ChatGPT answers, unedited

• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr, Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606
• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• UX Healthcare - 211 E 43rd St 7th Floor, New York, NY 10017, United States
• WeCo Accessibility Services - 300 1/2 S Main St, Stillwater, MN 55082
• Agency 39A - 10000 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232, United States
• Alphazeta - 325 W Huron St, Ste 506, Chicago, IL 60654
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Mederi Digital - Healthcare Design Agency - 3422 Business Center Dr Ste 106 #1077, Pearland, TX 77584, United States
• Bold Insight (Chicago) - 125 S Wacker Dr Suite 3020, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Nemera Insight Chicago LLC - 4660 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d put these firms on the initial shortlist, based on their publicly described accessibility and UX capabilities:

• Sandstorm Design — Chicago-based digital experience/UX agency with healthcare experience and an accessibility-oriented audit → development → retest process. Web Tonic
• Rowe Intermedia — Particularly worth contacting if the portal is tied to a health system or regulated healthcare organization; its public materials emphasize healthcare/life-sciences work and accessibility compliance.
• UX 4Sight — Chicago UX research/design specialist. A potential fit if the bigger need is patient-journey research and UX improvement, rather than compliance remediation alone.
• Clique Studios — Chicago digital strategy, UX/design and engineering agency that also describes accessibility-focused design and usability testing.
• Solid Digital — Chicago agency with UX/product-experience work on portals and healthcare/regulated-industry experience.

I'd also consider a specialist accessibility firm alongside a UX agency, rather than asking one generalist to do everything. For example, the Chicago Lighthouse provides accessibility consulting, audits, WCAG/508 compliance and accessibility certification, with substantial experience in making digital properties usable by people with disabilities. The Chicago Lighthouse

For a healthcare portal specifically, I'd make the RFP require manual keyboard and screen-reader testing, WCAG 2.2 AA evaluation, accessible forms/error handling, appointment scheduling, PDFs/documents, and testing with people with disabilities—not just an automated accessibility scan. Healthcare-specific accessibility work commonly turns up barriers in exactly those patient-facing workflows. wcag.world accessibilities.co

If you want, I can narrow this to 5 agencies and give you their contact details, healthcare clients/case studies, estimated engagement size, and a side-by-side RFP shortlist.

• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Bold Insight (Chicago) - 125 S Wacker Dr Suite 3020, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr, Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606
• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• The Chicago Lighthouse - 1850 W Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• UX Healthcare - 211 E 43rd St 7th Floor, New York, NY 10017, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design - 1220 S Wood St 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Clarity Partners, LLC - 20 N Clark St #3600, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Alphazeta - 325 W Huron St, Ste 506, Chicago, IL 60654
• CTRL UX - 8465 Keystone Crossing, Indianapolis, IN 46240, United States
• Grand Studio - 444 N Wells St #501, Chicago, IL 60654, United States

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d put these firms on the shortlist because the combination you need is more specific than a generic web redesign: manual accessibility testing + healthcare UX + portal/product experience.

• Rowe Intermedia — Particularly relevant if accessibility/compliance is central. Its Chicago practice focuses on healthcare/life-sciences organizations and accessibility work, including ADA/WCAG-related services. The Chicago Lighthouse
• Sandstorm Design — Chicago-based UX/digital experience agency with healthcare experience and accessibility work. Their published Chicago work specifically mentions WCAG 2.2 AA audits and remediation for healthcare portals. Running Start Digital
• Bold Insight (Chicago) — Strong option if the UX side needs substantial user research/usability testing, particularly with healthcare or other high-stakes products. Their Chicago office is at 125 S. Wacker. Bold Insight
• UX 4Sight — Chicago UX/UI and research consultancy offering UX audits, usability testing, user research and design; worth considering if the emphasis is improving the portal experience rather than primarily compliance.
• Clique Studios — Broader digital transformation partner with Chicago presence, covering UX research/design, usability testing, accessibility-focused design, and engineering.
• Solid Digital — Chicago agency with experience in web apps/portals, UX discovery and healthcare/regulated environments; potentially useful if you want the audit findings carried through into redesign and implementation.

One specialist I'd also contact

The Chicago Lighthouse is worth considering alongside an agency. Its Digital Accessible Experience practice specifically provides accessibility consulting, audits, WCAG/508 compliance and accessibility testing, with a long history of working from the perspective of people with disabilities. The Chicago Lighthouse

How I'd structure the RFP

Ask each firm to quote separately for:

1. Full portal accessibility audit — WCAG 2.2 AA, including authenticated patient workflows, not just the public website.
2. Assistive-technology testing — keyboard-only, NVDA/JAWS/VoiceOver, zoom/reflow, forms, errors, modal dialogs, scheduling, messaging, records, etc.
3. Real-user research — particularly patients with disabilities and older users.
4. UX audit — navigation/IA, search, appointment scheduling, registration, content comprehension and mobile experience.
5. Prioritized remediation backlog — WCAG criterion, severity, affected workflow, screenshots/code examples and recommended fix.
6. Design remediation — redesigned flows/components rather than simply handing you an audit report.
7. Retesting after fixes.

I'd specifically ask whether they test the actual authenticated portal and whether they use people with disabilities in research/testing. Automated accessibility scans alone aren't sufficient for this kind of project; manual testing with assistive technology is important. Americaneagle.com

If you want, I can also put together a 5–7 agency Chicago shortlist with contact links, healthcare clients/case studies, accessibility credentials, estimated engagement size, and what to ask each one in the first call.

• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Mightybytes - 4001 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste 404, Chicago, IL 60613
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr, Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606
• Clarity Partners, LLC - 20 N Clark St #3600, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• IDE Interactive, Inc. - 2945 W Peterson Ave Ste 103, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• UX Healthcare - 211 E 43rd St 7th Floor, New York, NY 10017, United States
• Alphazeta - 325 W Huron St, Ste 506, Chicago, IL 60654
• WeCo Accessibility Services - 300 1/2 S Main St, Stillwater, MN 55082
• Accessible360 - 4600 W 77th St #295, Edina, MN 55435, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• VERSIONS - 10 S LaSalle St Ste 201, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d put accessibility + healthcare UX experience ahead of generic web-agency credentials. A few firms worth contacting:

• Sandstorm Design — Chicago UX/digital-experience agency with research, UX, accessibility, and complex digital-platform capabilities. Their positioning makes them worth considering if you want UX research + redesign + accessibility rather than an audit alone.
• Mightybytes — Chicago digital agency combining product/web work with explicit accessibility services. A potential fit if you also care about sustainable digital practices and longer-term governance.
• UX 4Sight — Chicago UX research/design specialist. Their work includes accessibility and WCAG-oriented interface improvements, making them particularly relevant if the portal's main problem is usability and patient journeys.
• Rowe Intermedia — Chicago-area specialist with a stronger healthcare/life-sciences orientation and stated ADA/Section 508/WCAG accessibility work. Worth contacting if healthcare-sector familiarity is important.
• Clique Studios — Chicago digital strategy/design/engineering agency that handles UX, usability testing and accessibility-focused design, potentially useful if the audit needs to flow directly into a substantial platform redesign.
• Clarity Partners, LLC — Chicago firm experienced with portals and complex public-sector/constituent-facing platforms, with accessibility governance and WCAG/ADA work. Particularly relevant if this is a large, integrated portal rather than a simple healthcare website.

There are also specialist accessibility firms I'd consider putting into the RFP alongside the UX agencies. The Chicago Lighthouse provides accessibility audits, consulting, certification, training and WCAG/508 services. The Chicago Lighthouse chicagolighthouse.org

For the actual procurement, I'd ask every finalist to demonstrate:

1. Manual WCAG 2.2 AA testing, not just an automated scanner.
2. Keyboard-only and screen-reader testing with actual assistive technologies.
3. Testing of the patient portal's critical flows: registration/login, appointment scheduling, forms, messaging, medical information, payments, etc.
4. UX research with people with disabilities—not simply compliance testing.
5. Developer-ready findings mapped to individual WCAG criteria, followed by retesting after remediation.
6. Experience handling healthcare privacy/security requirements and whether a BAA is available if the engagement could expose PHI.
7. A concrete approach to accessibility in the design system, so accessibility doesn't regress as the portal expands.

I'd probably send an RFP to 3–5 of the above rather than selecting solely on reputation. For a healthcare portal, the distinction between an accessibility audit vendor and a firm that can actually translate findings into better patient UX is important. For example, healthcare-specific accessibility providers advertise manual testing of patient portals, scheduling systems and forms rather than relying solely on automated scans. Accessibilities Huracán Studios LLC

If you tell me who operates the portal (hospital/health system, insurer, public health organization, startup, etc.), approximate budget, and whether you need audit-only or audit + redesign/remediation, I can narrow this to a practical Chicago shortlist and give you contact links and an RFP comparison matrix.

• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• Design Science - 909 Davis St, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Grand Studio - 444 N Wells St #501, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design - 1220 S Wood St 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• IDE Interactive, Inc. - 2945 W Peterson Ave Ste 103, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr, Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606
• UX Healthcare - 211 E 43rd St 7th Floor, New York, NY 10017, United States
• Nemera Insight Chicago LLC - 4660 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Bold Insight (Chicago) - 125 S Wacker Dr Suite 3020, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Alphazeta - 325 W Huron St, Ste 506, Chicago, IL 60654
• One North, A TEKsystems Company - 227 W Monroe St #3500, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Clarity Partners, LLC - 20 N Clark St #3600, Chicago, IL 60602, United States

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d prioritize firms that can do both hands-on accessibility testing and healthcare-specific UX, rather than a generic web-design shop.

My shortlist

• Rowe Intermedia — strongest accessibility/healthcare fit. Their Chicago practice specifically emphasizes accessibility and compliance for health systems, physician groups, and healthcare/life-sciences organizations. They look particularly relevant if the portal has regulated content, documents, or Section 1557/WCAG requirements.
• Design Science — strongest healthcare UX/human-factors option. Their Chicago-area team specializes in usability and human factors for healthcare and medical technology. I'd consider them if the bigger problem is patient workflows, confusing forms, navigation, or high-stakes interactions.
• Sandstorm Design — good all-around digital experience partner. Chicago-based, with UX/research, digital product work, and a recurring accessibility focus. A good candidate if you want the audit to lead directly into redesign and implementation.
• Grand Studio — good for complex enterprise UX. Their work combines UX research, product strategy, and interface/design-system work and includes experience with healthcare and other complex environments.
• UX 4Sight — good UX-audit/research specialist. They offer UX audits, usability testing, user research, and accessibility-oriented design. I'd put them on the RFP list if improving the portal's actual usability is as important as WCAG compliance.
• Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design — interesting if patient-centered service design is central. It's a UIC-affiliated healthcare human-centered-design group, with experience improving healthcare services and usability. It's less of a conventional implementation agency, so I'd view it as a strategic/research option.

There are also specialist accessibility firms worth considering outside the Chicago-only pool. For example, AccessiHealth explicitly offers manual WCAG audits, remediation, and ongoing monitoring for healthcare organizations. AccessiHealth AccessiHealth

Who I'd contact first

I'd send an RFP to Rowe Intermedia, Design Science, Sandstorm, and Grand Studio.

For the RFP, I'd specifically require:

1. WCAG 2.2 AA manual audit, not just an automated scan.
2. Keyboard + screen-reader testing with actual assistive technology.
3. Testing of patient-critical flows: registration, login, appointment scheduling, forms, messaging, records/results, payments, etc.
4. Usability testing with patients/users with disabilities, where feasible.
5. A prioritized remediation backlog mapped to WCAG criteria.
6. UX recommendations and redesigned flows/wireframes—not merely a compliance report.
7. Retesting after fixes and accessibility regression guidance for your product team.

That's important because automated scanners alone won't tell you whether a patient can actually navigate a healthcare workflow. Chicago Lighthouse, for example, explicitly emphasizes audit services alongside usability and accessibility expertise. The Chicago Lighthouse

If you tell me who operates the portal (hospital/system, health plan, startup, etc.), approximate budget, and whether you need implementation or just audit + UX recommendations, I can narrow this to the 3 best agencies and give you a suggested RFP/contact list.

• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Mightybytes - 4001 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste 404, Chicago, IL 60613
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design - 1220 S Wood St 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• The Chicago Lighthouse - 1850 W Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• IDE Interactive, Inc. - 2945 W Peterson Ave Ste 103, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• UX Healthcare - 211 E 43rd St 7th Floor, New York, NY 10017, United States
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr, Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606
• Fuzzy Math - 1440 N Dayton, Ste 307, Chicago, IL 60642
• Nemera Insight Chicago LLC - 4660 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• WeCo Accessibility Services - 300 1/2 S Main St, Stillwater, MN 55082
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• VERSIONS - 10 S LaSalle St Ste 201, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• One North, A TEKsystems Company - 227 W Monroe St #3500, Chicago, IL 60606, United States

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can handle both WCAG accessibility testing and actual UX/product improvement, rather than hiring a pure compliance scanner.

My shortlist

• Sandstorm Design — strongest Chicago UX/digital-experience fit. They’re a Chicago UX/digital agency with accessibility positioned as part of their work, and they have experience with complex, purpose-driven organizations. Good candidate if you want research → UX redesign → implementation, not merely an audit.
• Mightybytes — good accessibility + digital-product option. Chicago-based and explicitly combines digital strategy, design/development and accessibility. Worth contacting if you want a partner that can stay involved through remediation.
• UX 4Sight — best pure UX option. They offer UX audits, usability testing, research and UI/UX design. I'd pair their proposal with a requirement for rigorous manual WCAG testing rather than relying on automated accessibility scores.
• Rowe Intermedia — particularly interesting for healthcare. Their Chicago practice focuses on digital marketing/digital assets and has a stated emphasis on accessibility and compliance for regulated organizations, including healthcare. Promet Source
• Dialogue Theory — good UX + engineering alternative. Their positioning combines UX/UI, strategy and engineering with accessibility and inclusive design considerations.

