# A11yCore - Complete Documentation

> Website accessibility made simple. A plug-and-play accessibility widget, live WCAG scanner, and audit-ready reporting — shipped with one line of code.

Last updated: February 2026

---

## What is A11yCore?

A11yCore is a comprehensive web accessibility remediation platform that helps businesses achieve WCAG 2.2 AA/AAA and ADA compliance. Unlike traditional "overlay" solutions that simply mask accessibility issues, A11yCore is a complete platform that combines:

- **Accessibility Widget**: A JavaScript widget that adds 30+ accessibility features to any website
- **WCAG Scanner**: Free automated scanner that detects WCAG violations in real-time
- **Developer Reports**: Exact code fixes (HTML/CSS/JS) for source remediation
- **Compliance Reporting**: Audit-ready reports for legal and compliance teams
- **Free Browser Plugin**: Personal accessibility tool for any website

The platform runs entirely in the browser, collects no visitor data, and is fully GDPR/CCPA compliant.

---

## Core Products

### 1. Accessibility Widget

The A11yCore widget is a Shadow DOM-isolated accessibility layer that provides:

**Visual Adjustments:**
- High contrast modes (5 presets + custom)
- Color blindness filters (Protanopia, Deuteranopia, Tritanopia, Achromatopsia)
- Text size adjustment (50%-200%)
- Line height, letter spacing, word spacing controls
- Dyslexia-friendly typography
- Dark mode / Light mode toggle
- Saturation controls
- Reading mask and guide

**Navigation & Interaction:**
- Full keyboard navigation support
- Focus highlighting with customizable styles
- Tab order optimization
- Skip links generation
- Large cursor (2x-5x size)
- Reading order display
- Landmark navigation
- Heading navigator

**Content Enhancement:**
- Built-in screen reader (40+ TTS voices)
- AI-powered image descriptions (GPT-4 Vision)
- AI text simplification (plain language mode)
- AI link enhancement (fixes vague "click here" links)
- Real-time translation (75+ languages)
- Automatic ARIA labeling

**Advanced Features:**
- Seizure protection (flash detection and dimming)
- Animation control (respect prefers-reduced-motion)
- Session timeout protection
- Dark pattern detection
- Authentication assist (CAPTCHA alternatives, passkey support)
- Audio harm guard (volume protection)

**Technical Specifications:**
- Bundle size: Under 24 KB gzipped
- Loads asynchronously (never blocks main thread)
- Shadow DOM isolated (no CSS conflicts)
- Framework agnostic (works with React, Vue, Angular, vanilla JS)
- 5-minute installation via CDN or npm

### 2. Free WCAG Scanner

A completely free tool for scanning websites for accessibility violations:

- Scans entire sites or individual pages
- Detects WCAG 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2 violations
- Identifies Level A, AA, and AAA issues
- Provides fix guidance for each violation
- Generates downloadable compliance reports
- No sign-up required for basic scans

Available at: https://www.a11ycore.org/scanner/

### 3. Free Browser Plugin

A completely free browser extension for personal accessibility needs:

**Features:**
- High contrast mode
- Dyslexia-friendly typography
- Large cursor and click targets
- Clean/distraction-free mode
- Per-site preference saving
- Works on any website

**Privacy:**
- All settings stored locally in browser
- No tracking or data collection
- No account required
- Open source

Available at: https://www.a11ycore.org/plugin/

---

## Installation Guide

A11yCore offers two installation methods: the modern ESM bundle (recommended) or the legacy script tag.

### ESM Installation (Recommended)

The ESM bundle is only ~14KB compared to 522KB for the legacy bundle. Features load on-demand as users interact with them.

