to get to where they could purchase access, and then were asked to create an account when they already had one with Vantage.

The Solution

Screen shot of Redeem Access popup showing editable field to input code and Submit Access Code and Cancel buttons

  • Vantage now informs students that clicking the "Buy Access" button takes them to the Sage corporate site to purchase access, removing any confusion around what happens after clicking the button.
  • Users are taken directly to the Vantage product page for their desired title, minimizing the need to navigate to the correct product page.
  • They are also automatically signed into their Vantage accounts, removing frustrating and redundant steps. 

Implementing these changes resulted in fewer steps and clearer instructions for all users, making a better, more accessible student experience with purchasing Vantage access.

*Published 07/22. © 2022 Sage Publishing. All rights reserved. All other brand and product names are the property of their respective owners. 

Sage College Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
Improvements in Action