Overview
The Health Policy Commission’s (HPC’s) website was not fully accessible to all website users. We reviewed a sample of 60 webpages and found that 4 out of 60 webpages were not compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. We determined the following issues within our sample:
- of these 60 webpages, 1 contained content that was damaged at 200% and 400% zoom;
- of these 60 webpages, 1 had broken hyperlinks; and
- of these 60 webpages, 2 had videos without captioning.
Noncompliance with WCAG 2.1 reduces accessibility for individuals with disabilities and limits equitable access to HPC information and services. Specific risks include the following:
- If HPC’s website cannot zoom in to 200% or reflow13 at 400%, some users will not be able to read content if they zoom in to alleviate a visual impairment.
- Broken or faulty hyperlinks limit users from having access to critical information and key online services offered by HPC. Broken or faulty hyperlinks also increase the likelihood that users may either access outdated or incorrect information or be directed to webpages that no longer exist.
- Videos without captions may prevent users with auditory impairments from receiving intended content.
Authoritative Guidance
The World Wide Web Consortium’s WCAG 2.1 states,
Success Criterion 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) (Level A)
Captions are provided for all prerecorded audio content in synchronized media, except when the media is a media alternative for text and is clearly labeled as such. . . .
Success Criterion 1.4.4 Resize Text (Level AA)
Except for captions and images of text, text can be resized without assistive technology up to 200 percent without loss of content or functionality. . . .
Success Criterion 1.4.10 Reflow (Level AA)
Content can be presented without loss of information or functionality, and without requiring scrolling in two dimensions for:
- Vertical scrolling content at a width equivalent to 320 [cascading style sheet (CSS)] pixels;
- Horizontal scrolling content at a height equivalent to 256 CSS pixels. . . .
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.
Reasons for Issue
The webpage that had damaged content at 200% and 400% contained an interactive table so users could examine different graphs with various public health statistics. This table was not legible at 200% or 400% zoom. HPC management told us that, when HPC transferred its website contents from its Mass.gov website to the new Masshpc.gov website, they neglected to change the sizing of the interactive table, which meant that the table did not appear correctly on the new website.
The webpage that had a broken link contained a link for a subscription feature that HPC does not use. HPC management told us that the link was included as part of the pre-generated template used to create the webpage. HPC did not remove the link when HPC management determined they would not offer subscriptions to the webpage.
The two webpages that included videos without captioning: each contained an embedded YouTube video without captioning. HPC management told us that, on the two YouTube videos, they did not set a language and, therefore YouTube was not able to determine the language of the videos and generate captions.
Recommendations
- HPC should ensure that content on its masshpc.gov webpages displays clearly, even when zoomed in to 200% and 400%.
- HPC should review its masshpc.gov webpages to ensure that all hyperlinks lead to related and updated information.
- HPC should adopt procedures to ensure that videos posted to its masshpc.gov website are properly captioned.
Auditee’s Response
The HPC is committed to having a fully accessible website, and we prioritized accessibility when designing the HPC’s new website, www.masshpc.gov. HPC staff worked diligently with its website developer to ensure that the new website meets or exceeds accessibility standards, and HPC staff continue to ensure that the website is fully accessible. The HPC acted immediately to rectify the limited instances identified by the Auditor where page elements did not meet the applicable criteria, and has implemented processes and capabilities to ensure compliance with all elements going forward.
Auditor’s Reply
Based on its response, HPC has taken measures to address our concerns regarding this matter. As part of our post-audit review process, we will follow up on this matter in approximately six months.
| Date published: | November 3, 2025 |
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