**Basic ESM Installation:**

```html
<script type="module">
  import A11yCore from 'https://cdn.a11ycore.org/a11ycore/dist/esm/core.js';

  A11yCore.init({ licenseKey: 'YOUR_LICENSE_KEY' });
</script>
```

**With Configuration:**

```html
<script type="module">
  import A11yCore from 'https://cdn.a11ycore.org/a11ycore/dist/esm/core.js';

  await A11yCore.init({
    licenseKey: 'YOUR_LICENSE_KEY',
    config: {
      widget: { position: 'bottom-right' },
      accessibilityPage: true,
      contactEmail: 'support@yoursite.com',
      wcagLevel: 'AA'
    }
  });

  console.log('A11yCore initialized!');
</script>
```

**ESM Bundle Options:**
- `/esm/core.js` (~14KB) - Lightweight core with on-demand feature loading (recommended)
- `/esm/index.js` (~27KB) - Full API with all feature references

### Legacy Script Installation

**Setup:**

```html
<script
  src="https://cdn.a11ycore.org/a11ycore/dist/v1/a11ycore.min.js"
  data-key="YOUR_LICENSE_KEY"
  defer
></script>
```

**Script Attributes:**

| Attribute | Required | Description |
|-----------|----------|-------------|
| `data-key` | Yes | Your license key from the A11yCore dashboard |
| `data-config` | No | URL to a JSON configuration file |
| `data-debug` | No | Set to "true" to enable console logging |
| `data-autoinit` | No | Set to "false" to disable auto-initialization |
| `defer` | Recommended | Prevents render blocking |

**Subresource Integrity (SRI):**

For enhanced security, add the integrity attribute:

```html
<script
  src="https://cdn.a11ycore.org/a11ycore/dist/v1/a11ycore.min.js"
  data-key="YOUR_LICENSE_KEY"
  integrity="sha384-[HASH_FROM_DASHBOARD]"
  crossorigin="anonymous"
  defer
></script>
```

### How Auto-Initialization Works

When the script loads, A11yCore automatically:
1. Waits for DOM ready
2. Reads the data-key attribute
3. Verifies your license
4. Starts a MutationObserver to scan for accessibility issues
5. Initializes the widget UI
6. Sets up keyboard shortcuts (default: Alt+A)

### Framework Integrations

**React:**
```bash
npm install @a11ycore/react
```

```javascript
import { A11yCoreProvider } from '@a11ycore/react';

function App() {
  return (
    <A11yCoreProvider licenseKey="YOUR_LICENSE_KEY">
      <YourApp />
    </A11yCoreProvider>
  );
}
```

**Vue, Angular, Next.js:** See full integration guides at https://www.a11ycore.org/docs/frameworks/

**WordPress:** Install the A11yCore plugin from the WordPress directory or add the script tag to your theme's header.

---

## WCAG Compliance Coverage

A11yCore covers 78 WCAG success criteria across versions 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2, plus 10 features aligned with WCAG 3.0.

**Support Types:**
- **Full Support**: A11yCore automatically handles the criterion completely
- **Assisted Support**: A11yCore provides tools to help meet the criterion, requires human oversight

### PERCEIVABLE (Vision/Hearing)

**1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A)** - Assisted Support
- AI Alt Text Generator using GPT-4o Vision
- Context-aware descriptions with confidence scores
- Human review panel for descriptions below 85% confidence

**1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Level A)** - Assisted Support
- Media Accessibility Panel
- Transcript upload and management

**1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) (Level A)** - Assisted Support
- Caption detection and validation
- VTT file generation support

**1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Level A)** - Full Support
- Audio Description track detection
- Automatic audio description enabling

**1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded) (Level AA)** - Full Support
- Audio Description track detection and playback

**1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A)** - Assisted Support
- Semantic structure analysis
- ARIA role suggestions

**1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence (Level A)** - Full Support
- Tab order optimizer
- Reading order validation

**1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics (Level A)** - Assisted Support
- Screen Reader mode with descriptive text

**1.3.4 Orientation (Level AA, WCAG 2.1)** - Full Support
- Orientation override
- Responsive layout detection

**1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose (Level AA, WCAG 2.1)** - Full Support
- Autocomplete attribute injection
- Input purpose detection

**1.4.1 Use of Color (Level A)** - Full Support
- Color Blindness simulation modes
- Pattern overlays for color-dependent information