I would also talk to these specialists

Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design — This is especially interesting if the portal has complicated patient journeys. It's associated with UIC/UI Health and focuses on human-centered healthcare design, usability and accessibility. I'd consider them for discovery/research even if a separate agency does implementation.

The Chicago Lighthouse — Not a conventional UX agency, but potentially an excellent independent accessibility/audit partner. Their services include accessibility consulting, certification, audits and WCAG/508 compliance, with more than 15 years of technology/accessibility experience. The Chicago Lighthouse

One important procurement point

For a healthcare portal, I'd make the RFP require manual accessibility testing with disabled users/assistive technology, not just an automated Axe/Lighthouse scan. For example, Access Living's Chicago accessibility team explicitly combines automated testing with manual evaluation and tests to WCAG 2.2 AA. Access Living

I'd ask every agency to demonstrate:

• WCAG 2.2 AA audit methodology
• Keyboard + NVDA/JAWS/VoiceOver testing
• Testing of authentication, forms, appointment scheduling, messaging, PDFs and error states
• Usability testing with people with disabilities
• UX research with actual patients/caregivers
• Developer-ready remediation tickets
• Post-remediation verification
• Experience handling PHI/HIPAA and a BAA where applicable
• Accessibility built into the design system so the problem doesn't recur

If I were issuing the first three calls, I'd start with Sandstorm Design, Rowe Intermedia, and The Chicago Lighthouse—giving you a UX/product agency, a healthcare/compliance-oriented agency, and an independent accessibility specialist to compare.

If you tell me roughly portal size, budget ($50k / $100k / $250k+), and whether you need remediation/development or just audit + UX recommendations, I can narrow this to 3–5 agencies and give you a suggested RFP scope.

• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Mightybytes - 4001 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste 404, Chicago, IL 60613
• Intechnic Corporation - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• IDE Interactive, Inc. - 2945 W Peterson Ave Ste 103, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• UX Healthcare - 211 E 43rd St 7th Floor, New York, NY 10017, United States
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr, Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606
• Alphazeta - 325 W Huron St, Ste 506, Chicago, IL 60654
• WeCo Accessibility Services - 300 1/2 S Main St, Stillwater, MN 55082
• Agency 39A - 10000 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• VERSIONS - 10 S LaSalle St Ste 201, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d prioritize firms that can do both serious accessibility testing and patient-facing UX/product work, rather than a generic web-design shop.

My shortlist

• Rowe Intermedia — Probably the first Chicago call I’d make if healthcare is central to the engagement. Their positioning specifically includes healthcare/life-sciences organizations plus ADA, Section 508 and WCAG accessibility work.
• Sandstorm Design — Stronger candidate if you want a broader UX research + digital experience + accessibility engagement. They’re Chicago-based and have a longstanding UX/digital practice.
• Mightybytes — Good fit for an accessibility-conscious product redesign, particularly if you want strategy, UX, development and accessibility handled together.
• Intechnic Corporation — Worth contacting if the portal is complex and you need substantial healthcare UX/product strategy, not just a compliance audit.
• UX 4Sight — More UX-specialist oriented; useful if your primary problem is patient usability and interaction design, with accessibility incorporated into the redesign.

There are also specialist accessibility organizations I'd put on the RFP list. The Chicago Lighthouse offers accessibility consulting, audits, WCAG/508 compliance and technology assistance, with particularly relevant expertise from the disability-access perspective. The Chicago Lighthouse Access Living similarly combines automated and manual testing and has certified accessibility specialists; its testing explicitly focuses on the real-world experience of disabled users. Access Living

One important distinction

For a healthcare portal, I'd avoid choosing an agency solely because it promises an automated “ADA score.” Ask specifically for:

• Manual keyboard testing
• NVDA/JAWS/VoiceOver testing
• WCAG 2.2 AA evaluation
• Testing of authenticated patient workflows, not just public pages
• Accessible forms, error states, appointment scheduling and authentication
• Testing with people with disabilities where possible
• UX research with actual patients/caregivers
• Design-system/component-level remediation
• A post-remediation audit and regression-testing plan

That matters because automated scans catch only part of the accessibility problem; Chicago-area accessibility specialists explicitly describe manual testing as necessary for usability barriers automation misses. Access Living Accessibilities

If I were issuing the RFP, I'd start with Rowe Intermedia, Sandstorm, Mightybytes, and Intechnic, and include The Chicago Lighthouse or Access Living as an independent accessibility-testing option. This gives you a useful mix of healthcare expertise, UX depth, implementation capability, and independent accessibility validation.

If you tell me roughly portal size/users, whether it's authenticated (MyChart-style), and whether you want audit-only vs. audit + redesign + implementation, I can narrow this to the best 3 agencies and give you their contact details plus an RFP scorecard.

• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Bold Insight (Chicago) - 125 S Wacker Dr Suite 3020, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Design Science - 909 Davis St, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design - 1220 S Wood St 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Nemera Insight Chicago LLC - 4660 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Agile Medical Device Design - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• UX Healthcare - 211 E 43rd St 7th Floor, New York, NY 10017, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States

For a Chicago healthcare portal expansion, I’d prioritize agencies that can do both accessibility (WCAG testing, assistive technology review, remediation guidance) and healthcare UX (patient journeys, portal workflows, usability testing). A few firms worth contacting:

Strong Chicago-area candidates

• Sandstorm Design — A Chicago digital experience agency with UX, web strategy, and accessibility/inclusive design capabilities. They’re a good fit if you need a partner that can combine audit findings with broader portal improvements.
• UX 4Sight — Chicago UX/UI consultancy offering UX audits, research, usability testing, application design, and accessibility-focused improvements. Good option for a patient portal redesign or workflow optimization effort. UX4Sight
• Bold Insight (Chicago) — A human factors and UX research firm with healthcare/product experience. Consider them if you need rigorous usability studies, including testing with users with disabilities.
• Design Science — Evanston-based human factors consultancy with healthcare usability expertise. A strong match if your portal involves complex clinical workflows, medical information, or regulated-product thinking.

Accessibility-first specialists to consider

• Rowe Intermedia — Chicago digital consultancy with healthcare and accessibility/compliance focus.
• Accessibilities — Focuses specifically on healthcare accessibility audits, manual testing, WCAG reviews, remediation guidance, and accessibility governance. Accessibilities
• Huracán Studios LLC — Offers WCAG audits, healthcare accessibility reviews, remediation support, and assistive technology testing. Huracán Studios LLC

How I’d shortlist them

For a healthcare portal, ask each agency for:

1. Accessibility audit scope

• WCAG version targeted (ideally WCAG 2.2 AA)
• Manual keyboard testing
• Screen reader testing (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver)
• Testing of forms, scheduling, login, records, PDFs, and error states
• Healthcare experience

• Patient portals
• EHR integrations
• HIPAA-aware workflows
• Clinical or administrative user research
• UX deliverables

• Patient journey maps
• Usability testing findings
• Prioritized backlog
• Wireframes/prototypes
• Design system improvements

My first outreach batch would probably be:

1. Sandstorm Design (local UX + accessibility balance)
2. UX 4Sight (portal UX/research focus)
3. Bold Insight or Design Science (deep usability/human factors)
4. Accessibilities or Huracán (specialized accessibility validation)

When contacting them, mention the portal’s user groups (patients, caregivers, clinicians, staff), technology stack, EHR integrations, and whether you need audit-only vs. audit + redesign + remediation—that will materially change who is the best fit.

• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• Fuzzy Math - 1440 N Dayton, Ste 307, Chicago, IL 60642
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Bold Insight (Chicago) - 125 S Wacker Dr Suite 3020, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr, Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Garenne Bigby - 200 E Randolph Dr, Ste 5100, Chicago, IL 60601
• UX Healthcare - 211 E 43rd St 7th Floor, New York, NY 10017, United States
• Alphazeta - 325 W Huron St, Ste 506, Chicago, IL 60654
• LCM Architects - 200 N LaSalle St #2700, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• WeCo Accessibility Services - 300 1/2 S Main St, Stillwater, MN 55082
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Digital Accessibility by WeCo - 2730 W Lake St Ste 300, Minneapolis, MN 55416, United States
• Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design - 1220 S Wood St 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60608, United States

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d put these firms on the shortlist, with different strengths:

• Sandstorm Design — Best overall Chicago fit. They combine UX/product work with accessibility audits, remediation, and training, and have a long Chicago track record. Good choice if you want one agency to improve the portal rather than just produce an accessibility report.
• Rowe Intermedia — Strong healthcare/accessibility specialist. Particularly worth contacting if your portal involves regulated healthcare content, documents, ADA/WCAG, or Section 1557 considerations.
• Fuzzy Math — Strong UX/research option. Chicago-based and focused on complex digital products, including healthcare/health-tech. I'd consider them if the bigger problem is patient usability and workflow, with accessibility integrated into the redesign.
• UX 4Sight — UX-heavy option. Useful if you want usability research, information architecture, and interface improvements alongside accessibility considerations.
• Bold Insight (Chicago) — Best for rigorous user research. Especially interesting for a high-stakes healthcare portal where you want actual patient/user research rather than a purely heuristic UX review.
• Clique Studios — Good for a larger redesign/build. They cover UX, usability testing, accessibility-focused design, and engineering, so they can take findings through implementation.

I'd probably start with Sandstorm, Rowe Intermedia, and Fuzzy Math and ask all three for proposals. Sandstorm is the closest match to your request as stated; Rowe is particularly compelling if accessibility/compliance is the primary driver; Fuzzy Math if improving the actual patient experience is equally important.

What I'd ask for

Don't ask simply for an "ADA audit." For a healthcare portal, your RFP should ask for:

• WCAG 2.2 AA manual audit, including keyboard and screen-reader testing—not just an automated scan.
• Testing of the actual patient journeys: login, registration, appointment scheduling, provider search, forms, messaging, results, billing, etc.
• Usability research with patients/caregivers, ideally including people who use assistive technologies.
• UX review of information architecture, navigation, content hierarchy, forms, error handling, and mobile workflows.
• A prioritized remediation backlog mapped to WCAG criteria, severity, affected user journey, and recommended fix.
• Design-system/component recommendations so accessibility improvements don't regress as the portal expands.
• Retesting after remediation.
• Experience with healthcare privacy/security constraints and a willingness to sign appropriate agreements if they will encounter protected health information.

For context, specialist accessibility firms emphasize that automated scans catch only part of the problems; manual keyboard, screen-reader, form, and interactive-element testing is important for healthcare portals. Accessibilities AccessiHealth

One useful comparison point is that healthcare-specific firms are explicitly auditing patient portals, scheduling, messaging, results views, and EHR integrations—not merely public-facing websites. clarityaccess.group

If you tell me roughly how large the portal is (pages/workflows), whether it's Epic/MyChart or another platform, and your approximate budget, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and give you a contact/procurement shortlist with what to ask each one.

For a Chicago healthcare portal expansion, I’d prioritize agencies that can handle both accessibility (WCAG/ADA) and patient-facing UX research, not just a compliance scan. These are a few groups worth contacting:

Strong healthcare + UX/accessibility fits

• Sandstorm Design — Chicago-based digital experience agency with healthcare and mission-driven organization experience. They’re a good fit if you need UX strategy, complex content/platform work, accessibility considerations, and ongoing digital experience support.
• Design Science — Better suited if your portal has complex clinical workflows, patient safety concerns, or you need rigorous usability testing/human factors methods.
• Bold Insight — A strong option for usability studies, accessibility research, and testing with real users, including people using assistive technologies.
• UX 4Sight — More UX/product-design oriented: UX audits, research, usability testing, interface design, and improvement roadmaps.

Accessibility-focused options

• The Chicago Lighthouse — A Chicago organization with long-standing accessibility expertise, including WCAG/508 consulting, audits, and assistive-technology-focused evaluation. The Chicago Lighthouse
• Americaneagle.com — Offers accessibility audits, remediation guidance, and WCAG/ADA-focused consulting; their headquarters are in the Chicago suburbs. Americaneagle.com
• Running Start Digital — Focuses on accessible design, WCAG audits, remediation guidance, and testing with keyboard and screen-reader workflows. Running Start Digital

If I were issuing an RFP, I’d shortlist:

1. Sandstorm Design — best overall digital experience partner for a healthcare portal modernization.
2. Design Science or Bold Insight — best for deep patient workflow/usability validation.
3. The Chicago Lighthouse — best accessibility specialist to ensure real-world accessibility.
4. UX 4Sight — best if you need a UX audit + redesign partner.

When contacting them, I’d ask for:

• A manual WCAG 2.2 AA audit (not only automated scans)
• Testing with screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, and mobile accessibility
• Patient journey mapping (registration, scheduling, results, messaging, payments)
• Usability testing with patients/caregivers, including users with disabilities
• A prioritized remediation roadmap for product, design, and engineering teams
• Healthcare experience with HIPAA-sensitive workflows (if the portal touches PHI)

A useful first message would be: “We’re expanding a Chicago healthcare portal and need an accessibility audit plus UX improvement roadmap focused on patient access, usability, and WCAG 2.2 AA readiness. Can you share relevant healthcare portal work, methodology, timeline, and sample deliverables?”

• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Fuzzy Math - 1440 N Dayton, Ste 307, Chicago, IL 60642
• Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design - 1220 S Wood St 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Bold Insight (Chicago) - 125 S Wacker Dr Suite 3020, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr, Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606
• The Chicago Lighthouse - 1850 W Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• LCM Architects - 200 N LaSalle St #2700, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• WeCo Accessibility Services - 300 1/2 S Main St, Stillwater, MN 55082
• Agency 39A - 10000 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232, United States
• Alphazeta - 325 W Huron St, Ste 506, Chicago, IL 60654
• Design Science - 909 Davis St, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Inclusive Web - Digital Accessibility Compliance Solution - 368 9th Ave 6th floor, New York, NY 10001, United States
• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d prioritize firms that can do more than a generic accessibility scan—ideally WCAG testing + hands-on UX research + healthcare/patient experience + remediation guidance.

My shortlist

• Sandstorm Design — Strong Chicago option for a broader redesign. They combine UX, digital strategy and accessibility, and their work is particularly aligned with healthcare and other complex, regulated organizations. Agency List
• Fuzzy Math — I'd contact them if the portal has complicated workflows, multiple user types, or legacy UX problems. They're a Chicago UX research/design consultancy with healthcare and enterprise experience, and accessibility is among the capabilities listed for Chicago agencies. Agency List
• Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design — Particularly interesting if the goal is patient-centered healthcare UX, not just visual redesign. It's part of UIC/UI Health and focuses on human-centered design and improving usability/accessibility in healthcare delivery.
• Bold Insight (Chicago) — Worth considering if you want rigorous UX/human-factors research and usability testing, especially for a high-stakes healthcare product.
• Rowe Intermedia — A more accessibility/compliance-oriented Chicago option, particularly relevant if your portal needs WCAG/ADA remediation alongside digital work.
• Clique Studios — A good candidate if you want an agency capable of taking findings through UX/design and implementation, rather than handing you an audit report and leaving remediation to your developers.

One specialist I'd put on the RFP

The Chicago Lighthouse is worth contacting even though it's not a conventional UX agency. Its Digital Accessible Experience practice provides accessibility consulting, audits, WCAG/Section 508 work and accessibility testing, with a strong connection to people who are blind or visually impaired. The Chicago Lighthouse The Chicago Lighthouse

I'd actually consider pairing an accessibility specialist like Chicago Lighthouse with a UX agency if accessibility is a major risk area. That gives you independent accessibility expertise rather than having the same firm design the solution and declare its own work accessible.

Who I'd call first

If I were narrowing this to three introductory calls, I'd start with:

1. Sandstorm — best all-around Chicago agency candidate.
2. Fuzzy Math — strongest fit if the core problem is complicated portal UX/workflows.
3. Chicago Lighthouse — independent accessibility expertise and real-world disability testing.

For the RFP, specifically ask whether their audit includes manual keyboard testing, NVDA/JAWS/VoiceOver testing, WCAG 2.2 AA, form/error-state testing, dynamic content, mobile, and testing with people with disabilities. Automated accessibility scanners alone won't give you a reliable picture; manual testing is essential. Access Living

If you tell me roughly the portal's size, tech stack (e.g. React, Drupal, Epic/MyChart integration), and whether you want audit-only vs. audit + redesign + implementation, I can narrow this to 5 agencies and give you a suggested RFP/scorecard.

For the RFP, specifically ask whether their audit includes manual keyboard testing, NVDA/JAWS/VoiceOver testing, WCAG 2.2 AA, form/error-state testing, dynamic content, mobile, and testing with people with disabilities. Automated accessibility scanners alone won't give you a reliable picture; manual testing is essential.

• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr, Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606
• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• Fuzzy Math - 1440 N Dayton, Ste 307, Chicago, IL 60642
• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• IDE Interactive, Inc. - 2945 W Peterson Ave Ste 103, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• Garenne Bigby - 200 E Randolph Dr, Ste 5100, Chicago, IL 60601
• LCM Architects - 200 N LaSalle St #2700, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Alphazeta - 325 W Huron St, Ste 506, Chicago, IL 60654
• WeCo Accessibility Services - 300 1/2 S Main St, Stillwater, MN 55082
• Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design - 1220 S Wood St 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Nemera Insight Chicago LLC - 4660 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• VERSIONS - 10 S LaSalle St Ste 201, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States

Yes. For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d prioritize firms that can do both serious manual accessibility testing and actual UX/product improvement, rather than an agency that only runs automated ADA scanners.

My shortlist

• Sandstorm Design — Best Chicago UX + accessibility fit. They’re a Chicago digital experience/UX agency with accessibility as part of their positioning. Good candidate if you want research, UX strategy, design, and accessibility handled together.
• UX 4Sight — Best for a dedicated UX assessment. Chicago-based UX/UI and research consultancy. I’d consider them if the portal needs usability research and workflow redesign alongside accessibility.
• Clique Studios — Good for a larger portal redesign. They combine UX/UI, usability testing, accessibility-focused design, and engineering, so they could potentially take findings through implementation.
• Rowe Intermedia — Worth a serious look for healthcare. Their Chicago operation specifically emphasizes healthcare/life-sciences digital work and accessibility/compliance.
• Fuzzy Math — Strong UX/research option. Chicago UX consultancy with healthcare/health-tech experience and a focus on complex workflows. I'd pair them with a specialist accessibility auditor if accessibility needs to be independently certified.
• Solid Digital — Good if you need UX + technical implementation. Chicago agency with UX/UI, development, accessibility/performance, and ongoing support.

One specialist I'd also interview

AccessiHealth isn't Chicago-specific, but its healthcare specialization makes it useful as a benchmark or potential audit partner. It says its comprehensive audits include manual keyboard testing, screen-reader testing, interactive/form testing, WCAG mapping, and developer-ready remediation guidance. AccessiHealth AccessiHealth

For a healthcare portal, I'd specifically ask every agency:

1. Will you manually test with NVDA, JAWS and VoiceOver, or is this primarily automated scanning?
2. Will you test the authenticated patient portal, not just the public website?
3. Can you test registration, login, appointment scheduling, forms, errors, messaging, records/results, payments and telehealth?
4. Do you recruit/test with people who actually use assistive technology, rather than relying exclusively on WCAG checklists?
5. Will findings map to WCAG 2.2 AA and include developer-ready remediation tickets?
6. Can you do UX research/usability testing and redesign, not merely compliance remediation?
7. If the portal handles PHI, will you sign the appropriate BAA and explain how testing data is handled?

That last point matters: some accessibility specialists explicitly offer BAAs for healthcare engagements involving potentially protected health information. Huracán Studios LLC

If I were sending out 3 RFPs, I'd start with Sandstorm Design, Rowe Intermedia, and Clique Studios, while separately getting a proposal from a specialist accessibility auditor so you have an independent benchmark.

If you tell me who operates the portal (hospital/health system, insurer, startup, etc.), its technology stack, and roughly how many screens/workflows it has, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and give you the exact outreach/contact pages and an RFP scope.

• Intechnic Corporation - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Fuzzy Math - 1440 N Dayton, Ste 307, Chicago, IL 60642
• Design Science - 909 Davis St, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• Nemera Insight Chicago LLC - 4660 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design - 1220 S Wood St 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• LCM Architects - 200 N LaSalle St #2700, Chicago, IL 60601, United States

For a Chicago healthcare portal expansion, I’d shortlist agencies that can handle both accessibility (WCAG/ADA) audits and UX/product improvements, not just automated scans. A good engagement should include manual accessibility testing (keyboard, screen readers), patient journey reviews, UX research, and a remediation roadmap. Running Start Digital ClarityAccess

Here are firms I’d contact:

For a patient portal specifically, I’d prioritize these first:

1. Intechnic — best overall fit for healthcare UX + platform complexity.
2. Sandstorm Design — strong Chicago healthcare/digital experience option.
3. UX 4Sight or Fuzzy Math — strongest if the main goal is improving usability and patient experience.

When you contact them, ask for:

• WCAG 2.2 AA audit scope (manual + automated testing)
• Screen reader testing (NVDA/JAWS/VoiceOver)
• Patient journey review (login, scheduling, messaging, results, billing)
• Accessibility remediation support, not just a report
• UX research with patients/caregivers if possible
• Experience with EHR integrations (Epic, Cerner/Oracle Health, etc.)
• HIPAA/BAA considerations if they’ll access patient-facing environments

If you share whether this is an Epic/MyChart-style portal, a custom web app, or a public healthcare website, I can narrow the shortlist further.

• Intechnic Corporation - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design - 1220 S Wood St 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• IDE Interactive, Inc. - 2945 W Peterson Ave Ste 103, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr, Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606
• Redenbaugh Design - 2208 W Winona, Ste 1, Chicago, IL 60625
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• EVE - User Experience Design Agency - 7135 N Merrimac Ave, Chicago, IL 60646, United States
• One North, A TEKsystems Company - 227 W Monroe St #3500, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• VERSIONS - 10 S LaSalle St Ste 201, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• LCM Architects - 200 N LaSalle St #2700, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Nemera Insight Chicago LLC - 4660 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States

If this is a Chicago-based healthcare portal, I’d put these firms on the first-call shortlist:

• Intechnic Corporation — My first choice for your brief. Chicago-based and particularly focused on UX for complex healthcare, pharma, and life-sciences products. They’re a good fit if you want the accessibility audit to feed directly into a broader portal UX overhaul.
• Sandstorm Design — Strong Chicago UX/digital-experience shop with accessibility as part of its positioning. Worth considering if the engagement includes research, redesign, content, and implementation—not just compliance testing.
• UX 4Sight — More UX-specialist oriented, with UX audits, usability testing, research, and accessibility analysis. Good candidate if improving the actual patient experience is as important as WCAG remediation.
• Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design — Especially interesting for a healthcare organization because its work centers on human-centered healthcare design and improving usability/accessibility. I'd consider them if patient research and service design are major parts of the project.
• Dialogue Theory — Chicago design/UX firm emphasizing accessibility, inclusive design, UX/UI, and engineering. A reasonable additional bid for a broader redesign.

One important distinction

For a healthcare portal, I wouldn't hire a generic "ADA website" vendor that mainly runs automated scanners. You want manual WCAG testing + assistive-technology testing + UX research/usability testing, followed by developer-ready remediation and verification. For example, accessibility specialists describe testing with keyboard navigation and screen readers because automated scans don't catch everything. Running Start Digital Accessibilities

There are also specialist healthcare accessibility firms worth getting a proposal from even if they're not Chicago-based. ClarityAccess specifically audits patient portals and telehealth platforms, while ADA Compliance Pros covers patient portals, EHRs, billing interfaces, WCAG 2.2 AA testing, remediation guidance, and VPAT/ACR work. ClarityAccess ADA Compliance Pros

If I were running the procurement, I'd invite Intechnic, Sandstorm, UX 4Sight, and one specialist accessibility firm to pitch. That gives you a useful comparison between deep healthcare/UX capability and deep accessibility/compliance expertise.

For the RFP, I'd specifically require: WCAG 2.2 AA, manual screen-reader/keyboard testing, patient/caregiver usability testing, critical-flow testing (login → scheduling → messaging → results → billing), prioritized remediation backlog, design-system recommendations, and post-remediation verification.

If you tell me roughly portal size/users, whether it's Epic/MyChart or custom, and your budget range, I can narrow this to the 3 best agencies and find the right contact/proposal page for each.

• Intechnic Corporation - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Design Science - 909 Davis St, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• Bold Insight (Chicago) - 125 S Wacker Dr Suite 3020, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Fuzzy Math - 1440 N Dayton, Ste 307, Chicago, IL 60642
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design - 1220 S Wood St 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Nemera Insight Chicago LLC - 4660 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Grand Studio - 444 N Wells St #501, Chicago, IL 60654, United States

For a Chicago healthcare portal expansion that needs both accessibility auditing and UX improvements, I’d shortlist agencies that understand regulated healthcare workflows, patient journeys, and WCAG—not just general website design. Here are some good candidates to contact:

Strong healthcare + UX fit

• Intechnic Corporation — Chicago digital experience consultancy with a strong UX/UI focus and experience in healthcare, pharma, and life sciences. A good fit if you need patient-portal redesign, UX strategy, information architecture, and complex workflow improvements.
• Design Science — Evanston/Chicago-area human factors and usability firm focused on healthcare and medical technology. Consider them if your portal involves clinical workflows, usability testing, or safety-critical interactions.
• Bold Insight (Chicago) — UX research and human factors consultancy with Chicago presence; they emphasize accessibility research, inclusive design, and testing with users and assistive technologies.

Strong accessibility audit / remediation candidates

• The Chicago Lighthouse — Provides accessibility consulting, WCAG/508 compliance work, audits, and training, with particular expertise around accessibility for people with visual impairments. The Chicago Lighthouse
• Sandstorm Design — Chicago digital experience agency serving healthcare and other mission-driven organizations; worth considering if you want accessibility combined with broader UX, content, and platform improvements.
• Fuzzy Math — Chicago UX consultancy experienced with complex digital products and healthcare/health-tech environments. Good fit for research, UX strategy, prototyping, and workflow improvements.

