Ximera strives to be compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standard, as required by the United States Department of Education. These are the technical standards that will be required of public colleges and universities in April 2026, according to the Department of Justice’s interpretation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. We are currently partnering with BAWL to ensure that our content meets these standards.

Of course, meeting a technical standard does not imply that content will still be accessible to every user with a disability. It is important that instructors include an accessibility statement for their students. Depending on the institution’s organization, the contact person may be the disability resources office, an instructional designer, or even another faculty member. If you wish to verify that your course meets WCAG 2.1 AA, you may email Jeffrey Kuan, who can use a variety of screen readers and automatic accessibility checkers. Do NOT claim that your course is WCAG 2.1 AA compliant without a manual human verification.

Accessibility Conformance Report

WCAG 2.1 Level AA

Product Information

  • Name of Product: Ximera
  • Product Type: Web-based interactive educational content platform
  • Product Description:
    Ximera is an open-source platform for creating and delivering interactive STEM educational content using LaTeX-authored source files rendered as web pages with embedded interactivity.
  • Primary Use Case: Postsecondary and secondary education
  • Hosting Model: Self-hosted or institutionally hosted web application
  • Contact Information: https://ximera.org
  • Report Date: 12/2025

Evaluation Methods Used

This report is based on:

  • Manual expert review by developers and educators familiar with Ximera’s internal architecture and content pipeline.
  • Review of rendered HTML output produced by Ximera’s LaTeX-to-HTML toolchain.
  • Targeted testing with screen readers (NVDA, VoiceOver) and keyboard-only navigation.
  • Reference to known accessibility constraints inherent to mathematical notation, interactive problem widgets, and third-party embedded tools.

This report reflects the current state of the platform and acknowledges ongoing accessibility improvements.

Applicable Standards / Guidelines

This report covers the degree of conformance with:

Standard Included
WCAG 2.1 Level A Yes
WCAG 2.1 Level AA Yes
WCAG 2.1 Level AAA Not Evaluated

Conformance Terminology

The terms used in this report are defined as follows:

  • Supports: The functionality meets the success criterion without known defects.
  • Partially Supports: Some functionality does not meet the criterion.
  • Does Not Support: The majority of functionality does not meet the criterion.
  • Not Applicable: The criterion does not apply to the product.

WCAG 2.1 Conformance: Level A and AA

Note: Conformance claims apply to Ximera-generated pages and workflows as authored. Accessibility outcomes may vary depending on content authoring choices and embedded third-party tools.

Table 1: WCAG 2.1 Level A Success Criteria

Criteria Conformance Remarks
1.1.1 Non-text Content Partially Supports Mathematical notation is rendered as MathML or SVG with assistive text support. TikZ/PGFplots diagrams may lack meaningful alt text unless authors provide it via \xmalt. The platform now supports \xmalt for specifying alternative text on diagrams. We will implement the MathML ``intent’’ environment by April 23, 2026.
1.2.1–1.2.3 Audio/Video (Prerecorded) Partially Supports Ximera supports embedding YouTube videos. The platform does not enforce that authors provide captions or transcripts for embedded video content; accessibility depends on the source video and author practices.
1.3.1 Info and Relationships Supports Semantic structure is generally preserved via HTML and MathML. LaTeX sectioning commands and theorem-like environments (e.g., theorems, definitions) are rendered as HTML headings with appropriate levels that follow a correct hierarchical order. Tables support custom LaTeX commands for row headers, column headers, caption, and summary, which are rendered as semantic HTML table markup.
1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence Supports Content order follows logical reading and navigation sequences.
1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics Supports Instructions do not rely solely on sensory characteristics such as color or location.
1.4.1 Use of Color Partially Supports Color is sometimes used to convey correctness or emphasis, but is generally accompanied by text or symbols.
1.4.2 Audio Control Partially Supports Ximera does not natively autoplay audio, but embedded YouTube videos may autoplay depending on author configuration. YouTube’s built-in controls provide pause/stop functionality.
2.1.1 Keyboard Partially Supports Core navigation is keyboard accessible. Some interactive math widgets and embedded tools may have limited keyboard support. We do not control Desmos, Geogebra, or YouTube updates.
2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap Supports Users can navigate into and out of interactive components using standard keyboard controls.
2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts (2.1) Supports No unmodifiable single-character shortcuts are used.
2.2.1 Timing Adjustable Supports No time limits are imposed on completing tasks.
2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide Supports No automatically moving or updating content that requires pausing. Embedded YouTube videos provide their own pause/stop controls.
2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold Supports No flashing content exceeding thresholds is used.
2.4.1 Bypass Blocks Supports Sections and theorem-like environments are rendered as properly leveled headings, providing navigation landmarks for screen readers. Descriptive links allow users to skip to relevant content.
2.4.2 Page Titled Supports The author can choose descriptive titles reflecting content context.
2.4.3 Focus Order Supports Focus order follows DOM order and reading sequence.
2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) Supports Links are generally descriptive within context.
2.5.1 Pointer Gestures (2.1) Not Applicable No multi-point or path-based gestures are required.
2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation Supports Actions are triggered on release, not on initial contact.
2.5.3 Label in Name Partially Supports Most controls expose accessible names; some math-specific controls may need improved labeling.
2.5.4 Motion Actuation Not Applicable No motion-based input is used.
3.1.1 Language of Page Supports The page language is programmatically set to English (lang="en").
3.2.1 On Focus Supports Focus does not trigger unexpected context changes.
3.2.2 On Input Supports Input does not automatically cause context changes without user initiation.
3.3.1 Error Identification Supports Input errors are identified and described textually.
3.3.2 Labels or Instructions Partially Supports Most form fields include labels; some author-created inputs may require improved instructions.
4.1.1 Parsing Supports HTML output conforms to modern parsing requirements.
4.1.2 Name, Role, Value Partially Supports Standard controls expose name/role/value; some custom math widgets are still under improvement.

