Accessibility

Accessible design is a prerequisite for releasing software, not an afterthought once the visual design is done. Every CQUT-OSP community software project targets WCAG 2.2 AA as its baseline.

Contrast

• Normal text: at least 4.5:1.
• Large text (24 px regular or 18.66 px bold and above): at least 3:1.
• Input borders, focus rings, and important icons: at least 3:1.
• Disabled elements may use lower contrast, but they must be non-interactive and expose their programmatic disabled state to assistive technology.

Keyboard & Focus

All interface interactions must be completable with Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space, and necessary arrow keys. Keyboard focus order must match the visual reading order. Focus rings use a high-contrast 3 px Brand Blue (light theme) or Soft Blue (dark theme) with at least 2 px offset; never remove focus styles with outline: none.

Structure & Labels

Each page may have only one h1 describing the core content, and heading levels must not skip. Inputs need a persistently visible label; placeholder text is not a substitute. Icon buttons need an accessible name, and purely decorative graphics should be hidden from assistive technology such as screen readers.

Zoom & Responsive

Even in extreme viewports of 320 CSS px width at 200% zoom, users should be able to read body text and complete primary actions without trouble. Data tables may scroll horizontally within their own container, but the page must never have a global horizontal scrollbar.

Motion & Media

Interface motion must respect the prefers-reduced-motion media query. Autoplaying media must provide a pause control, and strobing must stay within safe rates. Videos need captions, images that convey information need concise alternative text (alt), and purely decorative images use an empty alt attribute.

Acceptance Checklist

Before release, complete a full-keyboard walkthrough, a light/dark contrast review, mobile viewport testing, 200% zoom testing, and automated Axe detection. Automated tools cannot replace a human final review of focus order and copy readability.