Sample — fictitious product
Tidewater Scheduling Accessibility Conformance Report
WCAG Edition
(Based on VPAT® Version 2.5Rev)
- Name of Product/Version
- Tidewater Scheduling 4.2 (web application, build 4.2.1)
- Report Date
- September 2026
- Product Description
- Tidewater Scheduling is a web-based class scheduling tool. College registrars and department schedulers use it to build term schedules, assign rooms, resolve conflicts and publish course sections.
- Contact Information
- accessibility@tidewater.example
- Notes
-
This report covers the following 12 screens and key flows of build 4.2.1, tested September 8–12, 2026:
- Sign in, including password reset
- Term dashboard
- Weekly schedule grid
- Create or edit a course section (dialog)
- Room assignment
- Conflict review panel
- Course catalog: search, filters and results table
- Section details side panel
- Export schedule (CSV and iCalendar)
- Publish term schedule (review and confirmation)
- User settings and notifications
- Help panel, including the “Getting started” video (2 min 10 s)
Out of scope: PDF exports, email notifications, the public course-search widget that colleges embed on their own websites, and the Tidewater marketing site. Tidewater Scheduling has no native mobile app.
- Evaluation Methods Used
-
Evaluated by ACR Desk, an independent evaluator, following its published method and the five steps of the W3C’s WCAG-EM 2.0 (define the scope, explore, select a representative sample, evaluate, report). Testers used the product as a department scheduler and as a registrar administrator.
- Automated checks with axe-core 4.11 in Chromium 151 and WebKit, on every screen and state in the sample.
- A keyboard-only pass through every flow (Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space, arrow keys, Escape).
- Inspection of the accessibility tree (names, roles, states and values) in Chromium.
- Screen reader checks of each flow with VoiceOver and Safari 26.5 on macOS 26.5.
- Contrast measured from computed colors with the WCAG formula.
- Text resized to 200%, reflow at 320 CSS pixels, WCAG text-spacing overrides, portrait and landscape.
- Form labels, instructions, errors and status messages; captions, transcript and audio description of the help video.
Not tested: JAWS, NVDA or TalkBack, and physical mobile devices.
Applicable Standards/Guidelines
This report covers the degree of conformance for the following accessibility standard/guidelines:
| Standard/Guideline | Included In Report |
|---|---|
| Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 | Level A (Yes) · Level AA (Yes) · Level AAA (No) |
| Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 | Level A (Yes) · Level AA (Yes) · Level AAA (No) |
WCAG 2.2 was not part of this evaluation. A product that conforms to WCAG 2.1 also conforms to WCAG 2.0, so the 2.1 tables below answer both.
Terms
The terms used in the Conformance Level information are defined as follows:
- Supports
- The functionality of the product has at least one method that meets the criterion without known defects or meets with equivalent facilitation.
- Partially Supports
- Some functionality of the product does not meet the criterion.
- Does Not Support
- The majority of product functionality does not meet the criterion.
- Not Applicable
- The criterion is not relevant to the product.
WCAG 2.x Report
Note: When reporting on conformance with the WCAG 2.x Success Criteria, they are scoped for full pages, complete processes, and accessibility-supported ways of using technology as documented in the WCAG 2.0 Conformance Requirements.
Table 1: Success Criteria, Level A
Notes: Rows for the two Level A criteria that exist only in WCAG 2.2 (3.2.6 Consistent Help and 3.3.7 Redundant Entry) are removed because this report covers WCAG 2.1, as the VPAT® instructions allow.