Table 2: WCAG 2.1 Level AA Success Criteria

Criteria Conformance Remarks
1.2.4 Captions (Live) Not Applicable Ximera does not natively include live audio or video content.
1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded) Partially Supports Ximera supports embedding YouTube videos, which may contain prerecorded video content. Audio descriptions are not enforced or provided by the platform; accessibility depends on the source video.
1.3.4 Orientation (2.1) Supports Content reflows in both portrait and landscape orientations.
1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose (2.1) Partially Supports Common input purposes are identified; specialized mathematical inputs may not map cleanly to autocomplete semantics.
1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) Supports Users can select from color themes that meet WCAG 2.1 AA contrast requirements. (planned update)
1.4.4 Resize Text Supports Text can be resized up to 200% without loss of content or functionality.
1.4.5 Images of Text Supports Text is rendered as text rather than images. Where images are used, authors can provide alternative text via the \xmalt command.
1.4.10 Reflow (2.1) Supports Content reflows at 400% zoom. MathJax supports reflow of mathematical expressions.
1.4.11 Non-text Contrast (2.1) Partially Supports UI components meet contrast requirements through user-selectable color themes. TikZ/PGFplots diagram colors are author-controlled and not enforced by the platform; authors should provide alternative text via \xmalt to ensure graphical content is accessible.
1.4.12 Text Spacing (2.1) Supports Text content respects user-applied spacing overrides. Mathematical content rendered via MathJax uses its own layout model and is not implemented using markup that supports CSS text style properties, per the criterion’s scope.
1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus (2.1) Supports Tooltips and hover content are generally dismissible or non-essential.
2.4.5 Multiple Ways Partially Supports Content can be accessed through navigation, search, or direct linking. Full support pending deployment of a new server.
2.4.6 Headings and Labels Supports Headings are derived from LaTeX sectioning commands and theorem-like environments, providing descriptive topic and purpose labels.
2.4.7 Focus Visible Supports Keyboard focus is visually indicated.
3.1.2 Language of Parts Partially Supports Mathematical symbols and notation are language-neutral. Support for marking foreign-language text via LaTeX’s \foreignlanguage (babel) with appropriate lang attributes is planned.
3.2.3 Consistent Navigation Partially Supports Navigation elements are consistent across pages. Full support pending deployment of a new server.
3.2.4 Consistent Identification Supports Controls with the same function are identified consistently.
3.3.3 Error Suggestion Supports Where applicable, suggestions for correcting errors are provided.
3.3.4 Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data) Supports Ximera provides confirmation, revision, and unlimited retry mechanisms for problem submissions. No irreversible legal or financial transactions occur.
4.1.3 Status Messages (2.1) Partially Supports Some dynamic feedback is available to assistive technologies; improvements are ongoing for real-time math feedback.

This document is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute a warranty of accessibility compliance. Accessibility outcomes may vary depending on content authoring practices, third-party integrations, and user configurations. The Ximera Project continues to improve accessibility as part of its ongoing development roadmap.