Accessibility
Accessibility Statement
The Elo Chess Rating Calculator is designed to be usable by everyone, including people who navigate with keyboards, use screen readers, access the site on mobile devices during tournaments, or rely on other assistive technologies. This statement describes the accessibility standards we follow, what you can expect from the interface, known limitations we are working on, and how to report accessibility barriers. You can continue with Contact us for closely related guidance.
Standards and Goals
This site is built to comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA. That means all interactive elements have programmatic labels, all form inputs include associated labels and validation messages, color is never used as the sole means of conveying information, and the site maintains sufficient color contrast ratios across all text and interface elements. For implementation details and validation notes, review Methodology and validation.
Our goal is to ensure that every calculator workflow — entering ratings, selecting results, reading outputs — can be completed by any user regardless of how they interact with the page. Accessibility is not a feature we add at the end. It is part of how the site is designed and tested from the start.
Keyboard and Screen Reader Support
All interactive elements on the site are reachable and operable via keyboard alone. The tab order follows a logical sequence through navigation, calculator inputs, action buttons, and result panels. Focus indicators are visible on every interactive element. The calculator tabs (Rating Change and Initial Rating) can be switched with keyboard controls, and result panels are announced to screen readers when calculation output changes.
Navigation menus support keyboard operation including Enter to open submenus, Escape to close them, and arrow keys to move between menu items. Mobile navigation uses a hamburger toggle that is properly labeled and keyboard-accessible.
What You Can Expect from the Interface
- All form fields have associated labels readable by assistive technology. No input relies solely on placeholder text for identification.
- Validation errors are announced to screen readers and visually highlighted with both color and icon indicators.
- Calculator results update in real time and are contained within ARIA live regions so screen readers announce changes automatically.
- All pages are responsive and maintain usability from 320px viewport width upward, including during and after chess tournaments on mobile devices.
- Focus is managed correctly when modals, menus, or dynamic content panels open — focus moves to the new content and returns to the trigger when closed.
Known Limitations and Ongoing Work
We continuously test the site with keyboard-only navigation, screen readers (NVDA, VoiceOver), and automated accessibility scanning tools. While we strive for full compliance, some areas may have gaps that we are actively working to resolve. Complex interactive components like the calculator result panels and multi-level navigation menu undergo regular accessibility audits.
If you encounter a barrier that prevents you from using any part of the site, we want to know about it. Accessibility is ongoing work, and user feedback is the most valuable signal we have for identifying issues that automated testing misses.
How to Report an Accessibility Issue
If you experience an accessibility barrier on any page, please contact us through the Contact page. Include which page you were on, what you were trying to do, what technology you were using (browser, screen reader, etc.), and what happened. We respond to accessibility reports within 5 business days and will provide a timeline for resolution.
We take accessibility reports seriously because they help us build a better product for everyone. Every reported barrier is logged, investigated, and tracked through resolution.