| Criteria | Conformance Level | Remarks and Explanations |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A) | Partially Supports | Buttons, icons and images on the tested screens have text alternatives, and decorative illustrations are hidden from assistive technology. Exceptions: in the weekly schedule grid, the “section full” and “waitlist open” status icons have no text alternative, so screen readers announce nothing for them; in Room assignment, the building floor plan image has the alt text “map,” which does not convey the room locations it shows (the room list below conveys them, but the image does not refer to it). |
| 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) (Level A) | Not Applicable | The product contains no prerecorded audio-only or video-only content. The help video has both audio and video; see 1.2.2, 1.2.3 and 1.2.5. |
| 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) (Level A) | Supports | The “Getting started” help video (2 min 10 s) has accurate, synchronized closed captions that can be turned on from the player controls. |
| 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) (Level A) | Supports | A full text transcript, including descriptions of the on-screen actions, is linked directly below the video. |
| 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A) | Partially Supports | Headings, lists, landmarks, the catalog results table and most form labels are coded correctly. Exceptions: the weekly schedule grid is built from generic div elements with no table or grid semantics, so the day and time headers are not associated with the section blocks and screen reader users hear section names without their day or time; in the create/edit section dialog, the “Meeting days” checkboxes are not grouped, so the group label is not announced with each checkbox. |
| 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence (Level A) | Supports | The reading order in the code matches the visual order on all tested screens. The section details side panel follows the grid in reading order and is exposed as a complementary region. |
| 1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics (Level A) | Partially Supports | The conflict review panel tells users to “fix the sections outlined in red,” and an onboarding tip refers to “the button on the right.” Neither instruction names the sections or the button in a way that does not rely on color or position. |
| 1.4.1 Use of Color (Level A) | Does Not Support | Scheduling conflicts are shown only by a red or amber fill in the weekly grid, in the conflict review panel and in the catalog status column; there is no text, icon or pattern. Links inside help text differ from the surrounding text by color alone (#2a6fb0 against #333333, 2.4:1) and are not underlined. |
| 1.4.2 Audio Control (Level A) | Supports | No audio plays automatically. The help video starts only when the user activates Play. |
| 2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A) | Partially Supports | Most tested flows can be completed with a keyboard alone. Exceptions: in Room assignment, “Swap sections” is available only by drag and drop, with no keyboard alternative (a single section can be moved from the “Edit time and room” dialog); the custom “Term” menu in the header opens on mouse click only and ignores Enter, Space and the arrow keys. |
| 2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap (Level A) | Supports | Keyboard focus can be moved into and out of every tested component, including the video player and all dialogs, with Tab, Shift+Tab and Escape. |
| 2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts (Level A 2.1 and 2.2) | Does Not Support | The weekly grid uses single-character shortcuts (N new section, E edit, / search, ? shortcut list) that stay active wherever focus is on the page. They cannot be turned off or remapped, so speech input users can trigger them by accident. |
| 2.2.1 Timing Adjustable (Level A) | Supports | Sessions end after 30 minutes of inactivity. A dialog warns users two minutes before the session ends and lets them extend it with a single keystroke, with no limit on the number of extensions. |
| 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide (Level A) | Not Applicable | The product has no moving, blinking, scrolling or auto-updating content. Loading indicators stop in under five seconds. |
| 2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold (Level A) | Supports | No content flashes more than three times in any one-second period, including the help video. |
| 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks (Level A) | Supports | A “Skip to main content” link is the first focusable element on every screen, and main, navigation and complementary landmarks are present. |
| 2.4.2 Page Titled (Level A) | Partially Supports | Sign in and the help pages have descriptive titles. All application views share the title “Tidewater” — including the weekly grid, the catalog and settings — so screen reader users and people working across several tabs cannot tell them apart. |
| 2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A) | Partially Supports | Focus order follows the visual layout on most screens. When the create/edit section dialog closes, focus moves to the top of the page instead of returning to the button that opened it. The section details side panel appears next to the selected block but receives focus only after every block in the grid. |
| 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A) | Supports | Link text is descriptive. In the catalog results table, each “View” link sits in a row whose course title is coded as a row header, so its purpose can be determined from its programmatically determined link context. |
| 2.5.1 Pointer Gestures (Level A 2.1 and 2.2) | Supports | No function requires a multipoint or path-based gesture. Dragging a section block depends only on its start and end points (see 2.1.1 for keyboard access). |
| 2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation (Level A 2.1 and 2.2) | Supports | Buttons and links activate on release. A dragged section returns to its original slot if the user releases it outside the grid. |
| 2.5.3 Label in Name (Level A 2.1 and 2.2) | Partially Supports | The toolbar button that reads “Export” has the accessible name “Download schedule file,” and the button that reads “Publish” is named “Submit term.” Speech input users who say the visible label cannot activate them. |
| 2.5.4 Motion Actuation (Level A 2.1 and 2.2) | Not Applicable | No function is operated by device motion or user motion. |
| 3.1.1 Language of Page (Level A) | Supports | Every screen declares lang="en" on the html element. |
| 3.2.1 On Focus (Level A) | Supports | Moving focus onto a component never triggers a change of context. |
| 3.2.2 On Input (Level A) | Partially Supports | In the Export dialog, choosing a file format immediately starts the download and closes the dialog, without prior warning. Other controls take effect only when the user activates a button. |
| 3.3.1 Error Identification (Level A) | Partially Supports | Errors in the create/edit section form are described in text next to the field (for example, “End time must be after start time”). An invalid value in “Room capacity” is shown only by a red border, with no text. |
| 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (Level A) | Partially Supports | All fields have visible labels. Required fields are marked with an asterisk that is not explained on the form, and the start and end time fields expect 24-hour time (for example, 14:30), a format given only as placeholder text that disappears when typing starts. |
| 4.1.1 Parsing (Level A) | Supports | For WCAG 2.0 and 2.1, the September 2023 errata update indicates this criterion is always supported. See the WCAG 2.0 Editorial Errata and the WCAG 2.1 Editorial Errata. |
| 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A) | Does Not Support | Core controls do not expose their name, role or state: the custom “Term” menu (no role, name or expanded state); the section blocks in the weekly grid (focusable div elements with no role or accessible name); the “Favorite” star toggles in the catalog (no pressed state); and the tabs in the section details panel (no tab roles or selected state). |
Table 2: Success Criteria, Level AA
Notes: Rows for the four Level AA criteria that exist only in WCAG 2.2 (2.4.11, 2.5.7, 2.5.8 and 3.3.8) are removed for the same reason.