**1.4.2 Audio Control (Level A)** - Full Support
- Audio Harm Guard
- Automatic audio pause controls

**1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA)** - Full Support
- Real-time contrast enhancement
- WCAG AA contrast ratio enforcement (4.5:1 for text, 3:1 for large text)

**1.4.4 Resize Text (Level AA)** - Full Support
- Text size adjustment (50%-200%)
- Preserves layout and functionality

**1.4.5 Images of Text (Level AA)** - Full Support
- Images of Text scanner
- Warning system for text embedded in images

**1.4.10 Reflow (Level AA, WCAG 2.1)** - Full Support
- Reflow assist for horizontal scrolling prevention
- 320px viewport support

**1.4.11 Non-text Contrast (Level AA, WCAG 2.1)** - Full Support
- UI component contrast enforcement (3:1 minimum)
- Focus indicator contrast

**1.4.12 Text Spacing (Level AA, WCAG 2.1)** - Full Support
- Line height adjustment (1.5x minimum)
- Letter spacing, word spacing controls
- Paragraph spacing controls

**1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus (Level AA, WCAG 2.1)** - Assisted Support
- Tooltip enhancement
- Hover/focus content persistence controls

### OPERABLE (Keyboard/Navigation)

**2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A)** - Full Support
- Full keyboard navigation
- Focus management
- All interactive elements keyboard accessible

**2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap (Level A)** - Full Support
- Focus trap detection and prevention
- Escape key handling

**2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts (Level A, WCAG 2.1)** - Full Support
- Keyboard shortcuts panel
- Customizable shortcuts
- Modifier key requirements

**2.2.1 Timing Adjustable (Level A)** - Full Support
- Timeout detection and extension
- Configurable timeout warnings

**2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide (Level A)** - Full Support
- Animation control panel
- Auto-play prevention
- Respect prefers-reduced-motion

**2.2.6 Timeouts (Level AAA, WCAG 2.1)** - Full Support
- Session timeout protection
- Auto-heartbeat every 60 seconds
- Storage-based timeout detection

**2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below (Level A)** - Full Support
- Flash Guard with real-time detection
- WCAG luminance calculations
- 50ms video frame analysis
- Automatic dimming

**2.3.3 Animation from Interactions (Level AAA, WCAG 2.1)** - Full Support
- Animation control
- Motion sensitivity settings

**2.4.1 Bypass Blocks (Level A)** - Full Support
- Skip links generation
- Landmark navigation
- "Skip to main content" functionality

**2.4.2 Page Titled (Level A)** - Full Support
- Page title validation
- Missing title warnings

**2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A)** - Full Support
- Tab order optimizer
- Focus order validation

**2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A)** - Assisted Support
- Link text analysis
- "Click here" and vague link detection
- AI link enhancement suggestions

**2.4.6 Headings and Labels (Level AA)** - Full Support
- Heading navigator
- Heading hierarchy validation
- Label association checking

**2.4.7 Focus Visible (Level AA)** - Full Support
- Focus highlight with customizable styles
- High-contrast focus indicators
- Never removes focus indicators

**2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) (Level AA, WCAG 2.2)** - Full Support
- Focus assist
- Scroll-to-view for focused elements

**2.4.12 Focus Not Obscured (Enhanced) (Level AAA, WCAG 2.2)** - Full Support
- Enhanced focus assist
- Full element visibility on focus

**2.4.13 Focus Appearance (Level AAA, WCAG 2.2)** - Full Support
- High-contrast focus indicators
- Minimum 2px outline thickness
- 3:1 contrast ratio enforcement

**2.5.1 Pointer Gestures (Level A, WCAG 2.1)** - Assisted Support
- Gesture detection
- Single-pointer alternatives

**2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation (Level A, WCAG 2.1)** - Full Support
- Down-event prevention
- Abort/undo mechanisms

**2.5.3 Label in Name (Level A, WCAG 2.1)** - Full Support
- Accessible name validation
- Label text matching

**2.5.4 Motion Actuation (Level A, WCAG 2.1)** - Full Support
- Device motion alternative controls
- Shake/tilt detection with UI alternatives

