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Accessibility Statement

PhysicsForum.org is committed to making physics education available to everyone, including users who rely on assistive technology.

Our Standards

We aim to conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA across the site. This is an ongoing commitment — we audit ourselves and respond promptly to any reported barriers.

Built-in Accessibility Features

  • Semantic HTML structure with proper landmark regions (<main>, <nav>, <aside>).
  • Sufficient colour contrast in both light and dark modes (verified ≥ 4.5:1 for body text).
  • Keyboard-only navigation supported throughout. Focus indicators are always visible.
  • A “Skip to content” link on every page.
  • All form fields have explicit, programmatically associated labels.
  • All images carry meaningful alt attributes.
  • Mathematical notation rendered with KaTeX, which produces screen-reader-friendly MathML in parallel.
  • Respects prefers-reduced-motion: animations are softened when the OS requests it.
  • Resizable interface elements (forum textareas, comment boxes) so users can fit the layout to their needs.

Keyboard Shortcuts

  • g then h — go to the homepage
  • g then f — go to the forum
  • g then l — go to the lab
  • / — focus the search box
  • ? — open the shortcut help

Known Limitations

A few interactive lab simulations rely on real-time canvas rendering and are not currently fully accessible to screen readers. For each such simulation we provide a textual description of the physics and recommend a non-interactive alternative.

Reporting Issues

If you encounter an accessibility barrier, please email accessibility@physicsforum.org. We treat accessibility reports as a top priority and aim to respond within 5 working days.