Hi Kelli,
I am glad to see others bringing up this topic (I have been doing it for a long time, so yea, thank you!). I have worked on digital accessibility for over 21 years (and am Archeion Coordinator as well). Y'all on the listserv likely knew this email was coming, so here goes.
I just wanted to add that I have asked that AtoM 3.0 make accessibility part of its new structure, as currently Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Ontario have accessibility acts that do (or will) cover websites (and hopefully more), as well the Federal Accessible Canada Act is similar, and our federal friends will also have to ensure AtoM meets the minimum that WCAG 2.1 AA provides. Plus, Europe and the EU, Australia and most countries in the world have accessibility legislation that covers websites, albeit many are focused only in a government realm.
I would like to encourage people to go beyond WCAG, which is a flawed standard for many reasons, which includes not doing a lot for people with neurological, cognitive, learning and intellectual disabilities. A full usability and accessibility study is really needed, and I was thrilled to see your post, because you and your colleagues, as well as others can really make a difference, and it is much needed. I was trying to find a grant to do this work for a while, but could never get all my ducks in a row to make it happen.
In my work across Canada, I train and use AtoM every day, and there are many areas of concern in both the usability and accessibility area. Many of those things may not be able to change, because of how the system was built. When I was at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, my supervisor was awesome and supported our efforts to try and make AtoM accessible, but we only scratched the surface. Before that, a screen reader user who was blind or Deaf-Blind could not even get past the logo and search bar.
I fear that an institution using AtoM may get a human rights complaint. Those complaints are over and above any legislation a province (or federal entity) may, or may not, have and they are secret unless they go to the final step, which is court...and in the US this has already happened (under their Federal ADA) to libraries...the train is coming.
I again say in public, what I have been saying for many years, both privately and publicly, software used by libraries, archives, museums, etc. needs to be accessible. It is not hard to do, but it is much easier if it is done from the beginning.
I would urge you to also contact the AtoM 3 committee, because if they will reuse AtoM 2 code then your efforts will be very well used! If not, then this process, unless they bake this in at the beginning, will have to take place again, and it may take years to accomplish. However, I have to state that they have been very responsive to this issue, and that was encouraging.
I am more hopeful than AtoM 3 will be way more accessible and usable for everyone, because it is 2019 and we must make a change.
I write this email as a person, and digital accessibility consultant, and not as an employee of the provinces I do work for!
Cheers
Lisa