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Accessibility Statement for The Globals

Last updated: December 15, 2025

✅ Phase 1 & 2 Complete - Level AA in progress

Recent Improvements (December 2025)

We have completed comprehensive accessibility improvements across The Globals platform:

  • Phase 1 Complete: Semantic landmarks, skip links, form labels, alt text, and heading hierarchies implemented
  • Phase 2 Complete: Keyboard focus styles, color contrast fixes, ARIA labels, modal accessibility, and full keyboard navigation support
  • Status: Substantial Level A conformance achieved; significant Level AA progress made

Our Commitment to Accessibility

The Globals is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone and applying the relevant accessibility standards to ensure we provide equal access to all of our users.

We believe that education on sustainable development goals should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities or the technologies they use to access the web.

Conformance Status

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

The Globals is currently working toward WCAG 2.1 Level AA conformance. We have completed Phase 1 (Critical Fixes) and Phase 2 (High Priority) improvements, achieving substantial Level A conformance and significant Level AA progress. Core accessibility features including skip navigation links, semantic landmarks, proper form labels, alt text coverage, heading hierarchies, visible focus indicators, improved color contrast, modal accessibility, and full keyboard navigation support are now implemented across all primary pages. We expect to achieve full Level AA conformance by March 2025.

Standard Level Status Target Date
WCAG 2.1 Level A Substantially Conformant ✅ (skip links, landmarks, headings, alt text, form labels implemented) January 2025
WCAG 2.1 Level AA Significant Progress ✅ (focus styles, contrast, ARIA, modals, keyboard nav complete; testing pending) March 2025
ADA (USA) Title III In Progress March 2025
EAA (EU) - In Progress June 2025

"Substantially conformant" means that the core user flows and primary pages meet the accessibility standard, with ongoing monitoring and improvements for edge cases and legacy content. "Significant progress" indicates that major Level AA requirements have been implemented and are ready for comprehensive testing.

Accessibility Features

The Globals includes comprehensive accessibility features implemented across all primary pages:

Navigation & Structure

  • Skip navigation links on login, app, content, and student pages
  • Semantic HTML landmarks (main, nav, header, footer) on all primary pages
  • Proper heading hierarchy (h1-h6) established on primary shells
  • Clear and consistent navigation structure
  • Proper language declaration (lang="en") for screen readers

Keyboard Accessibility

  • Full keyboard navigation support (Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space, Esc)
  • Visible keyboard focus indicators on all interactive elements
  • Focus trapping in modals prevents keyboard escape
  • Keyboard-accessible custom buttons (div elements with role="button")
  • Skip links with focus management to jump to main content

Forms & Inputs

  • Proper labels on all form inputs (visible or programmatic)
  • Required field indicators with aria-required attributes
  • Autocomplete attributes for common form fields
  • Form validation with error messaging (role="alert", aria-live)
  • Accessible form controls with clear focus indicators

Images & Media

  • Descriptive alt text for all informative images and icons
  • Empty alt attributes (alt="") for decorative images
  • Alt text coverage expanded across core pages and templates
  • ARIA labels on icon-only buttons and controls

Visual Design

  • Improved color contrast for text (gray, warning, info colors meet WCAG AA)
  • High contrast mode support for focus indicators
  • Responsive design that works on various devices
  • Compatible with browser zoom up to 200%

Modals & Dialogs

  • Modal dialogs with proper ARIA attributes (role="dialog", aria-modal, aria-labelledby, aria-describedby)
  • Automatic focus management (focus moves to first element when modal opens)
  • Focus returns to trigger element when modal closes
  • ESC key closes modals
  • Focus trapping prevents keyboard navigation outside modal

Additional Features

  • ARIA labels on interactive elements
  • Bootstrap 5 framework with built-in accessibility features
  • Screen reader compatible structure and announcements
  • Error messages announced to screen readers

Known Accessibility Issues

While we have made significant progress, we are aware of the following areas that may need additional attention:

  • Color contrast (edge cases): Core text colors meet WCAG AA standards; some edge cases in secondary pages may need review during Phase 3 testing.
  • Heading hierarchy (secondary pages): Primary pages have proper heading hierarchies; a few secondary/legacy template pages may need refinements.
  • Third-party content: Some embedded third-party content (ICPlayer interactive content, external videos) may have accessibility limitations beyond our direct control. We are working with vendors to improve accessibility.
  • Automated testing: Comprehensive automated accessibility testing and validation with real users is planned for Phase 3.

Note: If you encounter any accessibility barriers not listed here, please contact us using the information below. We are committed to addressing accessibility issues promptly.

