INDUSTRY-SCALE REVOLUTION
aCt's AI automated nature allows for efficient, affordable, and timely adjustments for screen reader optimisation and keyboard navigation, making it an ideal solution for businesses of all sizes.
Home > Additional Services > aCt Website Compliance Tool > aCt - Artificial Intelligence
SCAN. ANALYZE. DEPLOY. MAINTAIN.
aCt's AI technology employs contextual understanding to analyse websites. By visually matching elements and behaviours to millions of past encounters, it can learn the purpose of various elements on the page. This information is then conveyed to blind users using screen readers in a manner that is accurate and reflective of the site's original design.
COMPUTER VISION APPLIED TO ACCESSIBILITY
Image Recognition and OCR AI technologies enable aCt to scan all images on the site for missing alternative text (Alt attributes). If no Alt text is present, OCR will extract the embedded text using IRIS technology. aCt will then automatically provide accurate and elaborate alternative text to these images. When blind users enter a site, their screen readers rely on these descriptions to communicate what is on the page.
ONGOING ACCESSIBILITY COMPLIANCE
Maintaining compliance with daily scans and analyses is of the utmost importance for any website. You cannot ensure compliance without a concerted effort to monitor website content for changes that could compromise compliance constantly. aCt's AI re-scans every page of every site at a minimum rate of once every 24 hours, ensuring that any new updates are remediated for compliance immediately.
STREAMLINED WEB ACCESSIBILITY
Artificial intelligence is commonly used to fill in accessibility gaps on websites. Using this technology, aCt can correct common deficiencies that are often overlooked. Let's look at how aCt fixes these common accessibility gaps in more detail below:
aCt moves the focus, enables dismissal with Esc key and tag for screen-readers
When a popup appears, the keyboard focus must shift to the popup and remain there until the user dismisses the popup. Tabbing through the popup's contents must loop back to the beginning of the popup upon reaching the end.Users must be able to close popups with the Esc key, and the focus must return to the element that was focused on before the popup.Popups must include a "role" attribute equal to "dialogue".Popups must include an "aria-modal" attribute equal to "true".
aCt identifies and interprets menus to screen readers and allows navigation with arrow keys.
The following content explains how aCt's Artificial Intelligence can be used to navigate menus. Menus are identified and interpreted by aCt, allowing users to guide them using arrow keys. The top element that contains all the links and menu items must have a "NAV" tag or a "role" attribute equal to "navigation/menu/menubar". Links that comprise the menu items must have a "role" attribute equal to "menuitem". The focused element must be easily identifiable using a focus ring. Users can navigate across the menu bar itself using the left-and-right keyboard arrows, and when reaching the end of the menu, pressing the forward arrow key will loop back to the first item.
aCt enables keyboard navigation and locks up navigation focus for users who can't use a mouse
Users can open dropdowns using the Enter and the arrow-down keys. Dropdowns should also be opened by focusing on the menu item. Users can navigate within dropdowns using the up-and-down arrows, and the focus must never escape and loop within the dropdown unless it was intentionally closed. Users can close the dropdown using the Esc key, and the keyboard focus must go back to the root menu item of this dropdown.
Announce field requirements and validations, and identify both error messages and successes
All fields must include a "LABEL" tag that is connected to the field by the "id" and the "for" attributes or an "aria-label" attribute. Required fields must include visual cues (Asterix*, text, or other), and the "aria-required" attribute equals true. Fields must include the "aria-invalid" attribute to inform screen-readers whether the field is currently valid or invalid. This attribute must change dynamically according to the validations. E.g., an empty required "name" field must include aria-invalid=" true" to indicate that it's invalid, but change to aria-invalid=" false" once the user fills it up. When a form is submitted and errors are present, the keyboard focus must be taken to the first invalid field, and the user must receive an explanation (both visual and screen reader) of the issue with this field. When a form is submitted successfully, a blind user with a screen reader should be informed of that by using an alert element or other means.
aCt identifies, labels, and fixes empty or insufficient link text
Must include text, title, or an aria-label. Must be logically ordered within the document (a "read more" must come after the title and the paragraph of a section, for example). Links must be reachable by keyboard navigation using the Tab key. Links must provide a visual indicator if they are opened in a new window and announce that to a screen-reader using a hidden text or title. Links must be noticeable on-page and look different than regular text.
aCt uses contextual understanding to identify the purpose of icons and tag them accordingly
Icons don't have specific guidelines because "ICON" tags or elements don't exist. The purpose of an icon (usually as a link or button) is to symbolize a universally recognizable action to a user. Since this is based on visual recognition of a symbol, aCt automatically includes a description of the purpose or action of the icon for users who can't see or recognize it.
aCt provides elaborate and accurate alternative text to all images, including embedded text as well as objects
Images must have an Alt attribute to describe what's in the image to users who cannot see it properly or at all. aCt uses image recognition technology to pull out text and object descriptions and describe the essence of the image. For example, an image of people playing on the beach and text that says "30% off bathing suits" will automatically receive alternative text describing all of these elements, which a screen reader will relay to the user.
Identify text and link elements that behave as buttons to enable keyboard operation
Buttons must contain text, title, or an aria-label.Must be an actual "BUTTON" tag or alternatively, a "role" attribute that equals to "button" is present. Buttons must include text/aria-label/title.
For websites under 1,000 pages
This option is most popular with the vast majority of website owners. If you are unsure how many pages your website contains type “site:yourwebsite.com” into Google. The number next to “results” is your page count.
No credit card required
7 DAY FREE TRIAL AVAILABLE
For websites under 10,000 pages
This option is most popular with medium to large e-commerce website owners. If you are unsure how many pages your website contains type “site:yourwebsite.com” into Google. The number next to “results” is your page count.
No credit card required
7 DAY FREE TRIAL AVAILABLE
For websites under 100,000 pages
This option is suited to a very specific category of websites. This option is for those that have a vast number of pages. If you are unsure how many pages your website contains type “site:yourwebsite.com” into Google. The number next to “results” is your page count.
No credit card required
7 DAY FREE TRIAL AVAILABLE
*If your website receives over 100K+ monthly visitors please get in touch as a custom plan will need to be created for you. Otherwise price is based on page count only.
How we count pages
We define a page by a unique URL, not including URL parameters.
Meaning if a page has URL parameters, all of them together are considered one page.
To verify page count, type “site:yourwebsite.com” into Google.
The number next to “results” is your page count.
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You can find answers to our frequently asked questions on our FAQs page and if you visit our Help Centre you will find all of the information required to get in touch. You can also phone a friendly member of the Black Label UK team on 01332 470 350. Our phonelines are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, excluding UK Bank Holidays.