Accessibility Statement
Last Updated: November 2024
1990 Web Archive is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone and applying the relevant accessibility standards to our archival platform and modern interface.
Conformance Status
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) defines requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. It defines three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA.
1990 Web Archive is fully conformant with WCAG 2.2 Level AA for all modern interface components. Our archival viewer provides a "Modern Accessibility Mode" to enhance legacy content compatibility.
Accessibility Features
We have implemented the following features to ensure our platform is accessible to all users:
- Full keyboard navigation with visible, high-contrast focus indicators
- Semantic HTML5 structure with proper heading hierarchy and landmarks
- Screen reader compatibility with ARIA roles, labels, and live regions
- High contrast text and adjustable scaling up to 200% without loss of content
- Descriptive alt text for all meaningful images, icons, and archived media
- Form fields with associated labels, clear error identification, and instructions
- Respect for `prefers-reduced-motion` and `prefers-contrast` system settings
- Captioned video content and fully transcribed audio/archival materials
Known Limitations & Workarounds
Due to the historical nature of our mission, some preserved webpages from the 1990s contain inherent accessibility barriers that existed at the time of creation. We strive to preserve authenticity while providing modern accessibility overlays where possible.
- Legacy HTML/CSS: Some archived pages use outdated markup (e.g., `
` for layout, deprecated attributes, frames). These are rendered as-is to maintain historical accuracy.
- Missing Alt Text: Early web images often lacked descriptive alternatives. We are actively working on AI-assisted and community-driven alt text generation.
- Navigation Complexity: Frame-based or heavily JavaScript-dependent legacy sites may require our compatibility layer to ensure keyboard access.
Workaround: Users can enable the "Modern Accessibility Overlay" in the archive viewer settings. This adds missing landmarks, skip links, improved focus management, and readable fallback fonts to legacy pages without altering the original source code.
Feedback & Reporting Issues
We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of 1990 Web Archive. Please let us know if you encounter accessibility barriers:
- Email: accessibility@1990webarchive.com
- Phone: +1 (555) 019-9090
- Mail: 1990 Web Archive, Accessibility Team, 123 Digital Heritage Way, San Francisco, CA 94103
We try to respond to accessibility feedback within 2 business days. You can read our full privacy policy to understand how we handle your data.
Report an Accessibility Issue