[UI/UX & Accessibility] Universal Design & WCAG 2.1 Level AA Compliance

[purvanshjoshi]

[UI/UX & Accessibility] Universal Design & WCAG 2.1 Level AA Compliance

Objective: Ensure AstraMed is inclusive and usable for all medical staff, regardless of visual or physical impairments.

Clinical Context

Healthcare software must be inclusive. A color-blind clinician must be able to interpret risk gauges, and staff with mobility limitations must be able to navigate the dashboard efficiently via keyboard or screen readers.

Technical Implementation Strategy

1. A11y Audit: Perform a comprehensive audit using Lighthouse and pa11y.
2. Semantic Realignment: Convert non-accessible interactive elements into semantic HTML5 (e.g., <button>, <aria-label>).
3. Contrast Optimization: Ensure all critical alerts and risk colors pass WCAG AA contrast standards (minimum ratio 4.5:1).
4. Keyboard Navigation: Implement logical tab-indexing and visible focus states for every interactive component.
5. Screen Reader Support: Add hidden descriptive text for complex data charts and gauges.

Acceptance Criteria

• 98+ Accessibility Score in Chrome DevTools Lighthouse audit.
• 100% keyboard-only navigation of the Clinician Dashboard.
• Pass manual screen reader verification for the Risk Score generation flow.
• High-contrast color mode support for medical visualizations.