Accessibility (VPAT)
CourseArc is WCAG 2.1 AA Compliant
CourseArc is committed to making its information and communication technologies accessible to individuals with disabilities by meeting the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended in 1998, and additionally, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA level of compliance.
Section 508 is a federal law that requires agencies to provide individuals with disabilities equal access to electronic information and data comparable to those who do not have disabilities. The Section 508 standards are the technical requirements and criteria that are used to measure conformance within this law. More information on Section 508 and the technical standards can be found at Section508.gov.
The WCAG guidelines are the technical requirements and criteria that are used to measure conformance as specified by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The W3C is an international community that develops open standards to ensure the long-term growth of the Web. More information on WCAG and the technical standards can be found at W3C.
Although we have had our website reviewed by an external accessibility expert, if you require assistance or wish to report an issue related to the accessibility of any content on this website, please email info@coursearc.com. If applicable, please include the web address or URL and the specific problems you have encountered.
Voluntary Product Accessibility Template®
The purpose of the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template, or VPAT™, WCAG Version 2.1, is to assist Federal contracting officials and other buyers in making preliminary assessments regarding the availability of commercial “Electronic and Information Technology” products and services with features that support accessibility. It is assumed and recommended that offerers will provide additional contact information to facilitate more detailed inquiries.
The first table of the Template provides a summary view of the Standards and Levels of Conformance. The subsequent tables provide more detailed views of each subsection.
Name of Product/Version: CourseArc
Report Date: July 22, 2022
Product Description: CourseArc is a content authoring and management system that facilitates the collaborative creation of engaging and accessible online learning.
Contact Information: Bethany Meyer, info@coursearc.com
Evaluation Methods Used: JAWS and NVDA Screen Readers; Color contrast tools; Keyboard navigation, browser magnification, Code inspection. Four courses incorporating all of the available blocks were evaluated.
Applicable Standards/Guidelines
This report covers the degree of conformance for the following accessibility standard/guidelines:
| Standard/Guideline | Included in Report |
|---|---|
| Web: Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 | Level A (Yes) Level AA (Yes) Level AAA (No) |
| Web: Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 | Level A (Yes) Level AA (Yes) Level AAA (No) |
Terms
The terms used in the Conformance Level information are defined as follows:
- Supports: The functionality of the product has at least one method that meets the criterion without known defects or meets with equivalent facilitation.
- Partially Supports: Some functionality of the product does not meet the criterion.
- Does Not Support: The majority of product functionality does not meet the criterion.
- Not Applicable: The criterion is not relevant to the product.
- Not Evaluated: The product has not been evaluated against the criterion. This can be used only in WCAG 2.0 Level AAA.
WCAG 2.1 Report
Table 1: Success Criteria, Level A
| Criteria | Conformance Level | Remarks and Explanations |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports |
Web: Alt text is used for all icons and images throughout CourseArc. For images added in by a content creator, alt text is required. Authors can easily input descriptive alt text for images to ensure all users can understand the image content. Authors also can identify images which are purely decorative which will remove unnecessary distractions for screen reader users. |
| 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports |
Web: CourseArc supports equivalent alternatives for audio and video by including fields for transcripts in all multimedia blocks. We support multiple video streaming services, such as Kaltura, YouTube, and Vimeo. Finally, we routinely provide advice and best practices for creating captions and transcripts. |
| 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports |
Web: CourseArc supports many streaming services which offer alternatives for audio and video by including placeholders for captions – including Kaltura, YouTube, and Vimeo. We also routinely provide advice and best practices for creating captions and transcripts. |
| 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports |
Web: CourseArc supports equivalent alternatives for audio and video by including fields for transcripts in all multimedia blocks. Transcripts are easily accessed via an accessible “Transcript” link by end users. |
| 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports |
Web: Pages are organized with proper markup and headings. It is the responsibility of content creators to ensure that their content uses headers appropriately. |
| 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence (Level A)Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports |
Web:Content creators can use headings and other structural elements for meaningful sequences. It is the responsibility of content creators to ensure that they use sequences correctly. All markup on a page of content appears in the order it is displayed. We also provide information on visual reading order best practices. |
| 1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports |
Web: CourseArc content does not rely solely on sensory characteristics to convey information. |
| 1.4.1 Use of Color (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc content does not rely solely on color to convey information, indicate an action, prompt a response, or distinguish a visual element. |
| 1.4.2 Audio Control (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Not Applicable |
Web: No audio plays automatically within the program. Our audio block allows the user to control the audio by using the browser default controls which always allows pause, stop, and volume adjustment. |
