Accessibility is at the core of everything we build at GABLVM. This month, we conducted a comprehensive accessibility audit of our website using the axe-core testing engine and made several improvements to ensure our platform meets the highest standards for all users.
Audit Results
We scanned every primary page on our website, including the homepage, Quran Player, Prayer Times, Islamic Calendar, Events, and Contact pages. The audit returned zero WCAG 2.2 Level AA violations across all pages. This means our website meets the international standard for web accessibility as defined by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
What We Improved
Color Contrast
We updated the color values on several interactive elements to ensure they meet or exceed the 4.5:1 contrast ratio required by WCAG 2.2. This includes the Quran Player buttons, Prayer Times calculation method text, and Ramadan seasonal labels. These changes make our content easier to read for users with low vision or color sensitivity.
Link Visibility
Links within body text are now visually distinguished by both color and underline, rather than color alone. This ensures that users who cannot perceive color differences can still identify clickable content. This change aligns with WCAG Success Criterion 1.4.1 (Use of Color).
Landmark Structure
We corrected the landmark structure across all pages to ensure screen readers can navigate the page layout accurately. Every section of content is now contained within a proper landmark region, and duplicate landmarks have been resolved. The social media section is now wrapped in a labeled complementary landmark for clear identification.
Heading Hierarchy
We fixed a heading order issue on the Events page where the pagination navigation used a heading level four immediately after heading level two, skipping heading level three. The heading hierarchy across the entire website now follows a logical, sequential order without any skipped levels.
Quran Player Keyboard Shortcuts
We added full keyboard control to the Quran Player. Users can now play, pause, seek, change speed, mute, and navigate between surahs using keyboard shortcuts. A dedicated Keyboard Shortcuts button is available below the player controls, and pressing the question mark key opens a reference dialog listing all available shortcuts. These shortcuts follow the same conventions used by major media platforms for consistency and ease of learning.
Contact Form Improvements
The contact form now includes a category dropdown so users can indicate the nature of their inquiry. The form is announced as "Contact form" by screen readers when users enter the form region. The subject field is optional when a category is selected, reducing the number of required fields and making the form faster to complete.
Accessibility Statement
We updated our Accessibility Statement to reflect our current conformance status with WCAG 2.2 Level AA. The statement now includes links to the relevant W3C specifications, Section 508 requirements, and the European EN 301 549 standard. It also documents our testing methodology, which includes both automated scanning and manual testing with screen readers by blind and low vision users.
Our Commitment
We believe that accessibility is not a feature to be added after the fact. It is a fundamental requirement that shapes every decision we make in design and development. As an organization founded by and for blind and low vision Muslims, we hold ourselves to the highest accessibility standards because our community depends on it.
If you encounter any accessibility barriers on our website, please contact us at [email protected]. We take every report seriously and aim to respond within five business days.