If you want a broader accessibility + implementation partner

• Americaneagle.com — Based near Chicago and offers accessibility audits, WCAG/ADA consulting, remediation, and training. Better suited if you need audit findings turned into implementation work. Americaneagle.com

What I’d ask them for in the first conversation

For a healthcare portal, I’d request:

1. Manual WCAG 2.2 AA audit (not only automated scans)
2. Testing with: - Screen readers (NVDA, VoiceOver, JAWS)
3. Keyboard-only navigation
4. Mobile accessibility
5. Patient journey UX review - Registration/login
6. Appointment scheduling
7. Forms and error handling
8. Finding care/results/messages
9. Prioritized remediation roadmap: - Critical patient blockers
10. Compliance risks
11. UX improvements
12. Estimated effort
13. Experience handling healthcare privacy/security constraints (for example, whether they can work within HIPAA-sensitive environments)

For a hospital system or large healthcare network, I’d start conversations with Intechnic, Design Science, Bold Insight, and The Chicago Lighthouse. For a patient-facing portal redesign with accessibility as a core requirement, that group is likely to give you the strongest mix of healthcare expertise, UX rigor, and accessibility depth. The Chicago Lighthouse

• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Intechnic Corporation - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr, Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606
• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• IDE Interactive, Inc. - 2945 W Peterson Ave Ste 103, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• One North, A TEKsystems Company - 227 W Monroe St #3500, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Redenbaugh Design - 2208 W Winona, Ste 1, Chicago, IL 60625
• Agency 39A - 10000 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232, United States
• Nemera Insight Chicago LLC - 4660 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• WeCo Accessibility Services - 300 1/2 S Main St, Stillwater, MN 55082
• Grand Studio - 444 N Wells St #501, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• UX Healthcare - 211 E 43rd St 7th Floor, New York, NY 10017, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Taction Software Solutions - 1016 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can handle both manual WCAG accessibility testing and actual patient-facing UX improvements, rather than hiring a generic web-design shop.

My shortlist

• Sandstorm Design — Probably my first Chicago call. They’re a Chicago digital experience/UX agency with healthcare experience and an accessibility-oriented audit → remediation → retesting approach. Good fit if you want UX strategy, design, accessibility, and implementation under one roof.
• Intechnic Corporation — Strong option for a complex healthcare portal. They specialize in UX research/design for healthcare, pharma, and life sciences, making them particularly relevant if the portal has complicated workflows, multiple user types, or integrations.
• UX 4Sight — Good choice if the emphasis is UX research, usability testing, and redesign. They explicitly offer UX audits and usability testing and are Chicago-based. UX4Sight
• Clique Studios — Worth an RFP if you're looking for a larger team that can combine UX research, accessibility-focused design, engineering, and ongoing optimization. They have a Chicago office and specifically list healthcare among their work.
• Rowe Intermedia — Interesting specialist option because its Chicago practice combines digital accessibility/remediation with healthcare-focused digital work. I'd consider them particularly for the audit/remediation side.

One specialist I'd also contact

The Chicago Lighthouse isn't a conventional UX agency, but its accessibility group is particularly relevant for an accessibility audit. It offers accessibility consulting, audit services, WCAG/508 compliance work, and certification, with substantial experience in accessibility for people who are blind or visually impaired. The Chicago Lighthouse

That can be valuable if you want an independent accessibility assessment before bringing a UX agency in to redesign things.

What I'd put in the RFP

For a healthcare portal, I'd specifically require:

• WCAG 2.2 AA audit covering the authenticated portal—not just the public website
• Manual keyboard and screen-reader testing, not an automated scanner alone
• Testing with NVDA/JAWS and VoiceOver
• Patient workflows: registration, login, appointment scheduling, forms, messaging, records/documents, payments, etc.
• Usability testing with patients/users with disabilities
• UX research and journey mapping
• Prioritized remediation backlog with WCAG criterion, severity, screenshots, and developer-ready fixes
• Design-system/component accessibility review
• Accessibility testing of mobile/responsive experiences
• Retesting after remediation
• Experience working with PHI/HIPAA, including appropriate data-handling/BAA requirements where applicable

That's important because automated scans catch only a portion of real accessibility problems; for example, healthcare accessibility specialists emphasize manual keyboard, screen-reader, form, and interactive-element testing. AccessiHealth

If I were sending three initial outreach emails, I'd start with Sandstorm, Intechnic, and the Chicago Lighthouse—giving you a good mix of full-service UX, healthcare-specialist UX, and independent accessibility expertise.

If you tell me roughly portal size, budget (e.g. $25k/$100k/$250k+), and whether you want audit-only or audit + redesign + implementation, I can narrow this to 3–5 agencies and compare them side-by-side.

• Intechnic Corporation - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Mightybytes - 4001 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste 404, Chicago, IL 60613
• TXI - 10 S Riverside Plaza Ste 875 - #7670, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• Accessibilities - 8671 Wilshire Blvd #700, Beverly Hills, CA 90211, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Design Science - 909 Davis St, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• VERSIONS - 10 S LaSalle St Ste 201, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• Redenbaugh Design - 2208 W Winona, Ste 1, Chicago, IL 60625
• LCM Architects - 200 N LaSalle St #2700, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• One North, A TEKsystems Company - 227 W Monroe St #3500, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design - 1220 S Wood St 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60608, United States

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can do both hands-on accessibility auditing/remediation and substantive UX research/design, rather than a generic web agency.

My first calls

• Intechnic Corporation — probably my first call for your use case. They’re Chicago-based and specifically work in healthcare, pharma, and life sciences, with deep UX research/design experience for complex digital products. Ask whether they can pair their UX work with an independent WCAG 2.2 AA audit. Web Tonic
• Sandstorm Design — Strong Chicago option for UX + accessibility + healthcare, particularly if the portal is a substantial content/platform ecosystem rather than just a marketing site. Their local profile specifically notes healthcare systems and accessibility-oriented work.
• Mightybytes — Good choice if you want a mission-driven digital agency that can combine product/web improvement with accessibility. They're Chicago-based and have a strong accessibility-oriented practice.
• TXI — Worth talking to if this is a complex custom portal/product, especially where you need user research, workflow redesign, prototyping and engineering—not merely an accessibility report.
• UX 4Sight — A more UX-focused option. Their services include UX audits covering usability, accessibility, visual design and the end-to-end experience, making them interesting if the primary objective is improving patient/user experience.

I'd also consider a specialist accessibility partner

Rowe Intermedia is particularly interesting because its Chicago practice combines digital accessibility/remediation with healthcare-focused digital work.

And Accessibilities is worth considering as an accessibility-testing partner. Their testing explicitly combines automated checks with manual evaluation and real-world usability barriers, including testing against WCAG 2.2 AA. Access Living

What I'd put in the RFP

For a healthcare portal, I would require:

1. WCAG 2.2 AA manual audit, not just an automated scan.
2. Keyboard-only and screen-reader testing with NVDA/JAWS/VoiceOver.
3. Testing of the actual high-risk workflows: login, registration, appointment scheduling, forms, search, messaging, medication/health information and error states.
4. Usability research with people with disabilities—not simply compliance testing.
5. A prioritized backlog mapping each issue to WCAG criteria, severity, affected user, and recommended remediation.
6. UX redesign/prototyping followed by accessibility validation of the new designs.
7. Retesting after engineering fixes.
8. Clear handling of PHI/BAA requirements if the agency will access non-public patient information.

The distinction is important: a portal can technically score well on automated accessibility checks while still being frustrating or impossible to use with assistive technology. Chicago Lighthouse, for example, explicitly combines accessibility consulting/audits with usability considerations. The Chicago Lighthouse

If I were narrowing this to three intro calls, I'd start with Intechnic, Sandstorm, and a dedicated accessibility specialist such as Access Living. That gives you a useful comparison between a healthcare UX/product agency, a Chicago digital agency, and an accessibility-first evaluator.

If you'd like, I can also build you a 5–7 agency Chicago shortlist with contact details, healthcare clients/case studies, accessibility credentials, and a rough price/engagement-size comparison.

• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604
• Beyond Design, Inc. - 3759 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60613
• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613
• DesignScout - 1801 W Belle Plaine Ave #201, Chicago, IL 60613
• The Chicago Lighthouse - 1850 W Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606
• Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design - 1220 S Wood St 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60608
• Pilot Digital Marketing - 4753 N Broadway Ste T110, Chicago, IL 60640
• WYZ Design - 2GAR, 2128 W Cermak Rd, Chicago, IL 60608
• Wojo Design - 318 W Adams St #1609, Chicago, IL 60606
• Comrade Digital Marketing Agency - 332 S Michigan Ave #900, Chicago, IL 60604
• Digital Accessibility by WeCo - 2730 W Lake St Ste 300, Minneapolis, MN 55416
• Design Integrity, Inc. - 1528 W Adams St Unit 1, Chicago, IL 60607
• SHIFT | Concierge Primary Care in Chicago - 435 N La Salle Dr #300, Chicago, IL 60654
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606

Yes. For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d prioritize firms that can do both manual accessibility testing and UX/product improvement, rather than a generic web-design shop.

My shortlist

• UX 4Sight — Chicago-based UX consultancy. Worth contacting if the bigger need is patient-portal usability, information architecture, research, and interaction design, with accessibility incorporated into the UX work.
• Beyond Design, Inc. — Chicago design/UX firm. A reasonable candidate for a broader UX research → redesign → implementation engagement.
• Orbit Media Studios — established Chicago digital agency. More appropriate if you want an agency that can take on UX, accessibility, web strategy, and implementation rather than just produce an audit.
• DesignScout — Chicago design agency worth including if the portal needs deeper product/service-design work alongside the accessibility effort.

For the accessibility audit specifically

I'd also talk to The Chicago Lighthouse. They have substantial accessibility expertise and explicitly offer accessibility consulting, audits, WCAG/508 compliance, training, and technology assistance. Their approach is particularly relevant because they emphasize usability—not merely technical compliance—and have experience involving people with disabilities. The Chicago Lighthouse

There are also specialist firms worth putting into the RFP:

• Running Start Digital says it performs WCAG 2.2 AA audits and remediation for Chicago healthcare portals, including manual keyboard and screen-reader testing. Running Start Digital
• Consensus Interactive offers WCAG 2.2/ADA audits, manual assistive-technology testing, remediation, and healthcare digital-platform work. Consensus Interactive
• Accessibilities specializes in healthcare accessibility inspections, WCAG audits, remediation, and accessible healthcare documents. Accessibilities

Who I'd contact first

If this were my procurement process, I'd invite 4 firms to an initial conversation:

1. The Chicago Lighthouse — independent accessibility expertise/testing.
2. Consensus Interactive — accessibility + healthcare digital experience.
3. UX 4Sight — UX/product side.
4. Running Start Digital — Chicago-focused accessibility + UX/design-system remediation.

That gives you a useful comparison between accessibility-first and UX/product-first approaches.

For a healthcare portal, I'd make the RFP explicitly require WCAG 2.2 AA, manual keyboard testing, NVDA/JAWS/VoiceOver testing, accessible forms and error states, mobile accessibility, user research with people with disabilities, and retesting after remediation. Automated Lighthouse/axe scores alone aren't sufficient.

If you tell me what kind of portal it is (patient portal, provider portal, insurance, scheduling, etc.) and roughly how large it is, I can narrow this to 3 best-fit agencies and find their contact/official websites and relevant healthcare case studies.

• Intechnic Corporation - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Grand Studio - 444 N Wells St #501, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• The Chicago Lighthouse - 1850 W Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Design Science - 909 Davis St, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• Bold Insight - 2001 Butterfield Rd #360, Downers Grove, IL 60515, United States
• Access Living of Metro Chicago - 115 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• LCM Architects - 200 N LaSalle St #2700, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design - 1220 S Wood St 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Pathfinder Development - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza Ste 1230, Chicago, IL 60610, United States
• Redenbaugh Design - 2208 W Winona, Ste 1, Chicago, IL 60625
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr, Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Alphazeta - 325 W Huron St, Ste 506, Chicago, IL 60654

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d prioritize agencies that can handle both digital accessibility (WCAG/ADA, assistive technology testing) and healthcare-grade UX (patient journeys, complex workflows, compliance-sensitive design). A few strong candidates to contact:

Best-fit Chicago-area agencies to shortlist

• Intechnic Corporation — Strong fit if your portal is a complex healthcare platform. They focus on UX research, UX/UI design, and digital experiences in healthcare, pharma, and life sciences.
• Sandstorm Design — Good option for healthcare organizations needing UX strategy, website/platform improvements, accessibility support, and long-term digital governance.
• Grand Studio — Strong UX/product strategy partner for complex digital services, including research, service design, and enterprise experiences.
• UX 4Sight — More UX-focused; offers UX audits and usability improvements that can pair well with an accessibility remediation effort.
• The Chicago Lighthouse — Consider adding them as an accessibility specialist, especially if you want testing informed by real experiences of blind and visually impaired users. They provide accessibility consulting, audits, WCAG/508 work, and training. The Chicago Lighthouse

Also worth contacting

• Design Science — Best if your portal has clinical workflows, medical-device connections, or high-stakes usability requirements; they specialize in healthcare human factors and usability research.
• Bold Insight — Healthcare UX/human factors research option for deeper patient or clinician usability studies.
• Access Living of Metro Chicago — A disability-led organization that provides accessibility testing and consulting; useful for independent accessibility validation. Access Living

How I’d structure the RFP

Ask each agency for:

1. Accessibility audit scope

• WCAG 2.2 AA evaluation
• keyboard-only testing
• screen reader testing (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver)
• patient portal flows: login, registration, scheduling, forms, payments, messaging
• UX improvement scope

• patient journey mapping
• usability testing with patients/caregivers
• information architecture review
• design system recommendations
• mobile experience review
• Healthcare experience

• HIPAA-aware product work
• experience with EHR integrations or healthcare workflows
• references from health systems, payers, or digital health companies

For a healthcare portal specifically, I’d probably start with Intechnic, Sandstorm, Grand Studio, and The Chicago Lighthouse as the first outreach group because they cover the combination of product UX + accessibility + healthcare context. The Chicago Lighthouse

I can also help you draft a one-page agency outreach brief/RFP if you’re sending this to vendors.