| 2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports |
Web: All areas of CourseArc are designed to be keyboard navigable. Additionally, drag and drop activities allow users to make selections via a keyboard navigable dropdown within the activity. |
| 2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports |
Web: Focus can be moved away using standard exit methods, such as Tab or Escape. |
| 2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts (Level A 2.1 Only) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: CourseArc does not use keyboard shortcuts within our application. |
| 2.2.1 Timing Adjustable (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: CourseArc does not contain any timed elements. |
| 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: CourseArc does not include any moving, blinking, or scrolling content. |
| 2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: Pages within CourseArc do not contain any flashing content. |
| 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports |
Web: Navigation is the only repeatable element on a page. Skip navigation links are provided on each page. Additionally, a “Return to term” link within glossaries quickly skips focus back to the search field from a term definition. |
| 2.4.2 Page Titled (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports |
Web: CourseArc pages provide descriptive titles which match the main heading of the page. |
| 2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports | Web: Users can tab through in the same order they are presented visually. |
| 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports |
Web: All link elements generated by CourseArc provide a purpose through the link text itself. Course content creators are responsible for ensuring their links contain appropriate context. All CourseArc links also inform users if the link will open in a new window. |
| 2.5.1 Pointer Gestures (Level A 2.1 only) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: CourseArc does not use multipoint or path-based gestures. |
| 2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation (Level A 2.1 only) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc events are tied to up-events. |
| 2.5.3 Label in Name (Level A 2.1 only) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports | Web: All controls have a programmatic label. |
| 2.5.4 Motion Actuation (Level A 2.1 only) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Not Applicable |
Web: This is not applicable to CourseArc since our content is designed to be viewed on computers as well as mobile devices. Since motion actuation is not possible on non-mobile devices, we do not utilize motion actuation. |
| 3.1.1 Language of Page (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports |
Web: CourseArc identifies the language as English, using the language attribute tag on each page. To improve accessibility, a language tagging option has also been added to the text editor. Language tags may be assigned to text with the Select Language dropdown in the Accordions, Cloze, Content, and Tabs blocks. |
| 3.2.1 On Focus (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports | Web: Change of context does not occur when an element receives keyboard focus. |
| 3.2.2 On Input (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc does not automatically change the setting of user interface components without advising users. |
| 3.3.1 Error Identification (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports | Web: Errors are identified, and the error is described in text. |
| 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports | Web: Labels or instructions are provided when content requires user input. |
| 4.1.1 Parsing (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports |
Web: CourseArc uses valid markup throughout the application. |
| 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports |
Web: For all user interface components (including but not limited to form elements, links and components), the name and role is programmatically determined. |
Table 2: Success Criteria, Level AA
| Criteria | Conformance Level | Remarks and Explanations |
|---|---|---|
| 1.2.4 Captions (Live) (Level AA) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: CourseArc does not contain any real-time multimedia. |
| 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded) (Level AA) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports |
Web: CourseArc supports the use of audio description and provides guidance to content creators on how to create them. |
| 1.3.4 Orientation (Level AA 2.1 only) Revised Section 508 – Does not apply |
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc does not restrict to landscape or portrait orientation. |
| 1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose (Level AA 2.1 only) Revised Section 508 – Does not apply |
Web: Not Applicable | Web: Criteria does not apply to CourseArc. Most student-facing input fields are dynamic in nature – for example, quiz questions. Students do not see standardized fields such as email address, name, etc. |
| 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports |
Web: CourseArc’s institutional administrators have the ability to modify themes and are responsible for ensuring that their color choices are WCAG 2.1 compliant. CourseArc tests all of the colors with the WebAIM color contrast checked for AA compliance if a client uses our design service |
| 1.4.4 Resize Text (Level AA) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc content is able to be zoomed up to 200% with no impact on functionality. |
| 1.4.5 Images of Text (Level AA) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: CourseArc does not include any images of text. |
| 1.4.10 Reflow (Level AA 2.1 only) Revised Section 508 – Does not apply |
Web: Supports |
Web: CourseArc content can be presented without loss of information or functionality up to 400% magnification (320p x 256p). |
| 1.4.11 Non-Text Contrast (Level AA 2.1 only) Revised Section 508 – Does not apply |
Web: Supports |
Web: All CourseArc non-text content meets contrast guidelines. CourseArc also provides contextual help for designers who are setting up their theme and provides links to WebAIM to test for contrast. |
| 1.4.12 Text Spacing (Level AA 2.1 only) Revised Section 508 – Does not apply |
