Articles
What we're seeing
What Esther measures across the websites it assesses, published as it happens. Findings from the data, a reference page for each WCAG criterion, a monthly roundup, and responses when a regulator acts.
All: 9 articles
Latest ·
What We Told NIST About Proving a Vulnerability, and Why
Our filing to NIST argues that a security record should carry proof, so automation follows the evidence and a named person signs off wherever the consequence is high.
Rick Hensbergen · 4 min read
- Security
- Records
- Evidence
- NIST
- Response
Unable to Send Money: The Accessibility Suit Over Chase's Website
A man who is legally blind says he could not send money on Chase's website with his screen reader. What the court record shows about where the suit started, what it asks for, and what happens next.
Rick Hensbergen · 5 min read
- Lawsuits
- Screen readers
- Banking
- Records
- Briefing
How Quickly Can Website Accessibility Barriers Come Down?
One web service's signed-in screens, assessed after every round of changes. In three days the list Esther found fell to about a seventh of where it started, with none at Level A.
Rick Hensbergen · 4 min read
- Templates
- Keyboard access
- Text spacing
- Records
- Findings
What Are the Most Common Accessibility Problems on Government Websites?
Six barriers turned up on most of the government websites Esther assessed over six months. Here is who each one stops, and how to spot it on your own site.
Rick Hensbergen · 4 min read
- Contrast
- Screen readers
- Forms
- Focus
- Reference
What Contrast Does Website Text Need to Be Readable?
Ordinary text needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1. What the bar is, who faint text affects, and how to tell in a few minutes whether your own site clears it.
Rick Hensbergen · 3 min read
- Contrast
- WCAG 1.4.3
- Low vision
- Findings
Where Accessibility Barriers Cluster on Typical Websites
Websites rarely fail at random. Over 90 days, visibility and structure issues concentrated most risk, on nearly every site Esther assessed.
Rick Hensbergen · 4 min read
- Contrast
- Screen readers
- Forms
- Focus
- Findings
How to Check If Your Website Is Accessible
Three barriers Esther found on a third or more of government websites can be checked in minutes, without a specialist. Here is the check for each.
Rick Hensbergen · 4 min read
- Text spacing
- Headings and labels
- Forms
- Records
- Findings
Who is affected by inaccessible government websites?
The most common barriers on government websites fall on people with low vision and people who use screen readers, at the first page and at the form.
Rick Hensbergen · 4 min read
- Government
- Text contrast
- Screen readers
- Forms
- Findings
How much work is it to fix website accessibility?
A typical site carries nearly 1,800 accessibility barriers that trace back to 34 distinct changes. Here is what the evidence shows, and why the work is finite.
Rick Hensbergen · 4 min read
- Templates
- Text contrast
- Forms
- Keyboard access
If any of this strikes a nerve, we should talk.
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