• Consensus Interactive - 135 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02116, United States
• Consensus Interactive - 560 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02118
• Litz Digital - 16 S Hall St, Manchester, NH 03103
• MedTouch - 450 Artisan Way, Ste 3, Somerville, MA 02145
• Inclusive Web - Digital Accessibility Compliance Solution - 368 9th Ave 6th floor, New York, NY 10001, United States
• Iterators LLC - 202 Washington St #305, Brookline, MA 02445, United States
• Mesh Interactive Agency - 815 Elm St #4a, Manchester, NH 03101, United States
• Accessibilities - 8671 Wilshire Blvd #700, Beverly Hills, CA 90211, United States
• Bureau of Internet Accessibility - 5700 Post Rd, East Greenwich, RI 02818, United States
• altr Innovation, Experience Strategy & Design - 200 Portland St, Boston, MA 02114, United States
• Emergo by UL - 300 Baker Ave #200, Concord, MA 01742, United States

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can do both serious accessibility testing and patient-facing UX/product work rather than a generic web-design shop.

My shortlist

• Consensus Interactive — Best overall fit. They specifically work in healthcare/digital health and regulated environments, and offer WCAG/ADA audits, manual testing with screen readers and keyboard navigation, remediation, and digital-experience work. Consensus Interactive

consensusinteractive.com

• Running Start Digital — Best if accessibility is the priority. Their Chicago practice explicitly describes WCAG 2.2 AA audits/remediation for healthcare portals, including Northwestern Memorial, Rush, and Lurie Children's, with manual keyboard and screen-reader testing. Running Start Digital

runningstart.digital

• CommonPlaces — Worth considering for a broader digital transformation engagement. They combine strategy, UX/design, development, and accessibility/compliance work and serve organizations beyond simple marketing-site projects.
• ActiveColor — Particularly interesting if you need healthcare product UX + engineering, not just an audit. They've worked with University of Chicago Medicine and describe product audits, information architecture, wireframing, UX/UI, and healthcare web applications. ActiveColor

activecolor.com

• The Chicago Lighthouse — I'd consider them as an independent accessibility specialist, especially if you want the audit to have strong credibility with users with disabilities. They offer accessibility certification, consulting, audit services, WCAG/508 work, and technology assistance. The Chicago Lighthouse

chicagolighthouse.org

How I'd approach it

For a healthcare portal, I'd actually separate the independent accessibility assessment from the UX redesign if budget allows. That avoids having the same agency effectively grade its own work.

A strong setup would be:

Independent WCAG audit → prioritized remediation backlog → UX research/testing → redesign → implementation → independent verification audit.

When you talk to agencies, ask specifically whether they'll test real portal workflows—login, appointment scheduling, forms, lab results, medication information, error states, mobile, keyboard-only navigation, and screen readers—not merely run an automated scanner. Automated tools catch only a portion of accessibility problems. AccessiHealth

If you want, I can also put together a 5–7 agency Chicago RFP shortlist with contact info, healthcare clients/case studies, accessibility credentials, and a recommended outreach email.

• Intechnic Corporation - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Mightybytes - 4001 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste 404, Chicago, IL 60613
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Digital Authority Partners - 420 W Huron, Fl 1, Chicago, IL 60654
• EVE - User Experience Design Agency - 7135 N Merrimac Ave, Chicago, IL 60646, United States
• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• Garenne Bigby - 200 E Randolph Dr, Ste 5100, Chicago, IL 60601
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr, Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Pathfinder Development - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza Ste 1230, Chicago, IL 60610, United States
• Karim McCall Creative - Evanston, IL 60202, United States
• Design Science - 909 Davis St, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• EDUCO Web Design - 128 Chicago Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can handle both deep accessibility testing and patient-facing UX, rather than hiring a generic web agency.

My shortlist

• Intechnic Corporation — Probably my first call for a complex healthcare portal. They specialize in UX research/design and digital experience optimization, with a strong healthcare, pharma, and life-sciences focus. Good fit if you need to rethink workflows, information architecture, and usability—not just fix WCAG issues.
• Mightybytes — Strong Chicago option for accessibility + UX + implementation. They emphasize WCAG 2.2 AA, accessibility audits/remediation, and work with mission-driven organizations. Good if you want the same partner to audit and help implement fixes.
• UX 4Sight — Worth contacting if the main problem is patient usability. They offer UX audits, usability testing, accessibility analysis, and healthcare web design. UX4Sight
• Sandstorm Design — A particularly interesting choice if this is a larger redesign involving CMS/platform work, UX research, accessibility, and ongoing governance. Their Chicago practice specifically positions itself around healthcare and other complex organizations.
• Digital Authority Partners — Chicago-based and explicitly lists healthcare plus UX/product design and ADA/accessibility work. A reasonable option if you want a broader digital/product agency. Web Tonic

I'd also consider a specialist accessibility partner

Access Living is especially interesting for an accessibility audit. Its web-accessibility practice combines automated testing with manual evaluation and real-world usability barriers, and it has worked with organizations including the University of Chicago and HUD. Access Living

Likewise, The Chicago Lighthouse offers accessibility consulting, audit services, WCAG/Section 508 consulting, and accessibility certification. Its DAX consulting work incorporates firsthand experience from people who are blind or visually impaired. The Chicago Lighthouse

Who I'd contact first

I'd send RFPs to Intechnic, Mightybytes, Sandstorm, and Access Living. That gives you a useful mix:

1. Intechnic — strongest healthcare/complex-product UX candidate.
2. Mightybytes — strongest combined UX/accessibility implementation candidate.
3. Sandstorm — strong larger-scale digital experience/redesign candidate.
4. Access Living — independent accessibility/user testing perspective.

For a healthcare portal, I'd specifically require the RFP to include WCAG 2.2 AA manual testing, keyboard and screen-reader testing, usability testing with disabled users, patient journey analysis, accessibility of forms/error states, mobile/responsive accessibility, and post-remediation verification. Automated scans alone aren't enough; manual testing catches barriers those tools miss. Access Living Consensus Interactive

If you tell me roughly how large the portal is (pages/users), whether it handles PHI, and whether you want audit-only or audit + redesign + implementation, I can narrow this to the best 3 agencies and give you their contact details and a suggested RFP shortlist.

• Intechnic Corporation - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Design Science - 909 Davis St, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Grand Studio - 444 N Wells St #501, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• Pathfinder Development - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza Ste 1230, Chicago, IL 60610, United States
• Redenbaugh Design - 2208 W Winona, Ste 1, Chicago, IL 60625
• UX Healthcare - 25 Moorgate, London EC2R 6AY, United Kingdom
• Agency 39A - 10000 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232, United States
• Bold Insight - 2001 Butterfield Rd #360, Downers Grove, IL 60515, United States
• Highland - 125 S Clark St Ste 670, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design - 1220 S Wood St 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr, Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606
• Digital Accessibility by WeCo - 2730 W Lake St Ste 300, Minneapolis, MN 55416, United States
• LCM Architects - 200 N LaSalle St #2700, Chicago, IL 60601, United States

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can combine manual accessibility testing + healthcare UX/product work, rather than hiring a generic web-design shop.

My shortlist

• Intechnic Corporation — Best overall fit. Chicago-based and specifically experienced with UX research/design for healthcare, pharma and life sciences. Good choice if you want the audit to feed directly into a broader portal UX redesign.
• Sandstorm Design — Strong Chicago option for UX + accessibility. They work with healthcare organizations and describe an audit → development → retest approach, which is useful if you want one partner through remediation. The Chicago Lighthouse
• Design Science — Best if the portal involves complex clinical workflows. They're a Chicago-area human-factors/usability firm focused heavily on healthcare and medical technology, with usability-testing capabilities.
• UX 4Sight — Good UX-audit choice. Their work includes usability, accessibility and end-to-end experience audits, so they're worth considering if the primary goal is identifying patient friction and improving the existing portal.
• Grand Studio — Good for deeper product strategy/research. Particularly interesting if you're not just fixing UI issues but reconsidering patient journeys, information architecture and workflows.

One specialist I'd also contact

Rowe Intermedia is Chicago-based and has a particularly relevant combination of digital accessibility/remediation and healthcare-sector work. I'd consider them if accessibility is the dominant requirement rather than a secondary UX concern.

The Chicago Lighthouse is another strong accessibility resource: it offers accessibility consulting, certification, audit services, WCAG/508 compliance and technology assistance, with more than 15 years of relevant experience. The Chicago Lighthouse

How I'd approach the RFP

I'd send the same brief to Intechnic, Sandstorm, Design Science, and Rowe Intermedia and ask them to demonstrate:

1. Manual WCAG 2.2 AA testing, not just an automated scan.
2. Testing with NVDA/JAWS/VoiceOver, keyboard-only navigation, zoom/reflow and mobile assistive tech.
3. Accessibility testing of the actual patient workflows: registration, login, appointment scheduling, forms, messaging, records/results, payments, etc.
4. Usability research with patients, including people with disabilities—not merely heuristic review.
5. A prioritized remediation backlog mapped to WCAG criteria, severity, user impact and development effort.
6. UX recommendations that go beyond compliance: navigation, information architecture, content clarity, forms, error recovery and cognitive load.
7. Post-remediation retesting and regression testing.
8. Healthcare-specific privacy/security experience and willingness to execute appropriate contractual protections where patient data is involved.

I'd be wary of an agency whose proposal is essentially "run an accessibility scanner and give you a PDF." Automated tools miss many of the problems that matter most in a patient portal; manual keyboard and screen-reader testing is important. AccessiHealth Accessibilities

If you want one first call, I'd start with Intechnic. They look closest to the intersection of Chicago + healthcare + complex digital-product UX. For an independent accessibility-heavy second opinion, I'd add Rowe Intermedia or the Chicago Lighthouse.

intechnic.com · sandstormdesign.com · chicagolighthouse.org

• Intechnic Corporation - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Mightybytes - 4001 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste 404, Chicago, IL 60613
• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• Digital Authority Partners - 420 W Huron, Fl 1, Chicago, IL 60654
• Accessibilities - 8671 Wilshire Blvd #700, Beverly Hills, CA 90211, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• VERSIONS - 10 S LaSalle St Ste 201, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr, Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606
• Redenbaugh Design - 2208 W Winona, Ste 1, Chicago, IL 60625
• One North, A TEKsystems Company - 227 W Monroe St #3500, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Agency 39A - 10000 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232, United States
• TXI - 10 S Riverside Plaza Ste 875 - #7670, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• LCM Architects - 200 N LaSalle St #2700, Chicago, IL 60601, United States

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d prioritize firms that can combine manual WCAG testing + UX research/usability + healthcare experience, rather than hiring a generic “ADA compliance” shop.

My shortlist

• Intechnic Corporation — probably my first call. Chicago-based, with a strong focus on UX research/UI and complex digital products, particularly healthcare, pharma, and life sciences. This looks especially appropriate if the portal needs substantial UX improvement alongside the accessibility audit.
• Sandstorm Design — Strong Chicago UX/digital-experience option. They specifically position accessibility alongside UX and have healthcare experience. Good candidate if you want audit → redesign → implementation rather than a compliance report alone.
• UX 4Sight — Worth contacting if the biggest problem is patient usability and journey friction. Their UX audits include usability, accessibility, visual design, and end-to-end experience evaluation.
• Mightybytes — Chicago-based and particularly oriented toward mission-driven organizations, with accessibility integrated into digital product work. I'd consider them for a more holistic redesign.
• Rowe Intermedia — Interesting option specifically because its work combines healthcare digital/marketing work with accessibility and remediation.
• Digital Authority Partners — Chicago-based digital/product agency that publicly lists healthcare among its clientele and offers UX, product design, and accessibility-oriented work. A reasonable additional bid.

I'd also consider a specialist audit firm

Accessibilities isn't Chicago-based, but its healthcare offering is much more specialized around manual accessibility inspection, assistive-technology testing, remediation, and documentation. Its healthcare page specifically describes manual WCAG testing and developer-ready remediation guidance. Accessibilities

Likewise, chicagolighthouse.org are worth considering if you want particularly strong involvement from people with firsthand experience of blindness/visual impairment; it offers accessibility consulting, audits, certification, WCAG/508 compliance and technology assistance. The Chicago Lighthouse

What I'd ask them for

For the RFP/intro call, I'd explicitly require:

1. WCAG 2.2 AA audit, including the actual patient portal—not just the public website.
2. Manual keyboard + screen-reader testing (NVDA/JAWS/VoiceOver), not an automated scanner report. Manual testing is important because automated tools don't catch many interaction and usability failures. Americaneagle.com DigitalA11Y
3. Testing of critical healthcare flows: login/MFA, appointment scheduling, forms, messaging, prescriptions, lab results, billing, telehealth and error states.
4. UX research/usability testing with actual patients, including people who use assistive technology.
5. A prioritized backlog mapping findings to WCAG criterion → severity → user impact → recommended fix.
6. Design-system/component recommendations so you fix recurring problems once rather than page-by-page.
7. Remediation and independent retesting, with accessibility regression testing built into future releases.
8. Healthcare/privacy experience and a clear approach to handling any patient data encountered during research.

If I were narrowing this to three initial calls, I'd start with Intechnic, Sandstorm Design, and UX 4Sight, then use a specialist accessibility auditor such as Accessibilities or Chicago Lighthouse as a benchmark for the audit methodology.

If you tell me rough portal size (number of key flows/screens), whether it's web/mobile, and whether you're looking for audit-only vs. audit + redesign + implementation, I can narrow this to the best 3 and pull together their contact details and relevant healthcare case studies.

• Intechnic Corporation - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Design Science - 909 Davis St, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• Bounteous - 4115 N Ravenswood Ave #101, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr, Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606
• Agency 39A - 10000 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232, United States
• Inclusive Web - Digital Accessibility Compliance Solution - 368 9th Ave 6th floor, New York, NY 10001, United States
• Accessible360 - 4600 W 77th St #295, Edina, MN 55435, United States
• Digital Authority Partners - 420 W Huron, Fl 1, Chicago, IL 60654
• Digital Accessibility by WeCo - 2730 W Lake St Ste 300, Minneapolis, MN 55416, United States
• Alphazeta - 325 W Huron St, Ste 506, Chicago, IL 60654
• WeCo Accessibility Services - 300 1/2 S Main St, Stillwater, MN 55082

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can handle both WCAG/accessibility rigor and actual patient UX, rather than hiring a generic web-design shop.

