Version 1.0 · Effective 2026-07-11

Accessibility

What we're building toward

BloomOS targets WCAG 2.1 Level AA. That's the standard most funders and public agencies reference when they ask.

We're not going to claim we've met it in full, because we haven't been audited against it and a claim we can't back is worth nothing to you.

What we've actually done

Every interactive element in BloomOS is reachable and operable with a keyboard alone. Focus is visible, and it doesn't disappear behind an overlay.

Color contrast in the interface meets or exceeds 4.5:1 for body text. We don't use color as the only way to signal meaning, so a status that's red is also labeled.

Pages use real semantic HTML: headings in order, landmarks, labels tied to their inputs, tables that announce their headers. Screen readers get structure, not a pile of unlabeled divs.

Motion respects prefers-reduced-motion. If your operating system says you don't want animation, you don't get animation.

Text scales. The interface holds together at 200% zoom.

What we haven't done

We haven't commissioned an independent accessibility audit. We haven't tested comprehensively with JAWS, NVDA, or VoiceOver across every screen. Some data-dense views (the forecast grid, the budget table) are hard to use with a screen reader, and we know it.

Tell us and we'll fix it

If a part of BloomOS doesn't work for you, email hello@bloomos.org. Tell us what you were trying to do, what assistive technology you use, and where it broke. We'll respond within 5 business days and we'll tell you honestly whether it's a quick fix or a longer one.

Accessibility bugs are treated as bugs, not as feature requests.

If you need documentation for a funder

If a funder or a public agency needs an accessibility conformance report (a VPAT or similar) as a condition of your grant, email us. We'll tell you what we can substantiate and what we can't, in writing, so you can make an informed representation rather than an optimistic one.