Accessibility Statement

1. Our Commitment to WCAG 2.1 AA

We are committed to conforming to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These guidelines provide a framework for making web content more accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological disabilities.

WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance is our target standard. We recognize that accessibility is an ongoing effort, and we are continually working to improve the accessibility of the ODE platform. Our development process incorporates accessibility testing and review at every stage.

We conduct regular accessibility audits using both automated tools and manual testing to identify and address accessibility barriers. Our goal is to ensure that all users, regardless of ability, can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the ODE platform effectively.

2. Compliance with Accessibility Laws

2.1 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We are committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and ensuring that the ODE platform is accessible to individuals with disabilities in the United States. We strive to provide an equal and inclusive digital experience consistent with ADA Title III requirements.

2.2 Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The ODE platform is designed to meet the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which mandates that federal agencies' electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities. Organizations using ODE for government-related work can rely on our Section 508 compliance efforts.

2.3 European Accessibility Act (EAA). For our users in the European Union, we are working toward compliance with the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882), which establishes accessibility requirements for products and services. We are committed to meeting these standards as they come into full effect across EU member states.

3. Accessibility Features

The ODE platform includes the following accessibility features:

• Keyboard Navigation — All interactive elements are accessible via keyboard, including navigation menus, forms, buttons, and modals. Tab order follows a logical sequence.
• Screen Reader Compatibility — The platform uses semantic HTML, ARIA labels, and roles to ensure compatibility with major screen readers including JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack.
• Color Contrast — Text and interactive elements maintain a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text, meeting WCAG 2.1 AA requirements.
• Text Resizing — The platform supports text resizing up to 200% without loss of content or functionality. Responsive layouts adapt to various zoom levels.
• Alternative Text — All meaningful images, icons, and non-text content include descriptive alternative text. Decorative images are marked appropriately to be ignored by assistive technologies.
• Focus Indicators — Visible focus indicators are provided for all interactive elements, making it clear which element is currently focused during keyboard navigation.
• Form Accessibility — All form fields include associated labels, instructions, and error messages that are programmatically linked and announced by assistive technologies.
• Voice AI Accessibility — Our Voice AI features provide alternative interaction methods, including text-based alternatives for all voice-driven interactions.

4. Known Limitations

Despite our best efforts, some areas of the ODE platform may not yet be fully accessible. Known limitations include:

• Complex Data Visualizations — Some charts, graphs, and dashboard visualizations may not be fully accessible to screen readers. We provide data tables as alternatives where possible.
• Third-Party Integrations — Some third-party components or embedded content may not fully conform to WCAG 2.1 AA standards. We work with our partners to improve accessibility.
• PDF Documents — Some older PDF documents may not be fully tagged for accessibility. We are working to remediate these documents.
• Real-Time Collaboration — Some real-time features may have limited accessibility support. We are actively working to improve these capabilities.

We are actively working to address these limitations and improve the overall accessibility of the platform. If you encounter any accessibility barriers not listed here, please contact us so we can address them.

5. Conformance Status

The current conformance status of the ODE platform is Partially Conformant with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. "Partially Conformant" means that some parts of the content do not fully conform to the accessibility standard.

We are committed to achieving full conformance and have established the following roadmap:

• Ongoing automated accessibility testing integrated into our CI/CD pipeline
• Quarterly manual accessibility audits by trained accessibility specialists
• Annual third-party accessibility assessment
• Continuous remediation of identified accessibility issues
• Accessibility training for all development team members

6. Feedback

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of the ODE platform. If you encounter any accessibility barriers, have difficulty using any part of the platform, or have suggestions for improvement, please let us know.

When reporting an accessibility issue, please include:

• A description of the accessibility barrier you encountered
• The page or feature where the issue occurred
• The assistive technology you are using (if applicable)
• Your browser and operating system
• Any steps to reproduce the issue

We aim to respond to accessibility feedback within five (5) business days and to resolve identified accessibility issues in a timely manner.