My shortlist

• Intechnic Corporation — Best overall fit. Chicago-based and particularly strong in healthcare, pharma, and life sciences. Their core strength is UX research/design for complex digital products, which makes them a strong candidate if the portal has complicated patient workflows.
• Sandstorm Design — Best Chicago-local option for UX + accessibility. They work with healthcare organizations and combine UX, digital strategy, accessibility, and development. Their Chicago accessibility work specifically references healthcare portals. Running Start Digital
• Design Science — Best for serious healthcare usability research. They're in the Chicago area and specialize in human factors/usability for healthcare and medical technology. I'd consider them if you want rigorous patient/user research in addition to the audit.
• Bounteous — Best for a larger enterprise engagement. Chicago-based, with UX/service design, digital transformation, and healthcare experience. Better suited if the portal expansion involves substantial redesign, integration, or ongoing digital optimization.
• Access Living — An interesting accessibility-specialist complement rather than a conventional UX agency. Their Chicago team combines automated and manual testing and specifically emphasizes real-world usability for people with disabilities. Access Living

If I were running the RFP

I'd contact Intechnic, Sandstorm, and Access Living first.

That gives you three different perspectives:

1. Intechnic: healthcare UX/product expertise.
2. Sandstorm: Chicago-based UX + accessibility + implementation.
3. Access Living: independent disability/accessibility expertise and real-user testing.

For a healthcare portal, I'd make manual testing with screen readers, keyboard-only users, mobile accessibility, forms/errors, authentication, appointment workflows, and patient-facing content mandatory in the scope. Automated WCAG scans alone aren't enough; manual testing is specifically important for finding usability barriers that scanners miss. Access Living Accessibilities

I'd also ask every bidder for 2–3 healthcare portal references, their WCAG 2.2 AA methodology, examples of findings reports, and whether they can re-test after remediation.

If you tell me roughly who operates the portal (hospital/system, health plan, startup, etc.), its technology stack, and whether you need audit-only or audit + redesign + implementation, I can narrow this to the best 3 agencies and give you the contact routes and an RFP scorecard.

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can do more than an automated WCAG scan—ideally manual accessibility testing + patient-journey UX research + remediation/design support.

My shortlist

1. Intechnic Corporation — Best overall fit
   • Chicago-based and specifically experienced in healthcare, pharma, and life sciences.
   • Strong UX research/design capability for complex, high-stakes digital experiences.
   • Good choice if you want the same partner to identify accessibility problems and rethink the portal experience.

2. Sandstorm Design — Strong Chicago UX/accessibility option
   • Chicago digital experience/UX agency with healthcare clients.
   • Particularly attractive if the portal also needs information architecture, design-system, content, and accessibility improvements.

3. Mightybytes — Good accessibility + digital product partner
   • Chicago-based and focused on mission-driven organizations, with accessibility integrated into digital product work.
   • Worth considering if accessibility, usability, and sustainable long-term maintenance are all priorities.

4. Rowe Intermedia — Accessibility-heavy healthcare option
   • Chicago-based consultancy with an explicit focus on digital accessibility/remediation and healthcare.
   • I'd put them on the RFP list if the audit/compliance side is more important than broad UX transformation.

5. UX 4Sight — UX-first option
   • Chicago UX agency offering usability and accessibility audits.
   • A good candidate if the portal's biggest problems are confusing workflows, navigation, forms, or patient usability.

I'd also talk to these accessibility specialists

Accessibilities isn't Chicago-based, but their healthcare practice emphasizes manual WCAG testing, disabled-user testing, remediation, and developer-ready findings. accessibilities.co

The Chicago Lighthouse is particularly interesting because it's a Chicago organization with substantial accessibility expertise, including accessibility consulting, audits, WCAG/508 compliance, and technology services. chicagolighthouse.org

Who I'd contact first

For your specific situation, I'd start with Intechnic, Sandstorm, and The Chicago Lighthouse, then use Accessibilities as an independent accessibility-specialist benchmark.

One important procurement point: don't ask vendors merely for an “ADA audit.” Ask for a proposal covering WCAG 2.2 AA manual testing, keyboard + screen-reader testing, real patient workflows (login, scheduling, messaging, results, forms), usability research, prioritized remediation, and post-fix verification. Automated scans alone won't uncover many of the problems that matter to patients. www.accessliving.org

If you want, I can also compare 5–7 agencies by healthcare experience, accessibility depth, UX capabilities, Chicago presence, and likely fit for a large portal, and give you a recommended RFP shortlist.

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can do more than an automated WCAG scan—ideally manual accessibility testing + healthcare UX research + remediation/design.

My first calls

1. Sandstorm Design — Probably the strongest Chicago-local all-around fit. They combine UX strategy, inclusive design, accessibility audits/remediation, and enterprise web work. Their positioning also includes healthcare.

2. UX 4Sight — A good choice if the bigger problem is portal usability and patient experience rather than compliance alone. They explicitly offer UX audits covering usability, accessibility, visual design, and end-to-end experience, and are Chicago-based. ux4sight.com

3. Grand Studio — Worth contacting for a larger product/UX transformation. They specialize in human-centered research, UX/UI, service design and complex enterprise problems, with healthcare experience in their portfolio.

4. Rowe Intermedia — Interesting Chicago option if you want stronger accessibility/compliance expertise alongside healthcare digital work. Their services include accessibility audits/remediation and healthcare-focused digital consulting.

5. Bold Insight — Especially interesting if you need serious user research/human factors, including healthcare and medical-product experience, rather than simply a website redesign.

If accessibility is the primary concern

I'd also talk to The Chicago Lighthouse. It's not a conventional UX agency, but its accessibility practice provides accessibility consulting, audits, WCAG/508 compliance work, training, and technology assistance, with substantial accessibility experience. chicagolighthouse.org

The Chicago Lighthouse accessibility services

For a healthcare portal, I would not select an agency based on an automated “accessibility score.” Ask each finalist to demonstrate manual keyboard and screen-reader testing, testing of real patient workflows (registration, appointment scheduling, messaging, results, forms, etc.), and how they involve users with disabilities. Manual testing catches barriers that automated scanners miss. accessihealth.com

My recommendation: send an RFP to Sandstorm, UX 4Sight, and Grand Studio, and use Chicago Lighthouse as the accessibility-specialist benchmark. That gives you three different strengths to compare rather than getting three essentially identical proposals.

If you tell me rough portal size/users, whether it's a hospital/health system or health-tech company, and whether you need the agency to actually implement the UX fixes, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 and pull together contact information and relevant healthcare case studies.

• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Intechnic Corporation - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Design Science - 909 Davis St, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• Rowe Intermedia - Chicago, IL 60641
• Pathfinder Development - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza Ste 1230, Chicago, IL 60610, United States
• Alphazeta - 325 W Huron St, Ste 506, Chicago, IL 60654
• UX Healthcare - 211 E 43rd St 7th Floor, New York, NY 10017, United States
• Fuzzy Math - 811 W Evergreen Ave #305, Chicago, IL 60642, United States
• Clique Studios - 20 N Wacker Dr, Ste 1075, Chicago, IL 60606
• LCM Architects - 200 N LaSalle St #2700, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
• WeCo Accessibility Services - 300 1/2 S Main St, Stillwater, MN 55082
• Sage Health Strategy - 318 W Adams St Ste 1300D, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• EVE - User Experience Design Agency - 7135 N Merrimac Ave, Chicago, IL 60646, United States

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can do both serious manual accessibility testing and patient-centered UX work, rather than hiring a generic web-design shop.

My top contacts

• Sandstorm Design — Best overall Chicago fit. They’re local, UX-focused, and explicitly work in inclusive design/accessibility, with healthcare among their client sectors. Their accessibility work includes audits, remediation support, and training.

Running Start Digital- Intechnic Corporation — Best for a complex portal/product UX overhaul. Chicago-based and particularly experienced with healthcare, pharma and life sciences. Their strength is UX research, information architecture and product/interface design; I’d confirm the depth of their independent WCAG audit capability during the RFP.

• UX 4Sight — Good UX-audit option. Chicago-based and specifically offers UX audits encompassing usability and accessibility, making them worth considering if the biggest issue is patient friction and workflow rather than just technical compliance.
• The Chicago Lighthouse — Best accessibility specialist to involve in the audit. They provide accessibility consulting, certification, audit services and WCAG/508 compliance work, with a strong emphasis on usability for people with disabilities. They may be particularly valuable as an independent accessibility partner even if you use a separate agency for the UX redesign. The Chicago Lighthouse
• Access Living — Another strong accessibility-focused option. Their web-accessibility testing combines automated testing with manual evaluation and explicitly targets WCAG 2.2 AA, including real-world usability barriers. They have worked with organizations including the University of Chicago. Access Living
• Design Science — Particularly interesting if your portal has complicated healthcare workflows. They're a Chicago-area human-factors/usability firm specializing in healthcare and medical technology. I'd consider them for workflow research and usability testing alongside an accessibility specialist.

If I were running the RFP

I'd invite Sandstorm, Intechnic, and one accessibility-first firm (Chicago Lighthouse or Access Living) to bid. That gives you three different strengths: integrated UX/accessibility, deep healthcare product UX, and genuinely independent accessibility expertise.

For the scope, I'd require the winner to test actual patient journeys, not just run an automated scanner: login/account recovery, appointment scheduling, forms, messaging, results/documents, keyboard navigation, screen readers, zoom/text resizing, mobile accessibility, and cognitive/usability friction. Manual testing matters because automated tools don't catch many real accessibility barriers. Access Living Accessibilities

One other option worth a look is Consensus Interactive, which explicitly combines healthcare digital work with WCAG/ADA audits, manual assistive-technology testing, remediation, and HIPAA-oriented platform development. Consensus Interactive

If you tell me roughly how large the portal is, whether it's Epic/MyChart or custom, and your budget range, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and give you the exact person/contact page to approach at each one.

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d prioritize agencies that can handle manual WCAG testing + healthcare UX research, rather than a generic web-design shop. A good shortlist:

1. Sandstorm Design — Probably my first Chicago call. They combine UX strategy, inclusive design, accessibility audits/remediation and training, and have healthcare experience. consensusinteractive.com

Sandstorm Design

2. Mightybytes — Strong option if you want accessibility integrated into the broader redesign rather than treated as a compliance-only audit. They're Chicago-based and explicitly work to WCAG 2.2 AA.

Mightybytes

3. UX 4Sight — Worth contacting if the biggest problem is portal usability. Their Chicago practice offers UX audits covering usability and accessibility, including healthcare-related work.

4. Design Science — Especially interesting if your portal has complicated clinical workflows. They're in Evanston and specialize in healthcare human factors and usability testing, with Chicago-area usability labs.

5. Fuzzy Math — A good UX-heavy alternative for information architecture, research, interaction design and simplifying complex digital products.

I'd structure the RFP around these requirements

Don't ask merely for an "ADA audit." Ask for:

• WCAG 2.2 AA manual audit of the actual patient workflows
• Keyboard-only, screen-reader and zoom testing
• Testing of login, registration, appointment scheduling, messaging, forms, results and billing
• Usability research with patients, including people with disabilities
• Heuristic/UX assessment and journey mapping
• Prioritized findings tied to WCAG success criteria
• Developer-ready remediation recommendations
• Design-system/component accessibility review
• Re-testing after fixes
• Accessibility governance/training so the next portal release doesn't regress

That's important because automated scanners catch only part of accessibility problems; manual keyboard and assistive-technology testing is needed for the interactive portal experience. runningstart.digital

My starting three: Sandstorm for the strongest overall Chicago fit, Mightybytes for accessibility + digital implementation, and Design Science if the portal has particularly complex healthcare workflows.

If you tell me which health system/portal technology you're using (e.g. Epic/MyChart, custom portal, Salesforce, etc.) and roughly the portal's size, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and compare their healthcare/accessibility credentials and likely fit.

Yes. For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can do both serious accessibility testing and patient-facing UX, rather than hiring a generic web-design shop.

My shortlist

1. Sandstorm Design — probably my first Chicago call. They combine UX-driven strategy, inclusive design, accessibility audits/remediation and enterprise web work, with healthcare among their stated sectors. This is a particularly good fit if you want the audit to feed directly into a broader portal redesign. consensusinteractive.com

2. Intechnic Corporation — strong choice if the portal is complex, integrated with clinical/healthcare systems, or has multiple user groups. They're Chicago-based and specialize in UX research/design for healthcare, pharma and life sciences. digitalscientists.com

3. Clique Studios — a good option if you want a larger digital agency that can take findings through UX, design, engineering and implementation. Their Chicago practice specifically lists UX research, usability testing and accessibility design.

4. UX 4Sight — worth considering for a more focused UX engagement. Their Chicago practice offers UX audits including usability and accessibility, which could work well for an initial portal assessment.

5. TXI — another strong product-design option if you're contemplating substantial changes to workflows rather than simply fixing accessibility defects. Their approach includes user research, usability testing and accessibility-oriented product design.

