Preface

The preface of this audit includes a document titled “Accessibility for DuckDuckGo”, which outlines the importance of accessibility tailored for the company, including its benefits in terms of market potential, product and brand advantages, and legal considerations. Its purpose is to assist different stakeholders in understanding and prioritizing accessibility.

Please feel free to share relevant sections with others as needed.

Audit

Reading order

This audit is designed to be read in order, but you can also read individual chapters separately. Just keep in mind that some suggestions are built on top of others (usually cross-referenced).

Structure

The audit is structured as follows:

1. Site-wide suggestions: These address issues that appear on multiple pages and are best handled separately, for example issues with colors or focus indicators.
2. Page-by-page breakdown: Each page is examined starting with the structure of the page (like landmarks or headings) and its unique elements, that are not part of any components.
3. Logical component breakdown: Each page is broken down into logical components that are tackled one-by-one (like modal dialogs, forms etc). First, I demonstrate the proper accessible implementation, then I list suggested fixes to close gaps between the current implementation and the ideal one.
4. Individual issues: Finally, individual issues are addressed within the components (like issues with the content of each modal dialog)

When the same component is present on subsequent pages, I provide a link back to the component-level suggestions. Then, I address any issues that are specific to that component on that particular page, such as its content or unique features.

Features

• Each accessibility suggestion in the audit starts with examples of the observed issues.
• This is followed by a detailed fix, which may include multiple alternatives and relevant screenshots or code snippets if necessary.
• If there are relevant findings from user testing, I attach video snippets that illustrate the issues as encountered by real users.

Knowledge base links

• To ensure a comprehensive understanding of each suggestion and to promote future accessibility knowledge, any new concept introduced (such as keyboard usability) is linked to a relevant Knowledge base entry.
• These entries provide an explanation of the principles, examples of how people use specific assistive technology, common issues, the additional benefits of implementing the principles beyond accessibility, and the relevant WCAG success criterion.