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc supports increasing line height size with no loss of readability. |
| 1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus (Level AA 2.1 only) Revised Section 508 – Does not apply |
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc does not use interactions upon hover or focus. |
| 2.4.5 Multiple Ways (Level AA) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc offers multiple ways to navigate content. |
| 2.4.6 Headings and Labels (Level AA) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc uses descriptive H1-H6 tags and labels on forms. |
| 2.4.7 Focus Visible (Level AA) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc provides visible focus for all interactive elements. |
| 3.1.2 Language of Parts (Level AA) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports |
Web: Content Creators are able add a language attribute. A language tagging option has been added to the text editor. Language tags may be assigned to text with the Select Language dropdown in the Accordions, Cloze, Content, and Tabs blocks. |
| 3.2.3 Consistent Navigation (Level AA) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc’s navigation is consistent in location, and a skip link to main content is provided. |
| 3.2.4 Consistent Identification (Level AA) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Supports |
Web: CourseArc elements that appear repeatedly have the same name/label throughout the application. |
| 3.3.3 Error Suggestion (Level AA) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: CourseArc does not include forms or questions that require error suggestion. |
| 3.3.4 Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data) (Level AA) Also applies to: Revised Section 508
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: CourseArc does not include any legal or financial transactions. |
| 4.1.3 Status Messages (Level AA 2.1 only) Revised Section 508 – Does not apply
|
Web: Supports |
Web: CourseArc ensures important changes of content (e.g., successful submission) is presented to all users without a change of context or focus. |
| Criteria | Conformance Level | Remarks and Explanations |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A) Also applies to: 2017 Section 508
|
Web: Supports | Web: Alt text is used for all icons and images throughout CourseArc. For images added in by a course builder, alt text is required. |
| 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc supports equivalent alternatives for audio and video by including placeholders for transcripts in all multimedia blocks. We support multiple video streaming services, such as Kaltura, YouTube, and Vimeo. Finally, we routinely provide advice and best practices for creating captions and transcripts. |
| 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) (Level A)
Also applies to: 2017 Section 508
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc supports equivalent alternatives for audio and video by including placeholders for transcripts in all multimedia blocks. We support multiple video embedding services, such as Kaltura, YouTube, and Vimeo. Finally, we routinely provide advice and best practices for creating captions and transcripts. |
| 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc supports equivalent alternatives for audio and video by including placeholders for transcripts in all multimedia blocks. We support multiple video embedding services, such as Kaltura, YouTube, and Vimeo. Finally, we routinely provide advice and best practices for creating captions and transcripts. |
| 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: Pages are organized with proper markup and headings. It is the responsibility of course builders to ensure that their content uses headers appropriately. |
| 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: Content creators can use headings and other structural elements for meaningful sequences. It is the responsibility of course builders to ensure that they use sequences correctly. All markup on a page of content appears in the order it is displayed. Finally, we provide information on visual reading order best practices. |
| 1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: None of our content relies solely on sensory characteristics. |
| 1.4.1 Use of Color (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc’s institutional administrators have the ability to modify themes and are responsible for ensuring that their color choices are WCAG 2.1 compliant. If a client uses our design services, we test all of the colors with the WebAIM color contrast checked for AA compliance. |
| 1.4.2 Audio Control (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: Our audio block allows the user to control the audio by using the browser default controls which always allows pause, stop, and volume adjustment. |
| 2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: All areas of CourseArc are designed to work with keyboard shortcuts. Also, all of the drag and drop blocks dynamically generate an alternative activity to ensure we are in full compliance. |
| 2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: Focus can be moved away using standard exit methods, such as Tab or Escape. |
| 2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: This is not applicable because CourseArc does not use keyboard shortcuts within our application. |
| 2.2.1 Timing Adjustable (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: CourseArc does not contain any timed elements. |
| 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: Pages in CourseArc does not contain any moving, blinking, scrolling, or auto-updating elements. |
| 2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: Pages within CourseArc do not contain any flashing elements. |
| 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: Navigation is the only repeatable element on a page. A skip navigation link is located before each list of links. |
| 2.4.2 Page Titled (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc page titles contain the name of the page. |
| 2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: Users can tab through in the same order they are presented visually. |
| 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: All link elements generated by CourseArc provide a purpose through the link text itself. Course content creators are responsible for ensuring their links contain appropriate context. |