I'd also get one accessibility-specialist quote

For a healthcare portal, I'd consider benchmarking the UX agencies against a specialist such as Accessibilities. They emphasize manual WCAG testing, remediation and testing with people with disabilities—not just automated scanners. Their healthcare practice specifically covers portals and healthcare websites. accessibilities.co

Deque is another strong specialist to consider if you want a particularly rigorous accessibility assessment; it offers manual assessments/validation, mobile testing, developer support and accessibility-program services for healthcare. www.deque.com

What I'd put in the RFP

Ask each firm to price a first phase covering:

• WCAG 2.2 AA manual audit of the actual patient portal workflows
• Keyboard-only + screen-reader testing (JAWS/NVDA/VoiceOver)
• Testing with people with disabilities, not just automated axe/WAVE scans
• Patient usability research and task-based testing
• Accessibility + UX assessment of registration/login, appointment scheduling, forms, messaging, records/results and billing
• Prioritized remediation backlog with severity, affected users, WCAG criterion and developer/design recommendations
• Prototype/redesign of the highest-friction workflows
• Re-test after remediation

I'd specifically avoid vendors whose primary solution is an accessibility overlay; automated tools are useful for finding some problems, but they don't substitute for manual and user testing. accessihealth.com

If I were narrowing this to three calls: Sandstorm for the best Chicago UX/accessibility blend, Intechnic for complex healthcare UX, and Deque or Accessibilities as the independent accessibility benchmark.

If you tell me roughly portal size, patient population, whether it's Epic/MyChart or custom, and your budget range, I can narrow this to 3–5 agencies and compare them on healthcare experience, accessibility credentials, likely fit, and contact details.

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can handle both WCAG accessibility testing and patient-facing UX, rather than hiring a pure creative agency.

My top contacts

1. Sandstorm Design — probably my first call. Chicago-based, with a strong combination of UX strategy, inclusive design/accessibility, and healthcare experience. Their accessibility work includes audits, remediation support, and training. chicagolighthouse.org

Sandstorm Design

2. Intechnic Corporation — particularly compelling if this is a complex patient portal rather than a simple healthcare website. They're Chicago-based and specialize in UX for healthcare, pharma, and other complex digital products.

Intechnic

3. UX 4Sight — a good fit if the emphasis is UX research/usability + accessibility. They explicitly offer UX audits, usability testing and healthcare UX, and are located in Chicago. ux4sight.com

UX 4Sight

4. Mightybytes — worth considering if you want an agency that treats accessibility as part of the product-development process rather than a one-time compliance exercise. Their Chicago team emphasizes WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility.

Mightybytes

5. Clique Studios — broader digital-transformation capability, including UX research, usability testing, accessibility design and healthcare work. Good candidate if the portal needs substantial redesign as well as an audit.

Clique Studios

One specialist I'd also bring into the process

The Chicago Lighthouse isn't a conventional UX agency, but its accessibility practice is particularly relevant. It offers accessibility consulting, certification, audit services, WCAG/508 compliance and technology assistance, with extensive experience testing digital experiences for people with disabilities. chicagolighthouse.org

My recommendation: send the same RFP to Sandstorm, Intechnic, UX 4Sight, and Chicago Lighthouse. That gives you a useful mix of healthcare UX + product design + independent accessibility expertise.

For the RFP, I'd specifically require manual WCAG 2.2 AA testing, keyboard testing, screen-reader testing, testing with disabled users where possible, patient-journey usability research, prioritized remediation tickets, and post-remediation verification. Automated scans alone aren't enough; manual testing is explicitly part of the stronger healthcare accessibility practices described by Chicago Lighthouse and Access Living. chicagolighthouse.org

If you tell me roughly portal size/users, whether it's Epic/MyChart or custom, and your budget range, I can narrow this to the best 2–3 agencies and compare them on healthcare experience, accessibility depth, UX capability, and likely fit.

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can do both hands-on WCAG testing and actual UX/product improvement, rather than hiring a generic web-design shop.

My top 4 to contact

1. Sandstorm Design — probably my first call. Chicago-based, with experience in healthcare/medical organizations, UX-driven digital strategy, inclusive design, accessibility audits, remediation, and training. This is the strongest overall fit if you want accessibility and UX handled as one engagement.

2. Mightybytes — good choice if you want a technically strong accessibility partner that can work alongside your existing product/development team. They emphasize WCAG 2.2 AA, accessibility audits/remediation, and sustainable digital practices.

3. Intechnic Corporation — particularly worth talking to if the portal is complex (multiple user types, lots of workflows, integrations, healthcare/pharma stakeholders). They're Chicago-based and specialize in UX research/design for healthcare and life sciences.

4. UX 4Sight — a more UX-centric option. Their services include UX audits covering usability, accessibility, visual design and end-to-end experience, so they're worth considering if the primary goal is making the portal substantially easier to use.

I'd also consider a specialist accessibility audit

If accessibility/compliance is especially high-risk, I'd consider bringing in an independent specialist rather than asking the UX agency to grade its own work. The Chicago Lighthouse has extensive accessibility consulting, audit, training and WCAG/508 services, including technology work informed by people with visual disabilities. chicagolighthouse.org

For a healthcare portal specifically, Accessible.org is another strong specialist benchmark: its healthcare audits cover patient portals, appointment scheduling, telehealth, billing and mobile apps, with manual screen-reader, keyboard, zoom and code testing—not just automated scans. accessible.orgrunningstart.digital

What I'd put in the RFP

Ask every bidder to demonstrate:

• WCAG 2.2 AA manual audit, not just an automated scan
• Keyboard + NVDA/JAWS/VoiceOver testing
• Testing of login, appointment scheduling, forms, results, messaging, payments and provider search
• Usability testing with people with disabilities
• UX research and journey mapping alongside the accessibility audit
• A prioritized remediation backlog with severity, WCAG criterion, affected workflow and developer-ready fix
• Redesign/prototyping of the highest-friction workflows
• Post-remediation accessibility testing
• Experience handling PHI/HIPAA and your security requirements

I'd also explicitly ask them to avoid accessibility overlays as the primary solution; a real audit should evaluate and fix the underlying interface. Healthcare accessibility specialists emphasize that automated scans alone miss substantial usability/accessibility problems. accessible.orgrunningstart.digital

If you want one agency to own the whole thing, I'd start conversations with Sandstorm, Mightybytes, and Intechnic. If compliance risk is particularly sensitive, I'd pair the eventual UX agency with an independent accessibility audit from Chicago Lighthouse or another specialist.

I can also narrow this to 5 agencies with healthcare-client examples, approximate project size/pricing, and direct contact links if you're preparing an RFP.

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can handle both WCAG accessibility testing and actual patient-journey/UX improvement, rather than hiring a generic web-design shop.

My top contacts

1. Sandstorm Design — best overall Chicago fit
   • Chicago-based and explicitly focused on UX-driven strategy, inclusive design, accessibility audits/remediation, and enterprise web work.
   • Particularly interesting if your portal has lots of stakeholders, content, governance, or an existing design system.
   • I’d make them one of the first firms you invite to pitch.

2. Intechnic Corporation — best for complex healthcare UX
   • Chicago-based UX consultancy with a strong healthcare/pharma/life-sciences orientation.
   • A good candidate if the project is more than an accessibility cleanup and you need information architecture, research, workflow redesign, and UX strategy.
   • Their downtown office is at 20 N. Wacker.

3. UX 4Sight — best smaller UX-focused option
   • Chicago firm offering UX audits, usability, accessibility analysis, and healthcare-oriented digital design.
   • Their healthcare work specifically includes patient portals and healthcare applications. ux4sight.com
   • Worth considering if you want a more hands-on UX partner rather than a large agency.

4. Fuzzy Math — strong UX/research candidate
   • Chicago UX strategy/design consultancy that specializes in making complex digital products easier to use.
   • I'd consider them particularly for patient research, workflow analysis, information architecture, and redesign, while making sure their accessibility audit methodology meets your requirements.

5. Rowe Intermedia — accessibility + healthcare niche
   • Chicago-based and specifically associated with digital accessibility/remediation and healthcare digital work.
   • Potentially a good specialist partner if accessibility is the dominant requirement.

One specialist I would also talk to

The Chicago Lighthouse isn't a conventional UX agency, but I'd strongly consider them for the independent accessibility-testing component. Their accessibility practice offers certification, consulting, audits, WCAG/Section 508 work, and technology assistance, with an emphasis on usability for people with disabilities. chicagolighthouse.org

Likewise, Access Living provides web accessibility testing combining automated testing with manual evaluation and explicitly tests to WCAG 2.2 AA. www.accessliving.org

How I'd structure the RFP

I'd ask each firm to quote the same four phases:

1. Accessibility audit

• WCAG 2.2 AA
• automated + manual testing
• keyboard-only
• NVDA/JAWS/VoiceOver
• actual patient workflows, not just public pages
• testing with people with disabilities if possible

2. UX research

• patient/user interviews
• task-based usability testing
• appointment scheduling
• registration/login
• forms and intake
• finding test results/records
• messaging
• mobile experience

3. Prioritized redesign

• journey maps
• information architecture
• wireframes/prototypes
• design-system recommendations
• accessibility built into components rather than bolted on afterward

4. Remediation + validation

• developer-ready fixes
• design/code review
• regression testing
• post-remediation WCAG audit
• accessibility governance/training

That's important because an automated accessibility score alone won't tell you whether a patient using a screen reader can actually find a doctor, complete an intake form, or schedule an appointment. Access Living explicitly distinguishes automated checks from manual evaluation of real-world usability barriers. www.accessliving.org

If I were issuing the first three invitations: Sandstorm Design, Intechnic, and UX 4Sight. I'd potentially pair the winning UX agency with Chicago Lighthouse or Access Living for independent accessibility validation.

I can also put together a 5–7 agency Chicago RFP shortlist with contact links, healthcare experience, accessibility credentials, estimated agency size, and what to ask each in the pitch.

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can handle both manual accessibility testing and patient-facing UX, rather than hiring a pure compliance scanner.

My shortlist

1. Sandstorm Design — probably my first call. Chicago-based, with UX-driven digital strategy, inclusive design/accessibility, and experience across healthcare. Their accessibility work includes audits, remediation support, and training. www.mightybytes.com

Best for: a full UX + accessibility engagement with a local team.

2. UX 4Sight — Chicago UX/UI consultancy explicitly offering UX audits, including usability and accessibility, and healthcare digital-product work. ux4sight.com

Best for: improving the actual patient journey, information architecture, and usability alongside accessibility.

3. Grand Studio — Chicago product/design consultancy with healthcare experience and a strong complex-workflow/product-design orientation.

Best for: a larger portal redesign where research, service design, UX and product strategy are as important as WCAG remediation.

4. Highland — Chicago digital-product consultancy offering UX research, service design, experience mapping and UI/UX work, including healthcare.

Best for: understanding where patients get stuck and redesigning end-to-end workflows.

5. The Chicago Lighthouse — not a conventional UX agency, but I'd seriously consider them as the accessibility specialist in the process. They offer accessibility consulting, audits, WCAG/508 compliance and technology assistance, with more than 15 years of experience. chicagolighthouse.org

Best for: an independent accessibility audit or accessibility expertise alongside a UX agency.

One important procurement point

For a healthcare portal, I'd require the winning vendor to do manual WCAG 2.2 AA testing, not just an automated scan. Specifically ask them to test:

• Screen readers (NVDA/JAWS/VoiceOver)
• Keyboard-only navigation
• Appointment scheduling and intake flows
• Login/password-reset flows
• Forms, validation and error recovery
• Modal/dialog and focus behavior
• Mobile/responsive experiences
• PDFs and patient documents, if applicable
• Testing with people who actually use assistive technology

A good audit should produce a severity-prioritized remediation backlog tied to WCAG success criteria, followed by retesting after fixes. Chicago's Access Living, for example, explicitly combines automated testing with manual evaluation and real-world usability considerations. www.accessliving.org

If I were sending out three initial RFPs, I'd start with Sandstorm, UX 4Sight, and the Chicago Lighthouse—with the Lighthouse potentially serving as the independent accessibility evaluator while the agency handles UX/design remediation.

I can also put together a Chicago-focused RFP/vendor scorecard with recommended questions, deliverables, and criteria for comparing these agencies.

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can do both serious WCAG accessibility testing and patient-facing UX work, rather than hiring a generic web-design shop.

My shortlist

1. Sandstorm Design — Chicago
   • Probably my first call for a combined UX + accessibility engagement.
   • Chicago-based and focused on UX-driven strategy, inclusive design, and enterprise web work; its accessibility capabilities include audits, remediation support, and training.
   • Good fit if you need to improve the portal experience and establish accessibility practices that survive future releases.

2. Intechnic Corporation — Chicago
   • Strong candidate if the portal is technically complex.
   • Their Chicago practice focuses on UX research/design and digital experience optimization, with substantial healthcare, pharma, and life-sciences positioning.
   • I'd ask specifically whether their proposed accessibility work includes manual WCAG testing, not just UX heuristics and automated scans.

3. UX 4Sight — Chicago
   • Worth contacting if the primary problem is usability and patient journey friction.
   • Their services include UX audits covering usability, accessibility, visual design, and the end-to-end experience.

4. Rowe Intermedia — Chicago
   • Particularly interesting for a healthcare organization because its work spans healthcare digital assets and accessibility remediation.
   • I'd consider them if your scope includes documents/PDFs and content accessibility in addition to the portal.

5. Design Science — Evanston/Chicago area
   • This is the specialist I'd consider if the portal has complicated clinical workflows, patient/provider interactions, or usability/safety concerns.
   • They're a healthcare human-factors and usability firm rather than simply a web agency, which can be valuable for a healthcare portal.

Also worth considering for the accessibility side

Access Design Studio is a strong specialist option if you want an accessibility-led engagement. Its approach includes manual auditing and testing with people with disabilities, rather than relying solely on automated scanners.

