DeafMonitor is designed from the ground up for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Accessibility isn't a checkbox — it's the foundation of every design decision we make. Our target is WCAG 2.1 AA compliance across the entire platform.
Accessibility Features
Visual-First Layout
All critical information is conveyed visually. No audio-only content. ASL-first video content is prioritized across the platform.
Color Contrast & AA Standards
Four calibrated reading themes (Midnight, Ivory, Dusk, Warmth) — all meeting WCAG AA contrast ratios between 7:1 and 14:1. No pure white or pure black. Color is never the sole means of conveying information.
Captioning Tags on All Video
Every video tagged — ASL, CC, or both — so you always know what you're getting before you tap. Captioning tags are present on all video content.
Keyboard Navigation
Full keyboard support. Tab through all cards, sections, and modals. Escape closes overlays. Focus-visible indicators on all interactive elements.
Screen Reader Compatible
ARIA labels on all buttons, live tickers (role="marquee"), and modals. Decorative elements marked aria-hidden. Semantic HTML throughout. Skip-to-content on every page.
Reduced Motion
Respects prefers-reduced-motion. Animations can also be disabled in Preferences.
Skip-to-Content Links
Skip-to-content links on every page allow keyboard and screen reader users to bypass navigation and jump directly to main content.
No Auto-Play
Video never auto-plays with sound. All media interaction is initiated by the user.
Visual Comfort Themes
Pure white backgrounds cause text to vibrate for the 14% of the population with scotopic sensitivity. Pure black backgrounds cause text halation for the 33% with astigmatism. DeafMonitor follows the "Drop the White" accessibility framework by offering four carefully calibrated reading environments.
Midnight
Deep navy background with soft white text. Ideal for low-light environments and extended reading sessions. Contrast ratio approximately 14:1.
Ivory
Warm cream background with dark charcoal text. No stark white, no pure black. Reduces glare while preserving a familiar paper feel. Contrast ratio approximately 12:1.
Dusk
Inspired by the Solarized color palette. Lowers contrast gain and mimics reading on a warm afternoon. Reduces eye strain during long sessions. Contrast ratio approximately 7:1.
Warmth
The warmest reading environment. Reduces blue light exposure and relaxes the ciliary muscles in the eyes. Inspired by sepia tones used in accessibility-focused reading apps. Contrast ratio approximately 10:1.
Switch themes instantly using the theme button in the navigation bar. Your choice is saved locally and persists across all pages and sessions — no account required.
Caption Standards
Our standard: open captions preferred, closed captions acceptable, auto-generated captions flagged. We follow DCMP caption quality guidelines.
Conformance: WCAG 2.1 Level AA (target) · Last reviewed: April 2026