Site Appearance Standards

• Site layout and navigation are consistent. Logical variance is acceptable – sub-pages may differ from top-level pages but should be consistent across page type (e.g., sales pages can vary from landing pages, but all sales pages should have similar layouts)
• Text can be zoomed in up to 200% of the original size without negatively impacting readability.
• Text links within the body of the text are distinctive from the surrounding text, using at least two of the following: color, underline, bold, italics.
• All text on the site has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against the background.

Usability Standards

• All links and fields have a way to indicate when a user’s keyboard, mouse, or other input devices, are focused on them.
• All website content and functions are accessible with only a keyboard. Visitors use the tab and arrow keys to navigate.
• The site has a sitemap that is accessible from the homepage (at minimum).
• The site has search functionality that is accessible from the homepage (at minimum).
• A link that allows a user to skip the main navigation of the page is available in the top left of every page.
• A default language has been set for the website.

Site Development and Functionality

• The site is free from HTML errors, broken links, and error pages.
• All form fields have clear labels that exist outside of the form element.
• All form fields have clear instructions on input formats and what is expected.
• All form fields have instructions on how to fix errors.
• Identical images and elements throughout the site also have identical labels and alt tags.
• Each page uses a hierarchy of headings, starting with the <h1> tag and proceeding to the <h2>, <h3>, and so on to <h6> if needed
• Page titles use clear, descriptive text.
• Headings use clear, descriptive text.
• Links use clear, descriptive text that indicates the content that follows.
• The meaning of website text is not conveyed only with color; additional cues are used if color is the primary conveyance.

Content Alternatives

• There are no images of text on the site; all text is coded as text (this does not include logos, graph labels, etc.)
• All meaningful images have alt text. Decorative images do not need alt text.
• Table data should be easy to understand if read aloud.
• Any tables that are too complex to be read aloud must have a manageable alternative and/or text caption that accurately describes the data.
• All video with meaningful audio contains closed captioning that is synced to the video.
• All audio files and videos are accompanied by an accurate text transcript that conveys the meaning of the audio or video and is available directly below the file.

Web Documents

• All linked documents not in HTML format, such as PDFs, presentations, spreadsheets, and Word documents, meet their type’s basic accessibility requirements.
• Ensure PDFs are machine-readable. Scanned or password-protected documents are usually not machine-readable.
• PDFs need to be tagged in the valid reading order for accessibility.
• Make sure electronic publications have page numbers, and those numbers match the printed version.

Accessibility Statement

An accessibility statement is a public information page that relays internal organizational policies, accessibility goals, and past successes in serving and working with people who have disabilities.

Accessibility statements should contain at least the following:

• A commitment to accessibility for people with disabilities
• The accessibility standard applied, such as WCAG 2.1
• Contact information in case users encounter problems.

It is also advisable to include the following information:

• Any known limitations to avoid frustrating users
• What measures were taken by the organization to ensure accessibility
• Technical prerequisites, such as supported web browsers
• Environments in which the content has been tested to work
• References to applicable national or local laws and policies