SayPro Accessibility Evaluation

SayPro Tasks to be Completed During the Period Accessibility Evaluation Evaluate design elements such as color contrast, text legibility, keyboard navigation, and alternative text for images from SayPro Monthly February SCMR-17 SayPro Monthly Inclusive Design: Ensure the site is accessible to users with disabilities by SayPro Online Marketplace Office under SayPro Marketing Royalty SCMR

Overview

The accessibility evaluation is a critical task within the SayPro Monthly February SCMR-17 initiative to ensure that the SayPro website is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. This evaluation will focus specifically on design elements such as color contrast, text legibility, keyboard navigation, and alternative text for images. These design elements play a key role in making the site usable for users with visual, motor, and cognitive impairments.

Tasks to be Completed

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1. Color Contrast Evaluation

1.1 Review Text-to-Background Color Contrast

Ensuring adequate color contrast between text and its background is essential for users with visual impairments, including those with color blindness or low vision. The WCAG 2.1 guidelines require a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (18pt or larger).

• Task: Use tools like Color Contrast Analyzer or WAVE to evaluate the contrast ratio between text and background colors on the site.
• Actions:
  • Identify and document pages or sections with low contrast that may hinder readability.
  • Check text in various text sizes, including headings, body text, and links, to ensure contrast is adequate across the site.
  • Make recommendations for improving contrast where necessary (e.g., adjusting background or text color).

1.2 Ensure Sufficient Contrast in Non-Text Elements

In addition to text, non-text content (such as buttons, links, form fields, etc.) must also have sufficient contrast to be easily distinguishable from their background.

• Task: Evaluate elements like buttons, icons, and interactive features to ensure they meet the minimum contrast ratio requirements.
• Actions:
  • Check for interactive elements such as buttons, form fields, and icons to ensure they are visually distinct.
  • Recommend adjustments where contrast issues are found, such as using darker button backgrounds or adding borders around interactive elements.

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2. Text Legibility Evaluation

2.1 Check Text Size and Readability

Text legibility is vital for users with visual impairments and those with cognitive challenges. Ensuring that the text is large enough and has good spacing can improve readability.

• Task: Review font sizes across the site and verify if they meet accessibility standards.
• Actions:
  • Ensure that the body text is at least 16px (or equivalent) for optimal legibility.
  • Evaluate line height (at least 1.5 times the font size) and letter spacing (at least 0.12em) to make sure text is easy to read.
  • Check for text resizing functionality to ensure the website works well when users enlarge text in the browser.

2.2 Review Font Choice and Weight

The choice of fonts and their weights can affect the legibility of text. Complex fonts or those with very light weight may be difficult for users with visual impairments to read.

• Task: Evaluate font choices to ensure they are simple and legible.
• Actions:
  • Recommend the use of sans-serif fonts (e.g., Arial, Helvetica) which are generally easier to read on digital screens.
  • Ensure that fonts are not too thin, particularly in body text, as this can cause readability issues for users with visual impairments.

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3. Keyboard Navigation Evaluation

3.1 Ensure Keyboard Accessibility

Ensuring that users can navigate the website using only a keyboard is crucial for those with motor disabilities. This includes being able to interact with links, buttons, forms, and other interactive elements without a mouse.

• Task: Test the website’s navigation and interaction using only the keyboard (tabbing through elements, using arrow keys, etc.).
• Actions:
  • Verify that all interactive elements (links, buttons, form fields, etc.) are reachable via Tab key navigation.
  • Ensure that the focus order is logical and follows a predictable pattern.
  • Test for the presence of visible focus indicators (e.g., outline or border) on focused elements.
  • Ensure that interactive components like dropdowns and modals are fully operable using the keyboard (e.g., using arrow keys, Enter, and Esc).

3.2 Evaluate Skip Navigation Links

Skip navigation links are essential for users who rely on keyboard navigation, allowing them to bypass repetitive content such as menus and jump directly to the main content.

• Task: Check if skip navigation links are available and functional.
• Actions:
  • Ensure that Skip to Content or Skip Navigation links are placed at the top of each page for users to quickly navigate the page.
  • Test the functionality of these links to ensure they work properly and jump to the correct section.

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4. Alternative Text for Images Evaluation

4.1 Review Use of Alternative Text (Alt Text)

Alternative text (alt text) for images is essential for users who rely on screen readers to access web content. Alt text helps users understand the content of images, especially when the images convey information or functionality.

• Task: Perform a comprehensive review of the images on the site to ensure all relevant images have descriptive alt text.
• Actions:
  • Check for decorative images and ensure they have an empty alt attribute (alt="") to prevent screen readers from reading irrelevant content.
  • Ensure informational images, such as charts or diagrams, have descriptive alt text that accurately conveys the meaning or purpose of the image.
  • Evaluate functional images, such as links or buttons, to ensure they have appropriate alt text describing their function (e.g., “Search button” or “Submit form”).

4.2 Ensure Consistent and Descriptive Alt Text

• Task: Review alt text for consistency and accuracy across the site.
• Actions:
  • Ensure that alt text is descriptive, providing enough context for users who cannot see the images.
  • Avoid using overly vague alt text like “image” or “photo.” Instead, describe the image’s content or function (e.g., “A smiling woman holding a shopping bag”).

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5. Reporting and Documentation

5.1 Document Findings

After completing the evaluation of color contrast, text legibility, keyboard navigation, and alternative text for images, document the findings in a comprehensive report. The report should include:

• A list of issues found during the evaluation, categorized by type (e.g., color contrast, keyboard navigation, alt text).
• Severity ratings for each issue, prioritizing them based on the impact they have on users with disabilities.
• Screenshots or examples of issues to provide clear context for the design and development teams.

5.2 Provide Actionable Recommendations

For each issue identified, provide clear, actionable recommendations on how to resolve the problem. These recommendations should be specific and technical enough for the design and development teams to implement.

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Conclusion

The accessibility evaluation is a key part of the SayPro Monthly February SCMR-17 initiative to ensure the website is usable and accessible for all users, including those with disabilities. By thoroughly assessing color contrast, text legibility, keyboard navigation, and alternative text for images, SayPro will be able to identify and address barriers faced by users with disabilities, leading to a more inclusive website that complies with WCAG 2.1 standards and provides a better experience for all users.