Accessibility
Accessibility is not a feature we add at the end — it is the baseline every Fortiv surface meets. This is the source the per-component accessibility notes point back to.
Principles
Four commitments that shape how we build. They apply to marketing pages and dense product screens alike.
Operable by keyboard alone
Every action a mouse can take, a keyboard can take too. BCMS is used under pressure — during an incident, people reach for the keyboard.
Perceivable without color
Status, severity, and hierarchy must survive greyscale and color-blindness. Color is a reinforcement, never the only signal.
Announced to assistive tech
Controls expose their name, role, and state. An icon-only button without a label is invisible to a screen reader.
Forgiving of motion sensitivity
Honour prefers-reduced-motion. Animation guides attention; it should never be required to understand the screen.
Targets
The measurable bar. When a design or PR is reviewed, these are the numbers it is checked against.
| Area | Target | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | WCAG 2.1 AA | The baseline for all product surfaces. |
| Text contrast | 4.5:1 | 3:1 for large text (≥ 18.66px bold / 24px regular). |
| Non-text contrast | 3:1 | Icons, input borders, focus rings against their background. |
| Target size | ≥ 24×24px | Interactive controls; 44px on touch-first surfaces. |
| Focus visible | Always | A visible focus indicator on every focusable element. |
Color & contrast
Color reinforces meaning but never carries it alone — pair it with an icon, label, shape, or position.
Pair a status color with a label or icon — e.g. a red dot beside the word “Critical”.
Don't rely on a red vs. green dot alone to distinguish failed from passed.
Check text against its actual background, including tinted surfaces and dark mode.
Don't place muted grey text on a tinted card without re-checking the 4.5:1 ratio.
Keyboard & focus
The keyboard is the universal interface. If it works by keyboard, it works for switch devices, screen readers, and power users.
Keep a logical tab order that follows the visual reading order of the page.
Don't remove the focus ring without providing an equally visible replacement.
Trap focus inside modals and return it to the trigger when they close.
Don't make hover the only way to reveal an action — it's invisible to keyboards.
Review checklist
A two-minute pass any reviewer can run before approving a screen.
| Try this | Pass | Fail |
|---|---|---|
| Tab through the whole screen | Every control is reachable and in a sensible order | Focus skips a control or jumps around |
| Operate it with the keyboard | Enter / Space / arrows / Esc all behave as expected | An action needs the mouse |
| Zoom to 200% | Content reflows, nothing is clipped or lost | Text is cut off or overlaps |
| Desaturate the screen | Status and hierarchy still read | Meaning depended on color alone |
| Run a screen reader over it | Each control announces name, role, state | A button reads as “button” with no name |