The Chicago Lighthouse is another particularly credible local option for an independent accessibility audit. It offers accessibility consulting, audits, WCAG/508 compliance work, and training, with more than 15 years of relevant experience. chicagolighthouse.org

For comparison, Mightybytes is a Chicago agency that explicitly combines experience design with accessibility and says its deliverables comply with WCAG 2.2 AA by default. www.mightybytes.com

How I'd structure the RFP

I'd ask each agency to quote a two-stage engagement:

Stage 1 — independent audit + UX research

• WCAG 2.2 AA automated and manual audit
• Keyboard-only and screen-reader testing
• Testing with actual disabled users
• Patient journey/usability research
• Accessibility of authentication, forms, scheduling, messaging, medical records, error states, etc.
• Prioritized findings by patient impact, accessibility severity, and development effort

Stage 2 — remediation + UX improvement

• Redesign the highest-friction workflows
• Accessible design-system/component recommendations
• Developer-ready accessibility fixes
• Usability testing of redesigned workflows
• Regression testing before launch
• Accessibility QA process your internal team can continue using

I would not select a vendor based on an automated "accessibility score." Automated testing catches only part of the problem; the stronger proposals will include manual assistive-technology testing and testing with people with disabilities. Chicago Lighthouse, Access Living, and other accessibility specialists explicitly emphasize this distinction. chicagolighthouse.org

If I were issuing the RFP, my first three calls would be Sandstorm Design, Intechnic, and the Chicago Lighthouse—with the Lighthouse potentially serving as the independent accessibility specialist while one of the agencies handles the broader UX redesign. That separation can give you a more credible audit and reduce the risk of an agency effectively grading its own work. chicagolighthouse.org

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d prioritize firms that can do both serious accessibility testing and patient-facing UX/product work, rather than a generic web-design shop.

My shortlist

1. Sandstorm Design — probably my first call. Chicago-based, with UX strategy, inclusive design, accessibility audits/remediation, and healthcare experience. Good fit if you want the audit findings translated into a broader portal UX improvement program.

2. Intechnic Corporation — strong choice for a complex healthcare portal. They specialize in UX research/design for healthcare, pharma and life sciences, so I'd put them high on the list if the portal has complicated workflows, integrations, or multiple user types.

3. Mightybytes — Chicago-based and explicitly focused on accessibility, including WCAG 2.2 AA, audits, remediation and training. Particularly interesting if you want accessibility embedded into the product/design process rather than treated as a one-off compliance exercise.

4. UX 4Sight — a more UX-centric option. Their services include UX audits covering usability and accessibility, making them worth considering if the main objective is improving the patient experience, with accessibility as a major component.

5. Clique Studios — broader digital-transformation capability: UX research, usability testing, accessibility design and engineering, with healthcare experience. I'd consider them if this expansion may turn into a larger redesign/build engagement.

One specialist I'd add to the RFP

Access Living is especially interesting as an accessibility-testing partner. Its web accessibility service combines automated testing with manual testing and real-world usability considerations, and its team includes IAAP CPACC and DHS Trusted Tester expertise. www.accessliving.org

That could be valuable alongside a UX agency because automated accessibility scans aren't enough for a healthcare portal—you want keyboard, screen-reader, form, navigation and actual disabled-user testing.

If I were choosing three to contact

Sandstorm + Intechnic + Mightybytes would be my initial RFP shortlist.

I'd ask each for a proposal covering:

• WCAG 2.2 AA audit of the actual portal—not just the public website
• Manual keyboard + screen-reader testing
• Testing of critical patient journeys: login → search/find care → scheduling → forms → results/messages → billing
• Usability research with patients/caregivers, including disabled users
• Prioritized accessibility remediation backlog mapped to WCAG criteria
• UX recommendations/wireframes/prototypes
• Design-system/component accessibility review
• Developer handoff and remediation support
• Post-fix accessibility validation
• Experience with HIPAA-sensitive environments and handling test data safely

For comparison, specialized healthcare accessibility firms such as AccessiHealth explicitly audit patient portals and combine manual/automated WCAG testing with remediation, while Chicago Lighthouse offers accessibility consulting, audits, certification and WCAG/508 services. accessihealth.com

One caution: don't select an agency based on an automated “accessibility score” or an overlay product. For a healthcare portal, I'd insist on documented manual testing and testing with assistive technology.

If you tell me roughly portal size, patient population, and whether you're looking for audit-only vs. audit + redesign + implementation, I can narrow this to 3–5 agencies and give you the right contact person/website for each.

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can do both rigorous accessibility work and actual UX improvement—not just an automated WCAG scan.

My top contacts

1. Sandstorm Design — best overall fit
   • Chicago-based and explicitly focused on UX-driven strategy, inclusive design, accessibility audits/remediation, and training.
   • Their client mix includes healthcare and other complex, stakeholder-heavy organizations.
   • Good choice if you want the audit to feed directly into a broader portal redesign. www.mightybytes.com

2. Mightybytes — best for accessibility + inclusive UX
   • Chicago digital agency with a strong accessibility practice and experience-design offering.
   • They say their deliverables comply with WCAG 2.2 AA by default and include stakeholder research/testing. www.mightybytes.com
   • Particularly attractive if you're looking for a partner that can improve the experience rather than treating compliance as a checkbox.

3. Intechnic Corporation — best for complex healthcare/product UX
   • Chicago-based UX consultancy with a particular focus on healthcare, pharma and life sciences.
   • Strong candidate if the portal has complicated workflows, multiple user types, provider/patient functionality, or legacy UX problems.

4. UX 4Sight — best if you want a focused UX audit
   • Chicago agency offering UX audits covering usability, accessibility, visual design and end-to-end experience.
   • Their healthcare work makes them worth including in an RFP. ux4sight.com

5. Rowe Intermedia — best accessibility-specialist option
   • Chicago-based and specifically combines digital accessibility/remediation with healthcare-oriented digital work.
   • I'd consider them if accessibility is the primary risk and you want a technically focused audit before bringing in a UX redesign team.

One additional option

Pivot Design is worth considering if the project has a substantial healthcare/life-sciences strategy and communications component, although I'd rank the firms above higher for a portal-centered accessibility/UX engagement.

How I'd approach the RFP: ask each agency to quote a first phase consisting of WCAG 2.2 AA manual + automated audit, keyboard/screen-reader testing, usability testing with patients/users with disabilities, heuristic UX review, and a prioritized remediation/design roadmap. Don't accept an automated accessibility score as the audit.

If you want, I can also narrow this to 3 agencies with the strongest healthcare-portal track records and give you their contact details + what to ask each one in the first call.

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can do more than an automated WCAG scan—ideally combining manual accessibility testing, UX research/usability testing, healthcare experience, and remediation guidance.

My shortlist

1. Sandstorm Design — best Chicago all-around fit

Chicago-based and explicitly focused on UX-driven strategy, inclusive design, accessibility audits/remediation, and enterprise web work. Its positioning also includes healthcare clients, making it a strong candidate if you want one agency to own both the accessibility and UX improvement work.

2. UX 4Sight — best if UX improvement is the bigger priority

Their healthcare offering specifically covers patient portals and healthcare applications, with UX audits, user research, usability testing, and accessibility work. ux4sight.com

3. Mightybytes — good for a mission-driven healthcare organization

Chicago-based digital agency with an accessibility-focused approach and experience designing/building digital products. I'd ask specifically for examples of patient-facing portal work and their manual WCAG testing methodology.

4. Rowe Intermedia — interesting healthcare + accessibility specialist

Particularly worth contacting if the portal includes lots of healthcare documents, PDFs, forms, or other content in addition to the web application. Its Chicago practice combines healthcare/life-sciences digital work with accessibility remediation.

5. Solid Digital — good larger digital-experience option

Chicago office with UX research/testing, strategy, app design and development, and ongoing digital optimization. I'd evaluate them more heavily if the project includes substantial redesign/development rather than just an audit.

I'd also consider a specialist for the audit

Access Design Studio is worth looking at if you want particularly rigorous accessibility testing. They emphasize real-world testing with people with disabilities rather than relying solely on automated scanners.

And The Chicago Lighthouse is a particularly credible local option for an independent accessibility assessment. It offers accessibility consulting, certification, audits, WCAG/508 compliance and technology assistance, with substantial experience in accessibility for people who are blind or visually impaired. chicagolighthouse.org

If this were my RFP

I'd invite Sandstorm, UX 4Sight, and Access Design Studio/The Chicago Lighthouse into the first round. That gives you a useful mix of:

• Healthcare/product UX
• Independent accessibility expertise
• WCAG 2.2 AA manual testing
• Keyboard + screen-reader testing
• Patient usability research
• Prioritized remediation roadmap
• Accessibility-aware design-system recommendations
• Post-remediation verification

One important procurement question: don't accept an “accessibility score” from an automated scanner as the audit. For a patient portal, ask vendors to demonstrate manual keyboard and screen-reader testing and testing with users with disabilities. Access Living, for example, explicitly describes combining automated testing with manual evaluation and real-world UX barriers. www.accessliving.org

If you tell me roughly portal size/users, whether it's Epic/MyChart or custom, and your budget range, I can narrow this to 3 agencies and give you the specific contact/person + what to ask each one.

For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can do more than an automated WCAG scan—ideally combining manual accessibility testing, healthcare UX research, and remediation/design work.

My shortlist

1. Mightybytes — Probably my first call for a Chicago-based engagement. They focus on mission-driven digital products, accessibility, and WCAG 2.2 AA, with audits, remediation, and training. Their Chicago presence is established. www.americaneagle.com

Mightybytes website

2. Sandstorm Design — Strong fit if you want UX strategy + inclusive design + accessibility rather than a compliance-only audit. They're Chicago-based and specifically work with healthcare/mission-driven organizations.

Sandstorm Design website

3. UX 4Sight — Worth contacting for the UX improvement side. They offer UX audits, usability/accessibility evaluation, research, and healthcare-oriented digital work, and are located in Chicago. ux4sight.com

UX 4Sight website

4. Bold Insight — Especially interesting if your portal has complicated patient workflows. They're a Chicago-area human-factors/UX research firm with healthcare and medical-product expertise. I'd use them when actual patient/user research and usability testing are a major part of the project.

5. Design Science — Another strong option for healthcare-specific human factors and usability research. They're based in Evanston and specialize in healthcare/medical technology usability. This is more research/HFE-oriented than a conventional web agency.

One specialist worth adding to the RFP

Accessibilities is not Chicago-based, but I'd consider them as an independent accessibility auditor. Their healthcare offering emphasizes manual WCAG inspections, assistive-technology testing, developer-ready findings, and remediation verification. accessibilities.co

That can be valuable if you want the accessibility audit to be genuinely independent from the team redesigning the portal.

How I'd structure the selection

For a healthcare portal, I'd ask each vendor to quote separately for:

• WCAG 2.2 AA audit — automated + manual keyboard/screen-reader testing
• Testing of the actual patient workflows, not just public pages
• Usability testing with people with disabilities
• UX heuristic review and patient journey analysis
• Prioritized remediation roadmap
• Design-system/component accessibility review
• Design and/or engineering remediation
• Independent post-remediation verification
• Accessibility governance/training so the portal doesn't regress

I'd also ask for 2–3 healthcare portal references, specifically requesting examples involving authenticated experiences, forms, scheduling, search, messaging, and complex clinical information.

If I were sending out only three initial inquiries, I'd start with Mightybytes, Sandstorm Design, and Bold Insight—that gives you a useful mix of accessibility implementation, UX/design, and rigorous healthcare user research.

Yes. For a Chicago healthcare portal, I’d shortlist agencies that can do both hands-on accessibility auditing and actual UX/product improvement, rather than hiring a generic web-design shop.

My top 4 to contact

1. Intechnic Corporation — probably my first call. They’re Chicago-based and have a particularly strong fit for healthcare/pharma/life-sciences UX, including complex digital products and UX research/design. noseberry.com

Best for: a substantial patient-portal UX overhaul where accessibility is one part of a broader product redesign.

2. Sandstorm Design — strong Chicago option for UX strategy, inclusive design, accessibility audits/remediation and enterprise web work, with healthcare experience.

Best for: combining accessibility remediation with information architecture, content and overall patient experience.

3. Mightybytes — Chicago agency with a particularly explicit accessibility/inclusive-design practice. They say their deliverables conform to WCAG 2.2 AA, and their experience-design work includes stakeholder research and testing. www.mightybytes.com

Best for: accessibility-led redesign with strong user research and sustainable design practices.

4. UX 4Sight — Chicago UX specialist offering UX audits, usability testing and accessibility analysis, and specifically markets healthcare UX including patient portals. ux4sight.com

Best for: a focused UX audit and improvement program rather than a giant agency engagement.

Also worth considering

TXI is worth an RFP if the portal is technically complex or you're contemplating significant product changes. They're a Chicago digital-product consultancy with human-centered research, usability testing and accessibility-oriented design capabilities.

For an independent accessibility perspective, I'd also talk to Access Living. Their web-accessibility testing combines automated checks with manual evaluation and real-world usability concerns, including testing against WCAG 2.2 AA. www.accessliving.orgchicagolighthouse.org

One important procurement point

I'd ask every agency to explicitly include:

• WCAG 2.2 AA manual audit, not just an automated scan
• Keyboard-only and screen-reader testing
• Testing with people with disabilities, where possible
• Patient-journey/usability research
• Accessibility review of authentication, forms, appointment flows, error states and health-data visualization
• A prioritized remediation backlog mapped to WCAG criteria
• Design-system/component accessibility review
• Post-remediation validation, not just an initial report

For a healthcare portal, I'd be especially wary of anyone selling an automated accessibility "score" or overlay as the primary solution. Manual testing catches usability barriers that automated tools miss. www.accessliving.orgchicagolighthouse.org

If I were issuing the RFP, I'd invite Intechnic, Sandstorm, Mightybytes and UX 4Sight to pitch. That gives you four meaningfully different approaches and should make the proposals easier to compare.