Accessibility Statement
Badgie Academy is designed so that every student — regardless of device, reading level, or ability — can participate in lessons without barriers.
1. Our Commitment
Badgie Academy is committed to building a learning experience that is usable by as many students as possible. Accessibility is treated as a design requirement, not a feature to add later. We recognize that students in K–5 classrooms have a wide range of needs — including students with reading difficulties, low-vision learners, students who rely on keyboard navigation, and students using assistive technology.
Badgie Academy has not undergone a formal WCAG 2.1 compliance audit. We do not claim formal certification. We do maintain deliberate accessibility practices across the platform and are committed to improving them over time.
2. Design Approach
Badgie Academy is built as a static-first web application — clean HTML, clear structure, and no heavy JavaScript frameworks required to load or read lesson content. This approach makes the platform faster and more compatible with a wider range of devices and browsers, including older school-issued hardware.
Readable Layout
Lessons use large, high-contrast type, generous line spacing, and a card-based layout that keeps content organized and scannable. Text is sized and spaced for student readability, not desktop density.
Keyboard Navigation
Interactive elements — buttons, links, and lesson controls — are reachable by keyboard. Visible focus indicators (orange outline) are applied to all interactive elements so keyboard users can track their position on the page.
Skip Navigation
A skip-to-content link is present at the top of every page, allowing screen reader and keyboard users to bypass the navigation bar and go directly to lesson content.
Semantic Structure
Pages use proper HTML heading hierarchy, landmark regions, and ARIA labels where needed to support screen readers and assistive technology. Buttons and interactive elements use descriptive labels.
Color and Contrast
The primary color palette — navy, orange, and white — is chosen for strong contrast. Text and background combinations are designed to be legible for students with low vision. Color is not used as the sole means of conveying information.
Mobile and Device Friendly
Lessons are fully responsive and designed to work on phones, tablets, and Chromebooks without horizontal scrolling or truncated content. Touch targets are sized for students using touchscreens.
3. Read Aloud Support
Every Badgie Academy lesson includes built-in Read Aloud functionality powered by the browser's Web Speech API. Read Aloud is available for:
- Badgie's introduction and lesson framing
- All lesson content sections — Learning Objective, Let's Learn, Let's Try It, Think About It
- Revealed teaching points in lesson checks
Read Aloud supports students with emerging literacy, reading difficulties, and English language learners. The voice selection logic prefers natural-sounding voices when available. Students and teachers can start, pause, or stop reading at any time.
Read Aloud depends on browser support for the Web Speech API. It is available in Chrome, Edge, Safari, and Firefox on most devices. On older or restricted browsers, Read Aloud may not be available.
4. Reduced Motion Support
Badgie Academy respects the prefers-reduced-motion browser setting. When a user has enabled reduced motion in their operating system or browser, Badgie Academy's animations — including the Badgie avatar speaking animation and page transitions — are automatically disabled. The visual experience remains fully functional without motion.
5. Known Limitations
No formal audit has been completed. Badgie Academy has not been evaluated against WCAG 2.1 Level AA by an independent accessibility auditor. The accessibility practices described on this page reflect our design intentions during the pilot phase. Some gaps may exist that a formal audit would identify.
Known areas we are actively improving:
- Screen reader testing across all lesson types and devices is ongoing
- Alternative text for decorative and illustrative images is being reviewed
- Lesson check and quiz interactions will be reviewed for full keyboard and screen reader compatibility
- Teacher preview and facilitation pages will be reviewed for assistive technology support
6. Ongoing Improvement
Accessibility is treated as an ongoing practice at Badgie Academy, not a one-time checklist. We review and improve accessibility as lessons and features are developed. Schools, teachers, and families who identify accessibility issues are encouraged to report them so we can address them promptly.
A formal WCAG 2.1 audit is planned before any broader deployment beyond the current pilot cohort.
7. Report an Accessibility Issue
If you encounter an accessibility barrier while using Badgie Academy — a lesson that cannot be navigated by keyboard, a screen reader that cannot read content, a contrast issue, or any other concern — please contact us. We take accessibility reports seriously and aim to address reported issues within ten business days.
Email: BadgieIQ@proton.me
Include a description of the issue, the page or lesson where you encountered it, and the device and browser you were using. We will follow up directly.