RISE - accessibility features

Hi Colette, 

We've been releasing Rise features and fixes throughout the past year, and you can see a full listing of those here in the Rise Version history.

Some things we've already implemented:

• can improve accessibility for learners with screen readers by adding alternate text to images 
• we changed the text contrast which darkened/lightened some colors in the UI to create stronger contrast (this is not author controlled) 
• we’ve verified that Rise text can safely zoom to 200% without breaking the design, a key accessibility need

We've got a few other accessibility features in the pipeline, and my colleague Mike offered a great overview of what's coming up next with keyboard navigation here. 

Please keep the feedback, ideas and accessibility needs coming! It's all valuable for our team as they continue to plan out the next features and updates. 

Is there a ballpark release date yet for when Rise will support screen readers?

Hi Nathan, 

We’ve been working hard on the accessibility features in Rise. And our ultimate goal is to be Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) compliant.

We’ve built Rise to follow Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) standards for common navigation features, such as buttons, links, and forms. For custom features that aren’t covered by ARIA, such as interactive markers and sorting activities, we’ve focused on making the custom keyboard navigation feel natural and intuitive.

We do not yet provide full keyboard navigation support for learners who require a screen reader, but we are actively working on this.

As part of our plan to get to be WCAG compliant, we’re also hiring a 3rd party consultant to do a full audit. We’ll then produce a WCAG compliance document.

We appreciate your patience as we continue to work to meet the needs of all your learners and will continue to update you as we make progress in this area.

Hi David,

Our team is still working on these features and making progress but since my last post, we have yet to release additional features. As soon as we do, we'll post in as many forum discussions as we can so that you'll know right away! 

Another option is to keep an eye on the Rise Version history and the “What’s New, What's Next" page! 

I know you said Rise isn't fully WCAG compliant yet, but do you know if it is Level A WCAG compliant?

Hi Andre, 

Thanks for checking in! I don't have an update yet on our compliance with WCAG, but as soon as we do we'll let folks know here! 

Hi Ashely - any update with the WCAG compliance?

Hi Virginia,

No news yet, but once we have an update I promise we'll share in these ELH discussions and update our Rise Version history, and our “What’s New” page. 

In my experience, one of the greatest problems with RISE and accessibility is the low contrast between text and background, and low contrast between triggers and background.  In my limited experience I am finding that I cannot see features on the screen at all, such as radio buttons.  The low contrast causes my eyes to strain, and I have pretty good vision.  I find that the low contrast also makes the flash cards get skipped by users because they can't make out the outlines and the triggers on screen.

I disagree with the current low contrast fad in interface design that is trending with so many products.  If normal-sighted people can't make out the radio buttons on screen, how are the visually impaired going to be able to make use of it?

I appreciate you sharing your experience here with us, Jim and I know our team is working on some additional updates for accessibility. We'll let you know as soon as those features are ready and would love to hear additional insights on how we can improve!