Overview
The Appeals Court’s website was not fully accessible for all website users. We determined that 9 (15%) webpages out of our sample of 60 were not in accordance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Of these 9 webpages, we determined that 2 (3%) webpages contained functional elements that could not be navigated using only keyboard commands, 5 (8%) webpages contained hyperlinks that did not lead to intended information, and 2 (3%) webpages contained inaccurate language attributes.
Possible effects of noncompliance with WCAG 2.1 in the areas discussed above include the following:
- Regarding keyboard accessibility, if functional elements on a webpage cannot be navigated using only keyboard commands, then users with limited motor abilities may be unable to navigate to needed information.
- Regarding navigation accessibility, broken or faulty hyperlinks negatively impact the user experience and make it difficult to locate specific, sought-after information. They can also limit equitable access to critical information and key online services for some users. Plus, broken or faulty hyperlinks also increase the likelihood that users may access outdated or incorrect information or may be directed to webpages that no longer exist.
- Regarding language accessibility, inaccurate language attributes can pose a number of challenges. For example, this issue could cause translation software or screen readers to lose the ability to correctly translate critical content on a website, thus negatively affecting people who use these tools.
Authoritative Guidance
The World Wide Web Consortium’s WCAG 2.1 states,
Success Criterion 2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A)
All functionality of the content is operable through a keyboard interface without requiring specific timings for individual keystrokes, except where the underlying function requires input that depends on the path of the user’s movement and not just the endpoints. . . .
Success Criterion 2.4.5 Multiple Ways (Level AA)
More than one way is available to locate a web page within a set of web pages except where the web page is the result of, or a step in, a process. . . .
Success Criterion 3.1.2 Language of Parts (Level AA)
The human language of each passage or phrase in the content can be programmatically determined except for proper names, technical terms, words of indeterminate language, and words or phrases that have become part of the vernacular of the immediately surrounding text.
Reasons for Issue
Due to the issues referenced in the “Scope Limitations” section, we were unable to obtain a cause from the Appeals Court as to why these issues occurred.
Recommendations
- The Appeals Court should work to resolve accessibility barriers that prevent certain features from being used with only keyboard commands.
- The Appeals Court should review its webpages to ensure that all hyperlinks lead to intended information and that they provide equitable access to critical information and services that the Appeals Court offers online.
- The Appeals Court should address inaccurate language attributes that may interfere with screen reader functionally and overall digital accessibility.
Auditee’s Response
In a letter to the Office of the State Auditor (OSA) on November 20, 2024 (see Appendix B), the Appeals Court stated that it “respectfully declines to comply with the proposed audit.”
Auditor’s Reply
OSA’s position is that the judiciary is subject to audit as outlined in Section 12 of Chapter 11 of the General Laws. There is a substantial historical record of the OSA auditing the judiciary, including, most recently, the Office of Jury Commissioner (issued September 20, 2024) and the Supreme Judicial Court (issued June 2, 2023). Additionally, OSA last audited the Appeals Court on November 2, 2020. The response received to this audit represents a significant deviation from historical practice. OSA continues to make itself available to the Appeals Court and encourages it to comply with Section 12 of Chapter 11 of the General Laws to help make government work better and bolster public confidence in the government funded by the People’s tax dollars.
| Date published: | August 6, 2025 |
|---|