Accessibility
This site is built to be read and used by as many people as possible, with a keyboard, a screen reader, a small phone or a slow connection.
Why it matters here
People come to this site soon after a crash. Some are reading on a cracked phone at the roadside. Some are injured, tired or working with one hand. A page that is hard to use at that moment has failed, however accurate it is. So the site is built plain and light on purpose.
What the site is built for
| If you use | What the site does |
|---|---|
| A keyboard | Every link, button and question can be reached with the Tab key and shows a clear outline when it has focus. On the state map, the arrow keys move from tile to tile and Enter opens a state. A link at the top of every page skips to the content |
| A screen reader | Pages use real headings, lists and tables. Each map tile is announced by the state's full name. Drawings that carry no information are hidden from screen readers |
| A small phone | Nothing scrolls sideways. The map becomes a list you can search. Wide tables become cards with a label beside every value |
| Reduced motion | If your device is set to reduce motion, the site switches its small animations and smooth scrolling off |
| A browser with scripts off | Every page is plain HTML. The map still works as a set of links to each state's row in the table |
| A slow connection | Pages load no outside fonts, trackers or advertising, and there are no photographs or video |
Contrast and text size
Text contrast is checked on every page, including the small labels. Body text is set large enough to read without zooming. Links in running text are underlined, so they do not depend on colour alone.
How it is tested
We test every kind of page before it is published, by machine and by hand.
- Each page is checked at 1366 pixels wide and at 390 pixels wide for anything that overflows the screen.
- Every link and button is tested for a visible change on hover and a visible mark on focus.
- The home page is loaded with scripts switched off, and with reduced motion switched on, to confirm both still work.
- Google's Lighthouse accessibility audit scored 100 on the home page, a state page, an agency page and a guide on 12 November 2026.
We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 at level AA. The site has not had an audit by an outside accessibility specialist, and an automated score is not proof that every person can use every page. If you find something that gets in your way, we want to hear about it.
What may still get in the way
We link to official police and government websites and to report portals, because that is where reports are released. We cannot make those sites accessible, and some of them are not. Some need a mouse. Some time out quickly. Some show a picture puzzle before they let you search.
When an official site shuts you out, the agency's records unit can usually take a request by phone, by mail or in person. Our pages list those other routes wherever the agency publishes them.
Tell us
If something on this site is hard to use, write to info@getaccidentreport.org. Say which page, what you were trying to do, and what device or software you were using. We read every message and fix what we can.