| Criteria | Conformance Level | Remarks and Explanations |
|---|---|---|
| 1.2.4 Captions (Live) (Level AA) | Not Applicable | The product has no live audio or video content. |
| 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded) (Level AA) | Partially Supports | The narration of the help video describes most on-screen actions, but the keyboard shortcut list shown from 0:42 to 0:55 is not read aloud, and no audio-described version is offered. The transcript covers it, which satisfies 1.2.3 but not this criterion. |
| 1.3.4 Orientation (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) | Supports | Content is not locked to either orientation; tested in portrait and landscape at a mobile viewport size. |
| 1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) | Partially Supports | The sign-in email field uses autocomplete="username". In User settings, the first name, last name, email and phone fields have no autocomplete attribute. |
| 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA) | Partially Supports | Body text and most controls meet 4.5:1. Below the minimum: secondary text in the catalog results (#8a929b on #ffffff, 3.1:1), the time-format hint shown as placeholder text (#a3a9b0 on #ffffff, 2.3:1), and the white label on the amber “Waitlist” badge (#ffffff on #f0a500, 2.0:1). |
| 1.4.4 Resize Text (Level AA) | Supports | At 200% browser zoom, text on all tested screens resizes without loss of content or functionality. |
| 1.4.5 Images of Text (Level AA) | Supports | No images of text are used apart from the Tidewater logotype. |
| 1.4.10 Reflow (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) | Partially Supports | At a width of 320 CSS pixels, most screens reflow to a single column. The weekly schedule grid scrolls in two directions, which falls under the exception for content that requires two-dimensional layout. The section details side panel, however, keeps a fixed 420-pixel width: its Save and Cancel buttons are cut off and can be reached only by scrolling horizontally. |
| 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) | Partially Supports | Text field borders (#d0d5db on #ffffff, 1.4:1) and the borders of unchecked “Meeting days” checkboxes (#c4c9cf on #ffffff, 1.6:1) are below 3:1. Focus indicators and button boundaries meet 3:1. |
| 1.4.12 Text Spacing (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) | Partially Supports | With line height 1.5, paragraph spacing 2, letter spacing 0.12 and word spacing 0.16 applied, text inside the weekly grid’s section blocks is clipped because the blocks have a fixed height; course codes and room numbers are cut off. No other loss of content was found. |
| 1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) | Does Not Support | Tooltips on section blocks and toolbar icons disappear when the pointer moves onto them, cannot be dismissed with Escape, and cover the neighboring time slots. |
| 2.4.5 Multiple Ways (Level AA) | Supports | Each view can be reached from the main navigation and from global search. Export and Publish are steps in a process and are exempt. |
| 2.4.6 Headings and Labels (Level AA) | Supports | Headings and labels describe their topic or purpose on all tested screens. |
| 2.4.7 Focus Visible (Level AA) | Partially Supports | Links, buttons and form fields show a visible focus indicator. Section blocks in the weekly grid and the options of the custom “Term” menu remove the outline and show no focus indicator. |
| 3.1.2 Language of Parts (Level AA) | Partially Supports | Course descriptions written in Spanish and French in the catalog are not marked with a lang attribute, so screen readers read them with English pronunciation. |
| 3.2.3 Consistent Navigation (Level AA) | Supports | The main navigation and the toolbar appear in the same order on every screen. |
| 3.2.4 Consistent Identification (Level AA) | Supports | Components with the same function are identified consistently across screens (for example, every dialog uses “Save” and “Cancel”). |
| 3.3.3 Error Suggestion (Level AA) | Supports | When the product detects an error and knows the fix (time range, duplicate section number, room over capacity), the message suggests it. |
| 3.3.4 Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data) (Level AA) | Supports | Deleting a section requires confirmation. Publishing a term schedule shows a review step first and can be reversed with “Unpublish” for 24 hours. |
| 4.1.3 Status Messages (Level AA 2.1 and 2.2) | Does Not Support | Messages such as “Section saved,” “3 conflicts found” and “Export ready” appear as visual toasts but are not exposed as status messages (no status role or live region), so screen readers do not announce them. |
Table 3: Success Criteria, Level AAA — removed. Level AAA was not evaluated.
Legal Disclaimer (Tidewater Scheduling)
This report describes Tidewater Scheduling build 4.2.1 as evaluated in September 2026. It is provided for information and does not describe other versions, configurations or third-party integrations. Tidewater Scheduling updates this report when a release changes the functions it covers.