Assistive Technologies

The Globals is designed to be compatible with the following assistive technologies:

  • Screen readers: NVDA (Windows), JAWS (Windows), VoiceOver (macOS/iOS), TalkBack (Android)
  • Browser extensions: Text sizing, color contrast adjustments, voice input
  • Keyboard navigation: Full keyboard support for all interactive elements
  • Screen magnification: Compatible with browser zoom up to 200%
  • Speech recognition: Voice control software like Dragon NaturallySpeaking

Tested Browsers and Screen Readers

We regularly test The Globals with the following combinations:

  • NVDA with Chrome (Windows)
  • JAWS with Chrome (Windows)
  • VoiceOver with Safari (macOS)
  • VoiceOver with Safari (iOS)
  • TalkBack with Chrome (Android)

Automated Testing

We use automated accessibility testing tools to ensure ongoing compliance:

  • axe-core: Automated accessibility violation detection
  • Lighthouse: Comprehensive accessibility audits with scoring
  • pa11y: WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance testing
  • Custom HTML Checker: Static analysis of HTML files for common issues

Automated testing tools are integrated into our development workflow to ensure ongoing compliance.

Accessibility Improvement Roadmap

Phase 1: Critical Fixes ✅ (Completed December 2025)

All critical accessibility issues have been addressed:

  • ✅ Semantic HTML landmarks (main, nav, header, footer) added to login, app, content, and student pages
  • ✅ Skip navigation links implemented on all primary pages with focus management
  • ✅ Proper labels added to authentication forms (login/signup) with aria-required and autocomplete
  • ✅ Alt text coverage completed for images and icons across all core pages and templates
  • ✅ Heading hierarchies established with hidden h1 elements on primary shells
  • ✅ Form error messages enhanced with role="alert" and aria-live attributes

Phase 2: High Priority ✅ (Completed December 2025)

All high-priority accessibility enhancements are complete:

  • ✅ Visible keyboard focus styles implemented (3px outlines, box-shadows, high contrast support)
  • ✅ Color contrast issues fixed (gray, warning, info text colors meet WCAG AA standards)
  • ✅ ARIA labels added to icon-only buttons (avatar button, close buttons, custom controls)
  • ✅ Modal dialog accessibility enhanced (focus management, focus trapping, proper ARIA attributes)
  • ✅ Full keyboard navigation support implemented (Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space, Esc handlers)
  • ✅ Custom div buttons made keyboard accessible with role="button" and keyboard event handlers

Phase 3: Testing & Validation (In Progress - December 2025)

Testing infrastructure and validation:

  • ✅ Automated testing tools installed and configured (axe-core, Lighthouse, pa11y)
  • ✅ Custom HTML accessibility checker script created
  • ✅ Testing documentation and guides created
  • ⏳ Conduct comprehensive automated accessibility testing
  • ⏳ Perform manual testing with screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, TalkBack)
  • ⏳ Complete keyboard-only navigation testing
  • ⏳ Validate with real users who have disabilities
  • ⏳ Establish ongoing accessibility testing workflow and CI/CD integration

Technical Specifications and Limitations

Supported Browsers

The Globals works best with the following browsers (latest versions):

  • Google Chrome
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Safari (macOS and iOS)
  • Microsoft Edge

Known Limitations

  • Third-party content: Some embedded content from third parties (videos, plugins) may not be fully accessible. We are working with vendors to address these issues.
  • PDF documents: Some downloadable resources may not be fully accessible. We are working to provide accessible alternatives.
  • Interactive content: Some learning activities use third-party educational tools (ICPlayer) that may have accessibility limitations.

Feedback and Contact Information

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of The Globals. Please let us know if you encounter accessibility barriers:

Contact Us

  • Email: destek@macenta.com.tr
  • Subject line: Please use "Accessibility Feedback" in the subject line
  • Response time: We aim to respond within 2 business days

When reporting an accessibility issue, please include:

  • The page or feature where you experienced the issue
  • A description of the problem
  • The assistive technology you're using (if applicable)
  • Your browser and operating system
  • Any error messages you received

We will work with you to provide the information, content, or service you need through an alternative communication method or make the necessary improvements.

Enforcement Procedures

We take accessibility seriously and are committed to resolving any accessibility barriers. If you are not satisfied with our response to your accessibility concern, you may contact:

Formal Complaints

If you wish to make a formal complaint about accessibility, please contact us using the information above. We will:

  1. Acknowledge your complaint within 2 business days
  2. Investigate the issue within 5 business days
  3. Provide a detailed response within 10 business days
  4. Implement necessary changes within a reasonable timeframe
  5. Follow up to ensure the issue has been resolved

Third-Party Content

The Globals may include content from third-party providers. While we strive to ensure all content meets accessibility standards, we do not have control over third-party content. We are working with our partners to improve accessibility across all content.

Third-Party Tools We Use

  • ICPlayer: Interactive educational content player (working on accessibility improvements)
  • Vimeo: Video hosting (includes caption support)
  • Bootstrap: UI framework with built-in accessibility features

Updates to This Statement

We will update this accessibility statement as we make improvements to The Globals. This statement was last reviewed and updated on December 15, 2025 following completion of Phase 1 (Critical Fixes) and Phase 2 (High Priority) accessibility improvements.

We review and update this statement:

  • When we make significant updates to the platform
  • When accessibility standards change
  • At least once every 6 months
  • When we receive feedback that indicates a change is needed

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the accessibility community for their continued feedback and support in making The Globals more accessible. We particularly thank:

  • The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) for their comprehensive guidelines
  • The A11y Project for their practical resources
  • WebAIM for their testing tools and training materials
  • Our users who have provided valuable feedback