Accessibility
EqualWeb is committed to promoting digital accessibility, ensuring that individuals with disabilities can navigate and interact with online content more independently and efficiently. As part of this mission, the Little Tikes website has undergone a thorough review and enhancement process led by professional software developers and accessibility specialists. This initiative was designed to align the site with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 at the AA conformance level, recognized internationally as a standard for accessible web design.
The WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines provide detailed recommendations to make online content usable for a diverse range of users, including those who rely on assistive technologies or alternative methods of interaction. These guidelines address navigation, visual presentation, content structure, and user interaction. Implementing these standards helps improve accessibility for individuals who are blind or have low vision, deaf or hard of hearing, have cognitive or learning challenges, limited mobility, speech impairments, photosensitivity, or combinations of these conditions. Enhancing accessibility also benefits the general public by making the site more intuitive and user-friendly.
To achieve these improvements, EqualWeb combined automated testing with hands-on expertise from developers, designers, and accessibility professionals. The website was carefully reviewed, adjusted, and tested in multiple layers to identify and remediate accessibility barriers. Technical updates included targeted JavaScript and CSS modifications and enhancements to improve compatibility with assistive technologies, including screen readers such as NVDA and JAWS. These measures ensure that users depending on these tools can navigate and access content effectively.
Broad compatibility was another key focus. The site has been optimized to function properly across popular web browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, and Safari, while supporting VoiceOver on macOS. Accessibility improvements were made for screen reader technologies on both Windows and Mac platforms, helping provide a consistent experience regardless of device or operating system.
Several accessibility features were incorporated to meet varying user needs. The website can be navigated via keyboard for users who cannot use a mouse. Visual distractions, such as blinking elements, have been minimized. Images include descriptive text, and font size, alignment, spacing, and alternative fonts can be adjusted to improve readability. Color contrast options, including light, dark, and monochrome modes for users with color vision deficiencies, are also available.
Additional enhancements include adjustable cursor size and color, the ability to enlarge the display up to 200 percent, and link and heading highlighting to improve page structure visibility. Image descriptions provide context, and tooltips clarify on-screen content. Simplified display options improve clarity, and certain text entry functions can be completed using a mouse to support alternative input methods.
From a technical standpoint, the website’s accessibility is supported through established web technologies, including HTML, WAI-ARIA, CSS, and JavaScript. These tools work together to maintain compliance with accessibility standards while ensuring compatibility with assistive devices and mainstream browsers. Through these efforts, the Little Tikes website aims to provide an inclusive and seamless experience for all users.