**2.5.7 Dragging Movements (Level AA, WCAG 2.2)** - Full Support
- Drag alternative (click-based interactions)
- Single-pointer operation mode

**2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) (Level AA, WCAG 2.2)** - Assisted Support
- Big cursor mode
- Target size validation (24x24 CSS pixels minimum)

### UNDERSTANDABLE (Clarity/Predictability)

**3.1.1 Language of Page (Level A)** - Full Support
- Language detection
- HTML lang attribute validation

**3.1.2 Language of Parts (Level AA)** - Assisted Support
- Multi-language content detection
- Lang attribute suggestions

**3.2.1 On Focus (Level A)** - Full Support
- Focus change detection
- Prevents unexpected context changes

**3.2.2 On Input (Level A)** - Full Support
- Form input monitoring
- Prevents automatic form submission

**3.2.3 Consistent Navigation (Level AA)** - Assisted Support
- Navigation consistency checker
- Skip links for repeated content

**3.2.4 Consistent Identification (Level AA)** - Assisted Support
- Component identification validation
- Consistent naming enforcement

**3.2.6 Consistent Help (Level A, WCAG 2.2)** - Full Support
- Consistent help mechanism
- Always-available help in consistent location

**3.3.1 Error Identification (Level A)** - Full Support
- Enhanced error handling
- Real-time error detection
- Clear error messages

**3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (Level A)** - Full Support
- Form label validation
- Missing label detection
- Instruction text requirements

**3.3.3 Error Suggestion (Level AA)** - Full Support
- Error correction suggestions
- Auto-correct recommendations

**3.3.4 Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data) (Level AA)** - Full Support
- Confirmation dialogs
- Review/correct/confirm flow
- Reversible transactions

**3.3.7 Redundant Entry (Level A, WCAG 2.2)** - Full Support
- Duplicate input detection
- Auto-fill for repeated data

**3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum) (Level AA, WCAG 2.2)** - Full Support
- CAPTCHA detection with audio alternatives
- Passkey/WebAuthn support
- Cognitive test warnings
- Copy/paste override for passwords
- Password managers support

**3.3.9 Accessible Authentication (Enhanced) (Level AAA, WCAG 2.2)** - Full Support
- Enhanced authentication assist
- Object recognition alternatives
- Personal content identification

### ROBUST (Compatible/Future-proof)

**4.1.1 Parsing (Level A)** - Assisted Support
- HTML validation
- Markup error detection
- Note: Obsoleted in WCAG 2.2

**4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A)** - Full Support
- ARIA enhancement
- Automatic role assignment
- State and property management

**4.1.3 Status Messages (Level AA, WCAG 2.1)** - Full Support
- ARIA live region management
- Automatic status message announcement
- Dynamic content updates

### WCAG 3.0 Alignment (Pre-release Modules)

**Deception Detector:**
- Detects pre-checked boxes
- Identifies fake urgency timers
- Flags double-negatives
- Warns about hidden costs
- Dark pattern prevention

**Privacy Assist:**
- Protects sensitive form fields
- Warns about tracking scripts
- Password field security

**Obstruction Handler:**
- Modal dialog management
- Overlay interruption control
- Z-index conflict resolution

**Haptic Control:**
- Vibration API interception
- Motion sensitivity settings
- Vestibular disorder protection

**Enhanced Error Handling:**
- Real-time validation
- Accessible error messaging
- Multi-field error summary

**Audio Harm Guard:**
- Sudden loud audio protection
- Spatial audio control
- Volume normalization

**Error Prevention:**
- Financial transaction confirmation
- Legal form validation
- Data submission review

**Audio Description:**
- Video audio description track detection
- Automatic enabling
- TTS sync

**Status Messages:**
- Dynamic content announcement
- Live region management
- Polite vs assertive modes

**Consistent Help:**
- Sticky help button
- Consistent placement
- Context-aware help

---

## Pricing Plans

A11yCore offers flexible pricing for teams of all sizes, from free community plans to enterprise custom solutions.

