WCAG 2.2 AA Conformance Report (VPAT)
Voluntary Product Accessibility Template for Exposure public-facing story and site views
Overview
This document provides an accessibility conformance summary for Exposure's public-facing viewer experience, using the VPAT format as a practical reference point.
This report focuses on the parts of Exposure that visitors use when reading stories and browsing member sites, including:
Story pages
Member sites
Category pages
Public subscribe flows
Contact forms
Lightbox viewing
Public menus, dialogs, and navigation
This report does not cover internal authoring or administrative interfaces such as:
Story editor and compose tools
Account settings and preferences
Billing and subscription management
Admin tools
Report date: March 2026 Contact: [email protected]
Conformance Summary
Overall conformance level: Partially Supports WCAG 2.2 Level AA
Exposure has made substantial accessibility improvements to its public-facing views, with recent work focused on WCAG 2.2 viewer-facing behavior such as:
Shared skip links and better main landmarks
Improved keyboard navigation for public menus and dialogs
Better focus management for subscribe modals, warning dialogs, and lightbox flows
Stronger accessible names and labels for shared controls like search, share, and subscribe actions
Better handling of expanded/collapsed menu state
Reduced cases where hidden controls remained tabbable
Exposure also supports:
Automated accessibility testing with axe-based coverage
Semantic HTML and ARIA landmarks
Reduced motion preferences
AI-assisted alt text generation
Public accessibility statement pages
Because Exposure supports user-generated content, custom styling, and third-party embeds, accessibility can vary depending on the content and configuration used on an individual site.
Terms Used In This Report
Term | Meaning |
Supports | The feature meets the criterion in normal public-facing use |
Partially Supports | Most of the experience supports the criterion, but some content, configurations, or third-party integrations may not |
Does Not Support | The feature generally does not meet the criterion |
Not Applicable | The criterion is not relevant to the product scope described here |
Scope Of This Report
In Scope | Out Of Scope |
Story pages | Story editor and compose experience |
Member sites | Account settings |
Category pages | Billing and subscriptions |
Public contact forms | Admin dashboard |
Public subscribe forms and modals | Photo upload and media management |
Lightbox viewer | Internal analytics and management tools |
Story Map viewer | Team and author workflow tools |
WCAG 2.2 Summary By Principle
Principle | Conformance | Notes |
Perceivable | Partially Supports | Strong semantic structure and text alternatives support, but user-generated content, third-party embeds, and custom color choices can still affect outcomes |
Operable | Supports | Public keyboard support, skip links, lightbox controls, dialog Escape handling, and shared menu focus improvements are implemented |
Understandable | Supports | Public forms, labels, navigation patterns, and public page structure are designed for predictable use |
Robust | Supports | Public views use semantic HTML, ARIA roles, status messaging, and improved dialog/menu state handling |
Public-Facing Accessibility Features
Navigation & Structure
Skip links to main content on key public surfaces
Main landmarks for public page structure
Semantic heading hierarchy for story and site content
Landmark navigation for primary public menus and page sections
Keyboard Support
Public interactive controls are designed for keyboard access
Escape closes supported public dialogs, modals, drawers, and lightbox flows
Lightbox supports keyboard navigation
Public menus and popouts have improved focus handling and state announcements
Dialogs & Focus Management
Public subscribe modal uses dialog semantics
Focus is moved into public dialogs when they open
Focus is returned to the opener when supported dialogs close
Closed menus and popouts are less likely to expose hidden focus targets
Public Forms
Shared public search inputs have explicit labels
Public subscribe flows use clearer labels and button names
Public contact flows include clearer field labeling
Images & Media
AI-assisted alt text support is available for story photos
Photo captions and media semantics have been improved
Videos are muted by default where used decoratively
Notable WCAG 2.2 Viewer Improvements
Recent public-view improvements include:
Better handling of Focus Visible
Better handling of Focus Not Obscured
Improved Target Size coverage for small public controls
Stronger support for keyboard-only use of public dialogs and menus
Better public support for accessible names, roles, and state changes
These changes were focused on the real visitor experience rather than internal editing tools.
Criteria Highlights
1.1 Text Alternatives
Criterion | Conformance | Remarks |
1.1.1 Non-text Content | Partially Supports | Exposure supports alt text and AI-assisted alt text generation, but user-generated content may still vary |
1.3 Adaptable
Criterion | Conformance | Remarks |
1.3.1 Info and Relationships | Supports | Public pages use headings, landmarks, and improved dialog/menu semantics |
1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose | Supports | Key public form fields and shared search surfaces include clearer labels and input semantics |
1.4 Distinguishable
Criterion | Conformance | Remarks |
1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) | Partially Supports | Exposure improves default public contrast behavior, but author-customized themes and image overlays can still affect results |
1.4.4 Resize Text | Supports | Public pages support zoom and responsive scaling |
1.4.10 Reflow | Supports | Public layouts are designed to adapt responsively |
2.1 Keyboard Accessible
Criterion | Conformance | Remarks |
2.1.1 Keyboard | Supports | Public site and story controls are designed for keyboard use |
2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap | Supports | Public dialogs and lightbox flows include supported escape and focus behavior |
2.4 Navigable
Criterion | Conformance | Remarks |
2.4.1 Bypass Blocks | Supports | Public skip links are available on key public layouts and pages |
2.4.3 Focus Order | Supports | Public focus order has been improved, especially for menus and modals |
2.4.7 Focus Visible | Supports | Shared visible focus styling is implemented for public controls |
2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured | Supports | Public focus behavior has been improved to reduce obscured targets with sticky UI |
2.5 Input Modalities
Criterion | Conformance | Remarks |
2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) | Partially Supports | Public controls have been improved, but custom content and certain compact UI states may still require validation |
3.3 Input Assistance
Criterion | Conformance | Remarks |
3.3.2 Labels or Instructions | Supports | Shared public search, subscribe, and contact flows have clearer labels and instructions |
4.1 Compatible
Criterion | Conformance | Remarks |
4.1.2 Name, Role, Value | Supports | Public controls, dialogs, menus, and buttons have improved accessible names and state semantics |
4.1.3 Status Messages | Supports | Public UI includes improved messaging behavior where applicable |
Testing Approach
Exposure validates public accessibility using a mix of:
Automated accessibility testing
Manual keyboard testing
Raw HTML/source inspection
Ongoing review of public dialogs, menus, and viewing flows
Public accessibility work is iterative and continues as the platform evolves.
Known Limitations
Accessibility can still be affected by:
User-generated content without sufficient text alternatives
Third-party embedded content
Author-customized color schemes and cover images
Custom code added by site owners
Browser and assistive technology differences
Legal Disclaimer
This conformance report is provided for informational purposes and reflects the public-facing viewer experience described above. It does not cover internal authoring, billing, account management, or administrative interfaces unless explicitly stated.
Accessibility conformance is assessed at a point in time and may change as the platform evolves.
Need Help?
If you have questions about this accessibility conformance report, reach out to us at [email protected]. We're happy to help!