Standards & References
AuditEB draws on established accessibility standards, GIS community research, and open-source testing tools. All guidance content in this application is original writing informed by these sources.
Foundational Standards
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1
W3C Recommendation. The technical standard that defines Level A and AA success criteria used throughout this tool.
- Understanding WCAG 2.1
W3C supplementary guidance explaining the intent and techniques for each success criterion.
GIS Accessibility Resources
- Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) — Accessibility Program
MNIT's accessibility office has published guidance on making digital maps accessible, including practical considerations for state and local government GIS applications.
- Minnesota Maps Community of Practice
A collaborative initiative bringing together GIS professionals across Minnesota state agencies to address map accessibility challenges including color contrast, keyboard navigation, and data alternatives.
- Esri — Accessibility Resources
Esri's documentation on accessibility support in ArcGIS products, including Experience Builder and the ArcGIS Maps SDK.
Federal Standards & Legal Context
- ADA.gov — Web Accessibility Guidance
The U.S. Department of Justice guidance on how the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to web content, including the 2024 Final Rule establishing WCAG 2.1 AA as the technical standard for state and local government websites.
- Section508.gov
Federal accessibility requirements for information and communication technology. Section 508 applies to federal agencies; ADA Title II applies to state and local government.
- DOJ Final Rule — ADA Title II Web Accessibility (April 2024)
The Federal Register publication of the DOJ Final Rule requiring state and local government web content to conform to WCAG 2.1 AA, with compliance deadlines of April 2026 and April 2027.
Testing Engine
- axe-core by Deque Systems
The industry-standard open-source accessibility testing engine. AuditEB uses axe-core to detect automated violations against WCAG 2.1 AA criteria.
- Playwright by Microsoft
Browser automation framework used to navigate EB applications, dismiss modals, interact with widgets, and execute multi-state scanning.
Disclaimer
AuditEB is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the W3C, Esri, the U.S. Department of Justice, Minnesota IT Services, Deque Systems, or Microsoft. All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. All guidance content in this application is original writing by AuditEB, informed by the publicly available standards and resources listed above.