Open Source Accessibility for Higher Education
We're on a mission to make WCAG 2.1 compliance achievable for every university by April 2026—through free, open source software and affordable support plans.
Our Mission
To help universities meet the April 24, 2026 WCAG 2.1 deadline without breaking the bank.
Universities are facing an unprecedented accessibility crisis. Faculty are overwhelmed, existing tools cost $160K/year, and LaTeX equations (used by 95% of mathematicians) have no solution. We built Aelira to solve all three problems: free open source software, affordable support ($299-$7,999/mo), and the only platform with LaTeX/MathML support.
Why Open Source?
Because accessibility tools should be free, transparent, and community-driven.
We believe universities shouldn't pay $160K/year (Blackboard Ally) for closed-source software. Our MIT-licensed platform is 100% free to download, install, and modify. We make money by selling support, hosting, and professional services—not by locking you into expensive licenses. This aligns our incentives: we succeed when you succeed.
The Higher Ed Accessibility Crisis
April 24, 2026 is the DOJ deadline for WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance. Universities have only 5-6 months left, and faculty are in panic mode.
From Reddit r/Professors: "Many faculty are considering removing all slide presentations and images from Canvas rather than jump through hoops" (47 upvotes). This is the reality we're facing.
The cost of inaction: Random course audits, meetings with department chairs, loss of federal funding, and ADA lawsuits (8,800 filed in 2024 alone).
Existing tools fail faculty:
- YuJa Panorama ($10K-$50K/year): "Varying levels of suck that won't actually fix the problem"
- Blackboard Ally ($160K/year): Converts files but doesn't remediate them
- Manual work ($3K-$6K per course): Faculty aren't being compensated for hundreds of hours of work
- LaTeX equations: 95-99% of mathematicians use LaTeX, but NO tool supports it—until now
We built Aelira to be the solution faculty actually need: AI-generated working fixes, LaTeX support, bulk processing, and affordable pricing.
How We're Different
AI-Generated Working Fixes
We don't just identify problems—we fix them. Aelira generates copy-paste ready code that meets WCAG 2.1 AA standards. No competitor has this. YuJa and Ally scan; we remediate.
LaTeX/MathML Support
The ONLY platform with LaTeX to MathML conversion. STEM departments are stuck without this. We parse LaTeX equations, convert to accessible MathML, and add ARIA labels for screen readers.
Bulk Processing at Scale
Process thousands of PDFs, PowerPoints, and LaTeX files at once via CLI and batch directory scanning. What takes manual tools weeks, Aelira does in hours.
Privacy-First AI
Self-hosted AI means student data never leaves your servers. Perfect for FERPA compliance and international universities. No OpenAI, no Google—just open source Ollama models.
Open Source MIT License
100% free to download, install, and modify. Use commercially, distribute copies, keep modifications private. We sell support ($299-$7,999/mo), not software licenses.
Built for Faculty
No specialized training required. Upload a PDF, get accessible HTML. Scan a PowerPoint, get contrast fixes. Copy-paste LaTeX, get MathML. Faculty time is valuable—we automate 90% of the work.
Our Values
Accessibility is a Human Right
We believe accessibility tools should be free and transparent. Every university deserves access to compliance tools, regardless of budget. That's why Aelira is open source under the MIT license.
Open Source Over Profit
We chose the MIT license intentionally. Universities can use Aelira for free, modify it for their needs, and contribute improvements back to the community. We make money by helping you succeed, not by locking you in.
Privacy & Transparency
Self-hosted AI means you control your data. Open source means you can audit our code. No black boxes, no vendor lock-in, no data leaving your servers without your permission.
Innovation for Impact
We leverage AI to solve problems no one else has: LaTeX accessibility, bulk PDF remediation, AI-generated working fixes. We build what faculty actually need, not what's easiest to sell.
Built by Crampton IT Solutions
Aelira is developed and maintained by Crampton IT Solutions, a technology company specializing in AI-powered accessibility solutions and open source software development.
Our team combines expertise in artificial intelligence, accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1, Section 508), higher education technology, and open source development. We understand the challenges universities face because we've worked with them.