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Accessibility Guidelines

Accessibility Standards

Building inclusive experiences that work for everyone, regardless of ability or assistive technology

WCAG 2.1 AA Compliant
Section 508 Ready
ADA Compliant

WCAG 2.1 Principles

Our accessibility approach follows the four foundational principles of web accessibility

Perceivable

Information must be presentable in ways users can perceive

  • Provide text alternatives for images
  • Offer captions and transcripts for videos
  • Ensure sufficient color contrast (4.5:1 minimum)
  • Make content adaptable to different presentations

Operable

Interface components must be operable by all users

  • Make all functionality keyboard accessible
  • Give users enough time to read content
  • Avoid content that causes seizures
  • Help users navigate and find content

Understandable

Information and UI operation must be understandable

  • Make text readable and understandable
  • Make content appear and operate predictably
  • Help users avoid and correct mistakes
  • Use clear and simple language

Robust

Content must be robust enough for various assistive technologies

  • Maximize compatibility with assistive technologies
  • Use valid, semantic HTML
  • Ensure content works across different browsers
  • Plan for future accessibility technologies

Implementation Guidelines

Practical examples and code snippets for building accessible interfaces

Color & Contrast

Color Contrast Ratios

critical

WCAG AA compliance requires 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text

/* Good contrast examples */
.text-primary { color: #1a365d; } /* 7.5:1 ratio on white */
.bg-primary { background: #2d3748; color: #ffffff; } /* 12.6:1 ratio */

/* Poor contrast - avoid */
.text-light-gray { color: #a0a0a0; } /* Only 2.3:1 ratio */

Color Independence

important

Never rely solely on color to convey information

/* Good: Multiple indicators */
<div className="border-l-4 border-red-500 bg-red-50 p-4">
  <div className="flex">
    <AlertTriangle className="w-5 h-5 text-red-500" />
    <span className="ml-2 text-red-700">Error message</span>
  </div>
</div>

/* Poor: Color only */
<span className="text-red-500">Error</span>

Keyboard Navigation

Focus Management

critical

All interactive elements must be keyboard accessible

/* Visible focus indicators */
.focus\:ring-2 {
  @apply ring-2 ring-blue-500 ring-offset-2;
}

/* Skip links for screen readers */
.skip-link {
  @apply absolute -top-10 left-6 bg-blue-600 text-white px-4 py-2 rounded;
  @apply focus:top-6 transition-all;
}

Tab Order

important

Logical tab sequence through interactive elements

/* Custom tab order when needed */
<input tabIndex="1" />
<button tabIndex="2">Submit</button>
<a href="#" tabIndex="3">Learn More</a>

/* Remove from tab order */
<div tabIndex="-1">Decorative element</div>

Screen Readers

Semantic HTML

critical

Use proper HTML elements for better screen reader support

/* Good semantic structure */
<article>
  <header>
    <h1>Article Title</h1>
    <time dateTime="2024-01-01">January 1, 2024</time>
  </header>
  <main>
    <p>Article content...</p>
  </main>
  <footer>
    <nav aria-label="Article navigation">
      <a href="#prev">Previous</a>
      <a href="#next">Next</a>
    </nav>
  </footer>
</article>

ARIA Labels

important

Provide additional context for screen readers

/* Descriptive labels */
<button aria-label="Close dialog">×</button>
<input aria-describedby="password-help" type="password" />
<div id="password-help">Password must be 8+ characters</div>

/* Live regions for dynamic content */
<div aria-live="polite" aria-atomic="true">
  Status updates appear here
</div>

Testing & Validation Tools

Essential tools for testing and validating accessibility in your applications

axe DevTools

Browser Extension

Browser extension for automated accessibility testing

  • Automated scanning
  • Issue highlighting
  • Remediation guidance

WAVE

Online Tool

Web accessibility evaluation tool

  • Visual feedback
  • Error identification
  • Contrast analysis

Lighthouse

Built-in Tool

Built-in Chrome accessibility audit

  • Performance metrics
  • Best practices
  • Accessibility score

Screen Readers

Manual Testing

Test with actual assistive technology

  • NVDA (Windows)
  • JAWS (Windows)
  • VoiceOver (Mac/iOS)

Quick Accessibility Checklist

Essential checks to perform before launching any feature

Technical Checks

  • ✓ All images have alt text
  • ✓ Color contrast meets WCAG standards
  • ✓ All interactive elements are keyboard accessible
  • ✓ Form labels are properly associated
  • ✓ Focus indicators are visible
  • ✓ Heading hierarchy is logical

User Testing

  • ✓ Test with keyboard only
  • ✓ Test with screen reader
  • ✓ Test at 200% zoom level
  • ✓ Test with high contrast mode
  • ✓ Validate HTML markup
  • ✓ Run automated accessibility scan