### Community Plan - FREE

**Price:** Free forever

**For:** Non-commercial sites. No ads, no e-commerce.

**Limits:** Up to 5,000 monthly visitors

**Features:**
- WCAG 2.1 AA compliance
- Core accessibility features
- Visual adjustments & reading tools
- Keyboard navigation
- Community forum support
- A11yCore badge required (removable on paid plans)

**Excluded:**
- AI-powered features
- White-label option
- Priority support

**Best for:** Personal blogs, non-profit informational sites, open source projects

---

### Starter Plan - $29/month

**For:** Small websites and blogs checking compliance

**Limits:** Up to 10,000 monthly visitors

**Features:**
- WCAG 2.1 AA & AAA compliance
- Basic accessibility features
- Real-time scanning
- Email support (48-hour response)
- Monthly compliance reports
- 500 AI generations/month*

**Best for:** Small business websites, personal portfolios, startup landing pages

---

### Growth Plan - $49/month

**For:** Scaling blogs & small businesses

**Limits:** Up to 50,000 monthly visitors

**Features:**
- WCAG 2.1 AA & AAA compliance
- Priority email support (24-hour response)
- Real-time scanning
- Weekly compliance reports
- 2,500 AI generations/month*
- AI Video Captions (200/month)

**Best for:** Growing blogs, small e-commerce sites, SaaS landing pages

---

### Professional Plan - $79/month (MOST POPULAR)

**For:** Growing businesses needing comprehensive coverage

**Limits:** Up to 100,000 monthly visitors

**Features:**
- WCAG 2.1 AA & AAA compliance
- ALL accessibility features
- Real-time scanning
- Priority email & chat support (12-hour response)
- Weekly compliance reports
- Custom accessibility statement generator
- White-label option (remove A11yCore branding)
- $5,000 Tax Credit Eligible (WOTC/Disabled Access Credit)
- 5,000 AI generations/month*
- AI Video Captions (500/month)

**Best for:** Mid-size businesses, e-commerce sites with significant traffic, SaaS products

---

### Business Plan - $120/month

**For:** Advanced features for scaling companies

**Limits:** Up to 500,000 monthly visitors

**Features:**
- WCAG 2.1 AA & AAA compliance
- Priority support+ (Phone/Zoom, 4-hour response)
- Advanced audit logs
- SSO / SAML Support
- Custom accessibility statement
- White-label option
- $5,000 Tax Credit Eligible
- 10,000 AI generations/month*
- AI Video Captions (1,000/month)

**Best for:** Large businesses, enterprise e-commerce, high-traffic SaaS platforms

---

### Enterprise Plan - Custom Pricing

**For:** Agencies & organizations needing volume discounts, custom contracts, and dedicated support

**Limits:** Unlimited monthly visitors

**Features:**
- WCAG 2.1 AA & AAA compliance
- Custom features & integrations
- Real-time scanning
- 24/7 dedicated support
- Daily reports & audit logs
- Custom accessibility statement
- White-label included
- Dedicated account manager
- Enterprise SLA (99.9% uptime guarantee)
- Manual audit services (human expert review)
- Volume discounts available
- Multi-site management
- 20,000 AI generations/month*
- AI Video Captions (2,000/month)

**Best for:** Enterprise organizations, government agencies, large agency networks, multi-brand companies

**Contact Sales:** sales@a11ycore.org

---

### Billing & Trial Information

**Free Trial:** All paid plans include a 30-day free trial. You will not be charged if you cancel before the trial ends.

**Annual Discounts:**
- Monthly billing: Standard pricing
- Quarterly billing: Save 15%
- Yearly billing: Save 30%

**Cancellation:** You can cancel anytime from the billing portal. Your subscription remains active until the end of the current billing period with no penalty.

**Tax Credits:** Professional, Business, and Enterprise plans may qualify for up to $5,000 in tax credits through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) and Disabled Access Credit programs.

