The standard we aim for
The website aims to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at level AA.
How it is built
- Plain English, short sentences and one main question per page.
- Structure that assistive technology can follow: one main heading per page, headings in order, a “skip to main content” link, labelled navigation and a contents list on longer pages.
- Keyboard access to every link, menu, question-and-answer panel and form field, with a clearly visible focus outline.
- Colour contrast that meets AA. Aqua, the bright accent colour, is used for lines and shapes and for text only on dark backgrounds.
- Reflow and zoom: pages work at 400% zoom and on narrow phone screens without sideways scrolling, except inside wide tables, which scroll on their own and can be reached by keyboard.
- Forms with visible labels, hints, error messages linked to their fields and a summary of what needs fixing.
- Motion: no autoplaying video or animation, and transitions are switched off if your device asks for reduced motion.
- No images of text, apart from the logo, which has a text alternative.
How it is tested
Every page is checked automatically with axe-core against WCAG 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2 A and AA rules at desktop and mobile widths before release, and the HTML is validated. Keyboard use and zoom are checked by hand.
Known limitations
- Some sources we link to, including ANZCA professional documents, are PDF files on other websites. We cannot vouch for their accessibility, so every page also explains the key points in its own words.
- The guide is in English only. The Australian Society of Anaesthetists publishes a pamphlet on anaesthesia for children in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Punjabi and Vietnamese, and TIS National can arrange an interpreter on 131 450.
Tell us about a barrier
If something on this website is hard to use, please tell us through the contact page or by phone on 0411 965 272. Let us know the page and what went wrong, and we will try to fix it or give you the information another way.