Accessibility Statement

Our Commitment

FrameCounsel is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We believe that everyone, regardless of ability, should have full and equal access to forensic video analysis tools that are critical to justice. Accessibility is not a feature we add -- it is a principle that guides our design and development process.

We strive to meet or exceed the requirements of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA for both this website and the FrameCounsel desktop application.

1. Conformance Status

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. WCAG defines three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA.

2. Accessibility Features

The following accessibility features are implemented across this website:

Keyboard Navigation

• All interactive elements (links, buttons, form controls, dropdowns) are accessible via the Tab key
• Dropdown menus support Enter, Space, Escape, and arrow key navigation
• A "Skip to main content" link is provided for bypassing repeated navigation
• Visible focus indicators (neon-blue glow ring) appear on all focusable elements
• Modal dialogs and overlays trap focus and can be dismissed with Escape

Visual Design

• Color contrast: All text meets WCAG 2.1 Level AA contrast requirements (minimum 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text) against dark backgrounds
• Color independence: Information is never conveyed by color alone. Status indicators, badges, and alerts include text labels or icons alongside color
• Reduced motion: The prefers-reduced-motion media query is respected. Users who prefer reduced motion will see all animations and transitions effectively disabled
• Text scaling: Content supports browser text scaling up to 200% without loss of content or functionality
• Dark theme: The site uses a high-contrast dark theme designed for readability in all lighting conditions

Semantic Structure

• Landmarks: Proper HTML5 landmarks (<nav>, <main>, <footer>, <section>) are used throughout for efficient screen reader navigation
• Heading hierarchy: Pages use a logical heading structure (h1 through h6) for document outline navigation
• ARIA attributes: WAI-ARIA roles, states, and properties (such as aria-expanded, aria-label, role="menu") are used to enhance dynamic content for assistive technologies
• Alt text: All non-decorative images include descriptive alternative text. Decorative images are marked with empty alt attributes or aria-hidden

3. Assistive Technology Compatibility

FrameCounsel is designed to be compatible with the following assistive technologies:

• Screen Readers: VoiceOver (macOS/iOS), NVDA (Windows), JAWS (Windows). All UI elements include appropriate labels, roles, and states for screen reader announcement
• Voice Control: macOS Voice Control and dictation. All interactive elements are labeled and accessible via voice commands
• Keyboard-only navigation: Full site functionality is available without a mouse. All interactive elements have visible focus states
• Switch Access: The site supports single-switch and multi-switch access devices through standard keyboard event handling
• Screen magnification: Content reflows correctly when zoomed up to 400% and is compatible with system-level screen magnification tools

4. Known Limitations

Despite our best efforts, some areas of FrameCounsel may have accessibility limitations. We are aware of the following issues and are actively working to resolve them:

5. Assessment and Audit Plans

FrameCounsel assesses accessibility through the following methods:

• Automated testing: We use automated accessibility scanning tools (axe-core, Lighthouse) as part of our continuous integration pipeline to catch regressions
• Manual testing: Our team performs regular manual testing with screen readers (VoiceOver, NVDA), keyboard-only navigation, and browser zoom
• Third-party audit: We plan to engage an independent accessibility auditor to perform a comprehensive WCAG 2.1 AA evaluation of both the website and desktop application. Audit findings will be published and tracked to resolution
• User feedback: We actively incorporate accessibility feedback from users with disabilities into our development roadmap

6. Standards and Guidelines

This accessibility statement references the following standards:

• WCAG 2.1 Level AA -- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, published by the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
• WAI-ARIA 1.2 -- Accessible Rich Internet Applications specification for dynamic web content
• Section 508 -- U.S. federal accessibility requirements (applicable to government procurement)
• EN 301 549 -- European standard for digital accessibility

7. Reporting Accessibility Issues

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of FrameCounsel. If you encounter accessibility barriers or have suggestions for improvement, please contact us. We take every report seriously and will work to resolve issues promptly.

8. Enforcement Procedure

If you are not satisfied with our response to your accessibility concern, you may contact your local disability rights organization or the appropriate government enforcement body. In the United States, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the Department of Education and the Department of Justice enforce digital accessibility under Section 508 and the ADA.