**AI Generations Note:** Smart caching means AI generations are cached for 90 days. Re-scans of the same content don't count against your limit.

---

## How A11yCore Differs from AccessiBe, UserWay, and AudioEye

A11yCore is a **remediation platform**, not just an overlay. Here's how we're different:

### Architecture

**A11yCore: Reactive DOM System**
- Centralized MutationObserver with batched processing
- Detects and fixes accessibility issues in real-time as content loads dynamically
- Works perfectly with SPAs, AJAX updates, lazy-loaded content, and infinite scroll
- TreeWalker traversal with IntersectionObserver for viewport-aware scanning

**Competitors: Static One-Time Scan**
- Scan once on page load
- Miss dynamically added content entirely
- Break on single-page applications
- Can't handle AJAX-loaded content

**A11yCore: Shadow DOM Isolation**
- Widget renders inside a closed Shadow DOM container (`#a11ycore-widget-root`)
- Site styles never break the widget
- Widget styles never leak onto the host site
- Zero CSS conflicts guaranteed

**Competitors: CSS Injection**
- Inject global CSS that overrides site styles
- Break layouts and designs
- Create cascade conflicts
- Require !important overrides

**A11yCore: Lightweight Bundle**
- Under 24 KB gzipped
- Never blocks the main thread
- Never delays First Contentful Paint
- Loads asynchronously after page interactive

**Competitors: Heavy Bundles**
- AccessiBe: ~200 KB
- UserWay: ~180 KB
- AudioEye: ~250 KB
- All block rendering and slow page load

### Privacy & Data

**A11yCore:**
- Collects NO personal data from website visitors
- User preferences stored in browser localStorage only
- No tracking scripts
- No fingerprinting
- No analytics on disabled users
- Fully GDPR and CCPA compliant

**Competitors:**
- May track and identify disabled users
- Enable fingerprinting across sites
- Collect usage analytics
- Build profiles of users with disabilities

### AI Features (Human-in-the-Loop)

**A11yCore:**
- Uses GPT-4o Vision for context-aware image descriptions
- Confidence scores: <85% flagged for human review
- Admin review panel to approve, edit, or reject AI suggestions
- AI text simplification (WCAG 3.1.5 Plain Language)
- AI link enhancement (fixes "click here" and vague links)
- AI video captions (VTT generation with timestamps)
- Audio descriptions with TTS sync

**Competitors:**
- Basic AI that hallucinates without context
- No human review process
- Generic descriptions like "Image" or filename parsing
- No confidence scoring
- Limited to contrast and font adjustments

### Unique Features Not Available in Competitors

**Seizure Protection (WCAG 2.3.1):**
- Real-time flash detection using WCAG luminance calculations
- 50ms video frame analysis
- Automatic dimming when flashes detected
- Configurable sensitivity

**Dark Pattern Detection (WCAG 3.0):**
- AI-powered detection of manipulative UI
- Identifies pre-checked boxes
- Flags fake urgency timers ("Only 2 left!")
- Detects double-negatives in consent forms
- Warns about hidden costs

**Authentication Assist (WCAG 3.3.8):**
- CAPTCHA detection with audio alternatives
- Passkey/WebAuthn support
- Biometric authentication prompts
- Cognitive test warnings
- Copy/paste override for password fields
- Password manager integration

**Session Timeout Protection (WCAG 2.2.1):**
- Auto-heartbeat every 60 seconds
- Meta tag and localStorage timeout detection
- Configurable warning timings
- Session extension without data loss

**None of these features exist in AccessiBe, UserWay, or AudioEye.**

### Source Remediation

**A11yCore:**
- Provides Developer Reports with exact code fixes (HTML/CSS/JS)
- Scans sites weekly and generates issue lists
- Shows you exactly what to fix in your source code
- Widget is the "safety net" while you fix the code
- Enterprise tier includes manual expert audits

**Competitors:**
- Position their overlay as the sole solution
- No developer reports
- No source code remediation
- "Set it and forget it" mentality
- Manual audits are separate expensive services

