Accessibility

Accessibility Standards and Guidelines

Accessibility standards and guidelines apply to:

Accessible Interaction

Accessible interaction helps users successfully navigate and interact with content and controls. It’s especially important for nonvisual users and people who rely on alternative input methods and devices due to vision or mobility impairments. The accessible interaction guidelines aim to:

  • Provide content and controls in an order that makes sense when navigated sequentially, for example, using a keyboard or keyboard interface.
  • Avoid unexpected changes of context that may be disorienting.

The accessible interaction standards and guidelines are:

  • Focus Order: Interactive elements must receive focus in an order that preserves meaning and operability.
  • Link Target: Links should not open in a new tab or window.

Sources

Accessible Interaction standards and guidelines align with the following standards and guidelines from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, the referenced conformance standard in the Harvard University Digital Accessibility Policy:

  • Guideline 3.2 – Predictable: Make Web pages appear and operate in predictable ways.
  • SC 3.2.2 On Input (Level A): Changing the setting of any user interface component does not automatically cause a change of context unless the user has been advised of the behavior before using the component.
  • SC 2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A): If a web page can be navigated sequentially and the navigation sequences affect meaning or operation, focusable components receive focus in an order that preserves meaning and operability.

Color Contrast

Color contrast helps users see content regardless of their vision or lighting conditions. It’s especially important for people with low vision or color blindness. These color contrast standards and guidelines aim to:

  • Provide enough contrast between text and its background so that it can be read.
  • Provide enough contrast between elements and their background so that they can be perceived as a unit and distinguished from other elements.

The color contrast standards and guidelines are:

  • Minimum Contrast: Elements must use colors that meet minimum contrast requirements defined in accessibility standards.
  • Solid Backgrounds: Elements that combine a background image with a text overlay must use a solid colored background for the text overlay.
  • Element Borders: Elements should include a border when the element background color does not provide sufficient contrast.
  • Table Borders: Table columns and rows should include borders when column and row background colors do not provide sufficient contrast.

Sources

Color Contrast standards and guidelines support the following requirements from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, the referenced conformance standard in the Harvard University Digital Accessibility Policy:

Labels and Indicators

Labels and indicators help users interact with inputs and controls regardless of their vision or input modality. It’s especially important for people who use assistive technology and different input methods, such as speech. These labels and indicators standards and guidelines aim to:

  • Identify inputs and controls so that they can be distinguished, recognized, and operated.

The labels and indicators standards and guidelines are:

  • Input Labels: Inputs must be provided with visible and persistent labels.
  • Control Names: Controls must be provided with visible labels that match their programmatic names.
  • Link Indicators: Links must be provided with a visual indicator that does not require color perception, such as an underline.

Sources

Labels and Indicators standards and guidelines support the following requirements from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, the referenced conformance standard in the Harvard University Digital Accessibility Policy:

Restricted Motion

Restricted motion helps users avoid harm, discomfort, or distraction due to unnecessary motion. It’s especially important for people who have seizure or vestibular disorders and people with memory or attention impairments. These restricted motion standards and guidelines aim to:

  • Avoid the use of motion so that it doesn’t cause harm.

The restricted motion standards and guidelines are:

  • Static Backgrounds: Elements must not include video or animated backgrounds.

Sources

Restricted Motion standards and guidelines support the following requirements from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, the referenced conformance standard in the Harvard University Digital Accessibility Policy, and supplemental guidance from Making Content Usable for People with Cognitive and Learning Disabilities:

Semantics

Visual semantics are visual cues that convey the purpose, structure, and relationships of content and controls. Programmatic semantics provide those cues using code, which is especially important for screen reader users to benefit from the information needed for understanding. These semantics standards and guidelines aim to:

  • Provide detailed and accurate programmatic semantics.

The semantics standards and guidelines are:

  • Semantic Markup: Content should use the correct semantic markup wherever semantic elements and attributes are available.

Sources

Semantics standards and guidelines support the following standards and guidelines from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, the referenced conformance standard in the Harvard University Digital Accessibility Policy:

Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR)

Request access to the HarvardSites Design System on HarvardSites Drupal ACR (HarvardKey required). Permission will be granted on a case-by-case basis. Example use cases include HarvardSites administrators, Harvard affiliates interested in ACR creation and documentation, and other use cases. 

See also: