WCAG 2.1 Compliant Themes for Open edX

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WCAG 2.1 Compliant Themes for Open edX

Hello everyone,

I’m currently working on a project using Open edX with the following specifications:

  • Tutor version: 19.0.2
  • Open edX version: open-release/sumac.2
  • Indigo theme version: 19.0.1 (enabled)
  • Python version: 3.11.8

One of our requirements is to implement a theme that is fully compliant with WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards. I’m currently using the Indigo theme (GitHub repository) and I’m looking into how to make it more compliant with WCAG 2.1 standards. I’m also interested in finding other themes that might already be fully or closely aligned with these accessibility requirements.

My specific questions are:

  1. Is the Indigo theme (version 19.0.1) fully compliant with WCAG 2.1 standards (Level AA)? If not, what are the gaps?

  2. Are there any other existing themes for Open edX that are fully WCAG 2.1 compliant? If so, which ones would you recommend?

  3. If Indigo (or another theme) is partially compliant, what are the typical modifications needed to achieve full WCAG 2.1 compliance?

  4. Can anyone share their experience with making Open edX themes accessible, particularly any challenges faced and solutions implemented?

  5. Are there specific tools or resources the community recommends for testing and verifying WCAG 2.1 compliance in an Open edX installation?

Any guidance or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated, as this information would benefit not only our project but potentially others in the community focused on creating accessible learning environments.

Thank you in advance for your help!

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Hi @anastasiouxrhstos - great timing. Eddie just posted in slack about compliant color palettes for Paragon. I pinged them in Slack to join the forums and continue the conversation here. In the meantime you can check out the design here:

Wiki page for proposed color palatte

Figma file with colors

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Hi @anastasiouxrhstos, These are really important questions to raise, I’m glad you’re doing so. I’m not sure if you’ve seen this proposal for making Indigo the default Open edX theme. There is a discussion there on checking for WCAG 2.2 compliance. I don’t believe it has been checked yet, but I am not certain. Perhaps somebody from edly can chime in?

I don’t have experience with accessibility of themes. My exploration has been focused on accessibility of specific design elements, but I will ask around and see if anybody can give more productive guidance for your specific questions.

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