### Pricing & Terms

**A11yCore:**
- Starts at $29/month
- No annual contract required
- 30-day free trial
- Cancel anytime with no penalty
- Transparent pricing on website

**AccessiBe:**
- $49/month
- Annual contract required
- 7-day trial only
- Early cancellation fees

**UserWay:**
- $49/month
- Annual contract required
- Free tier available (limited features)

**AudioEye:**
- $49-99/month
- Annual contract required
- Demo only, no self-service trial

### Philosophy

**A11yCore:**
- "We agree with the critics" — overlays alone aren't enough
- Widget + source fixes + manual audits = true compliance
- Transparency, radical openness, clean TypeScript code
- Accessibility as a platform, not a band-aid

**Competitors:**
- "One line of code = 100% compliant" (impossible and misleading)
- Widget-only approach
- Proprietary black-box solutions
- No acknowledgment of limitations

---

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Do you offer annual discounts?**

Yes. Save 20% with annual billing. The discount is applied automatically at checkout. We also offer quarterly billing with a 15% discount.

**Can I cancel at any time?**

Yes. You can cancel anytime from the billing portal. Your subscription remains active until the end of the current billing period with no penalty. There are no early cancellation fees or minimum commitments.

**How does the free trial work?**

All paid plans include a 30-day free trial. You will not be charged if you cancel before the trial ends. No credit card required to start the trial on Community plan. Paid plan trials require a credit card but won't charge until the 30 days expire.

**Is this compliant with the ADA?**

Yes. A11yCore provides tools to bring your site into compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA/AAA standards, which is the benchmark for ADA Title III compliance. The ADA doesn't specify technical standards, but courts consistently reference WCAG as the measure of accessibility.

That said, true compliance requires more than just a widget. We provide developer reports so you can fix issues at the source, and our Enterprise tier includes manual expert audits for legal-grade compliance verification.

**How does A11yCore handle my data and privacy?**

A11yCore does not collect, store, or process any personal data from your website visitors. Our script runs entirely in the browser and does not send visitor data to our servers.

We only collect:
- License verification data (your domain)
- Aggregated feature usage (which features are enabled, not who enabled them)
- Error logs for debugging (no PII)

User preferences (like "Dark Mode: On") are stored in the user's browser via localStorage with the key `a11ycore_state_v3`. These preferences never leave the user's device.

We are fully GDPR and CCPA compliant.

**Is the accessibility widget secure?**

Yes. Our widget is served over HTTPS, undergoes regular security audits, and does not execute any third-party code. We maintain enterprise-grade security standards:

- Subresource Integrity (SRI) hashes available
- Content Security Policy (CSP) compatible
- No eval() or new Function() usage
- No inline scripts
- Regular penetration testing
- SOC 2 Type II compliant (Enterprise)

**How do I run an automated scan?**

Navigate to the dashboard and click "New Audit". You can enter a single URL or upload a sitemap to scan your entire site. Scans typically complete in 1-5 minutes depending on site size.

**What happens if I fail compliance?**

Our platform identifies the failures and provides code snippets to fix them. Each violation includes:
- WCAG criterion reference
- Description of the issue
- Severity level (Critical, High, Medium, Low)
- Exact HTML element causing the issue
- Recommended fix with code example

We track your progress over time so you can see improvement in your compliance score.

**Can I customize the widget colors?**

Yes! The widget is fully themeable via the "Appearance" tab in your project settings. You can customize:
- Primary and accent colors
- Widget position (4 corners)
- Button style (floating, fixed, inline)
- Icon style
- Font family
- Border radius
- Shadow depth

**Do you offer implementation services?**

We have a network of certified agency partners who can help with complex remediations, custom integrations, and white-glove implementation. See our Partner Directory: https://www.a11ycore.org/partners/directory/

For Enterprise clients, we offer dedicated implementation support and custom development.

**Does the widget work with single-page applications (SPAs)?**

Yes! A11yCore is specifically designed for modern SPAs built with React, Vue, Angular, etc. Our reactive DOM system uses a MutationObserver to detect when your app adds or updates content, then re-scans those elements automatically.

