Who is affected
Each guide shows which of these groups its failure shuts out. The groups come from the functional performance criteria in Section 508 and EN 301 549, which describe people by what they can and can't do, not by diagnosis. One person can belong to several, and many people in them don't think of themselves as disabled.
Section 508 §302 (opens in a new tab) EN 301 549 §4.2 (opens in a new tab)
Without vision
508 §302.1 · EN 4.2.1
People who use the page without seeing it, with a screen reader or braille display.
Guides that affect this group (13)
- Icon-only buttons with no accessible name
- Empty image links and vague “Read more” links
- Modals that leave keyboard focus behind them
- Search panels that close on Tab and drop keyboard focus
- Accordions that don't expose their open state
- Error summaries that don't say which fields failed
- Form fields with missing or mismatched labels
- Required fields marked only by colour
- Missing alt text on images that carry information
- Focus order that jumps around the page
- Keyboard traps in editors and embedded widgets
- Missing skip links past repeated navigation
- Loading spinners that screen readers never announce
Limited vision
508 §302.2 · EN 4.2.2
People who see some of the screen and rely on zoom, larger text, magnifiers or high contrast.
Guides that affect this group (13)
- Small tap targets packed too close together
- Low-contrast form fields, icons and focus rings
- Low-contrast text on brand colours, photos and hover states
- Tooltips that vanish on approach and can't be dismissed
- Error summaries that don't say which fields failed
- Required fields marked only by colour
- Missing alt text on images that carry information
- Focus rings too thin or faint to spot
- Sticky headers and banners that hide keyboard focus
- Focus order that jumps around the page
- Missing skip links past repeated navigation
- Loading spinners that screen readers never announce
- Enlarged text cut off by fixed-height boxes
Without perception of colour
508 §302.3 · EN 4.2.3
People who can't tell some colours apart, so colour alone carries nothing for them.
Without hearing
508 §302.4 · EN 4.2.4
People who use the page without sound, through captions, transcripts and visual cues.
No guide covers this group yet.
Limited hearing
508 §302.5 · EN 4.2.5
People who hear some sound and need it clear, loud enough, or backed by text.
No guide covers this group yet.
Without speech
508 §302.6 · EN 4.2.6
People who can't use their voice, so voice-only input shuts them out.
No guide covers this group yet.
Limited manipulation
508 §302.7 · EN 4.2.7
People who can't use a mouse or fine pointer movements: keyboard, switch, voice control and mouth-stick users.
Guides that affect this group (19)
- Icon-only buttons with no accessible name
- Empty image links and vague “Read more” links
- Small tap targets packed too close together
- Low-contrast form fields, icons and focus rings
- Tooltips that vanish on approach and can't be dismissed
- Modals that leave keyboard focus behind them
- Search panels that close on Tab and drop keyboard focus
- Accordions that don't expose their open state
- Form fields that block or break autofill
- Error summaries that don't say which fields failed
- Form fields with missing or mismatched labels
- Focus rings too thin or faint to spot
- Sticky headers and banners that hide keyboard focus
- Focus order that jumps around the page
- Keyboard traps in editors and embedded widgets
- Div buttons that can't be reached with Tab
- Missing skip links past repeated navigation
- Missing focus indicators on custom buttons
- Enlarged text cut off by fixed-height boxes
Limited reach and strength
508 §302.8 · EN 4.2.8
People with tremors, weakness or limited reach, who miss small targets and tire with repeated effort.
Guides that affect this group
Limited language, cognitive and learning abilities
508 §302.9 · EN 4.2.10
People who need content that is predictable, plainly worded and free of distractions, and time to act.
Guides that affect this group (8)
- Icon-only buttons with no accessible name
- Empty image links and vague “Read more” links
- Tooltips that vanish on approach and can't be dismissed
- Form errors that don't say how to fix them
- Form fields that block or break autofill
- Error summaries that don't say which fields failed
- Required fields marked only by colour
- Animations that ignore the reduced-motion setting
Photosensitive seizures
EN 4.2.9
People for whom flashing or flickering content can trigger a seizure.
No guide covers this group yet.