| 2.5.1 Pointer Gestures (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: CourseArc does not use multipoint or path-based gestures. |
| 2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc events are tied to up-events. |
| 2.5.3 Label in Name (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: All controls have a programmatic label. |
| 2.5.4 Motion Actuation (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: This criterion is not applicable to CourseArc since our content is designed to be viewed on computers as well as mobile devices. Since motion actuation is not possible on non-mobile devices, we do not utilize motion actuation. |
| 3.1.1 Language of Page (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc identifies the language as English, using the language attribute tag on each page. |
| 3.2.1 On Focus (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: Change of context does not occur when an element receives keyboard focus. |
| 3.2.2 On Input (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc does not automatically change the setting of user interface components without advising users. |
| 3.3.1 Error Identification (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: Inline errors are described to users in text. |
| 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: CourseArc does not include forms or questions that require specific formatting instructions. |
| 4.1.1 Parsing (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc always uses valid markup. |
| 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: CourseArc does not use these types of fields. |
| Criteria | Conformance Level | Remarks and Explanations |
|---|---|---|
| 1.2.4 Captions (Live) (Level AA) Also applies to: 2017 Section 508
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: CourseArc does not contain any real-time multimedia. |
| 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded) (Level AA)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc supports equivalent alternatives for audio and video by including placeholders for transcripts in all multimedia blocks. We support multiple video embedding services, such as Kaltura, YouTube, and Vimeo. Finally, we routinely provide advice and best practices on creating captions and transcripts. |
| 1.3.4 Orientation (Level AA)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc does not restrict to landscape or portrait orientation. |
| 1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose (Level AA)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: Criteria does not apply to CourseArc. Most student-facing input fields are dynamic in nature – for example, quiz questions. Students do not see standardized fields such as email address, name, etc. |
| 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc’s institutional administrators have the ability to modify themes and are responsible for ensuring that their color contrast is WCAG 2.1 compliant. If a client uses our design services, we test all of the colors with the WebAIM color contrast checked for AA compliance. |
| 1.4.4 Resize Text (Level AA)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc content is able to be zoomed up to 200% with no impact on functionality. |
| 1.4.5 Images of Text (Level AA)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: CourseArc does not include any images of text. |
| 1.4.10 Reflow (Level AA)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: Our software is 100% responsive. |
| 1.4.11 Non-Text Contrast (Level AA)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc provides contextual help for designers who are setting up their theme and provides links to WebAIM to test for contrast. |
| 1.4.12 Text Spacing (Level AA)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc supports increasing line height size with no loss of readability. |
| 1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus (Level AA)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: CourseArc does not use interactions upon hover or focus. |
| 2.4.5 Multiple Ways (Level AA)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc offers multiple ways to navigate content. |
| 2.4.6 Headings and Labels (Level AA)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc uses descriptive H1-H6 tags and labels on forms. |
| 2.4.7 Focus Visible (Level AA)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: We support the browser’s default styling for focused elements. |
| 3.1.2 Language of Parts (Level AA)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports with Exceptions | Web: This applies to any text on the page that’s in a language other than the main language declared in theelement. So if you have a page with English as the main language, any non-English text needs markup indicating its language. This should be conveyed using the lang attribute with the appropriate language code. Screen readers will respond to this by changing their pronunciation. Content Creators are able to use the HTML Block or Source Mode in the Content Block to add a language attribute. We currently do not support adding language to other blocks that are not explicitly mentioned. We are also working on adding an attribute field to the content block so the language can be identified without needing HTML. We also will be adding functionality to include a language attribute to additional blocks. These updates will be released by December 2018. |
| 3.2.3 Consistent Navigation (Level AA)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc’s navigation is consistent in location and we provide a skip to main content link. |
| 3.2.4 Consistent Identification (Level AA)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc’s navigation is consistent in location and we provide a skip to main content link. |
| 3.3.3 Error Suggestion (Level AA)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: CourseArc does not include forms or questions that require error suggestion. |
| 3.3.4 Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data) (Level AA)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Not Applicable | Web: CourseArc does not include any legal or financial transactions. |
| 4.1.3 Status Messages (Level AA)
Also applies to:
|
Web: Supports | Web: CourseArc utilizes Aria Status Role Attributes to meet this requirement. |