See our SPA Integration Guide: https://www.a11ycore.org/docs/spa-integration/

**What browsers are supported?**

A11yCore supports all modern browsers:
- Chrome/Edge (last 2 versions)
- Firefox (last 2 versions)
- Safari (last 2 versions)
- Opera (last 2 versions)

Legacy support via polyfills:
- IE 11 (limited feature set)

**How do AI generations work?**

AI generations are used for:
- Image alt text (GPT-4 Vision)
- Text simplification (plain language mode)
- Link text enhancement (fixing "click here")
- Video caption generation

Smart caching: Once an image or text block is processed, the result is cached for 90 days. Re-scans of the same content don't count against your monthly limit.

If you exceed your monthly limit, AI features continue to work but use cached results only. Upgrade your plan for more generations.

**Can I white-label the widget?**

Yes, on Professional, Business, and Enterprise plans. White-labeling removes all A11yCore branding from the widget, including:
- The A11yCore logo
- "Powered by A11yCore" text
- Dashboard branding (Enterprise only)

You can add your own branding via custom CSS.

**What is the difference between "Full Support" and "Assisted Support" for WCAG criteria?**

- **Full Support**: A11yCore automatically handles the criterion completely with no manual intervention required.
- **Assisted Support**: A11yCore provides tools to help meet the criterion, but requires human oversight. For example, AI alt text generation is "Assisted" because humans should review and approve AI-generated descriptions.

**Do you support multiple languages?**

Yes! The widget UI is available in 75+ languages with automatic detection based on the user's browser language. Content translation is also available in real-time.

Supported languages include: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified & Traditional), Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Bengali, and 60+ more.

**What is your uptime guarantee?**

- Starter/Growth/Professional: 99.5% uptime (monitored, best effort)
- Business: 99.9% uptime (SLA with credits)
- Enterprise: 99.9% uptime with custom SLA options

Our widget is served from a global CDN with automatic failover, so even if our API goes down, the widget continues to function using cached data.

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## Technical Specifications

**Performance:**
- Bundle size: 24 KB gzipped (ESM), 522 KB (legacy)
- Load time: <50ms on 3G networks
- Time to Interactive impact: <10ms
- Lighthouse Performance score impact: 0-2 points

**Security:**
- HTTPS only
- Subresource Integrity (SRI) supported
- Content Security Policy (CSP) compatible
- No third-party dependencies
- Regular security audits
- SOC 2 Type II (Enterprise)

**Compatibility:**
- Framework agnostic (vanilla JS, React, Vue, Angular, Svelte, etc.)
- Works with all major CMSs (WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Wix, Squarespace)
- Shadow DOM isolated
- Does not require jQuery
- Compatible with Turbo/Hotwire

**Browser Support:**
- Chrome/Edge 90+
- Firefox 88+
- Safari 14+
- Opera 76+
- IE 11 (limited, with polyfills)

**Infrastructure:**
- Global CDN (50+ edge locations)
- 99.9% uptime SLA (Business/Enterprise)
- Automatic failover
- Real-time monitoring

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## Contact & Support

**Website:** https://www.a11ycore.org

**Email:**
- Support: support@a11ycore.org
- Sales: sales@a11ycore.org

**Response Times:**
- Community: Forum support (best effort)
- Starter: 48 hours (email)
- Growth: 24 hours (email)
- Professional: 12 hours (email & chat)
- Business: 4 hours (email, chat, phone)
- Enterprise: 1 hour (24/7 dedicated support)

**Documentation:** https://www.a11ycore.org/docs/

**Community:**
- Discord: https://discord.gg/a11ycore
- GitHub Discussions: https://github.com/a11ycore/discussions

**Office Hours:**
Weekly live Q&A sessions with accessibility experts every Wednesday at 2 PM EST.
Join at: https://www.a11ycore.org/help/office-hours/

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*This documentation is current as of February 2026. For the latest updates, visit https://www.a11ycore.org/changelog/*