Accessibility in ArcGIS Enterprise—ArcGIS Enterprise | Documentation for ArcGIS Enterprise

Accessibility features and functionality in ArcGIS Enterprise are a priority, and efforts are made to enhance accessibility throughout the software development lifecycle.

For information about ArcGIS Enterprise accessibility, refer to the Esri Accessibility Conformance Reports site. These reports, based on the current Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT), are created after accessibility experts evaluate ArcGIS Enterprise. Testing is completed against the current version of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). 

Keyboard navigation

You can use the standard keyboard navigation actions in ArcGIS Enterprise, which include the following:

Tab—Move focus to the next interactive feature, including panels, elements, and buttons. 
Shift+Tab—Move focus to the previous interactive element.
Enter—Activate the current selection, such as a link or button. 
Spacebar—Check or uncheck a box and activate form-based inputs.
Arrow keys—Navigate between data points, categories, or values within an element or selector. 
Escape—Close an element, such as a panel or dialog box, and return focus to the last visited element.

When navigating ArcGIS Enterprise portal with a keyboard, focus is typically shown with a border highlighting the active page element. This allows you to see where you are and understand when a control can be activated using the keyboard.

Screen reader compatibility

ArcGIS Enterprise is primarily tested using a combination of NVDA and JAWS (NonVisual Desktop Access and Job Access With Speech) screen readers. In web applications and component setup programs, visible text should be read aloud, and control names and state information should be announced.

Note:

Screen reader announcements may vary depending on the operating system and browser being used with ArcGIS Enterprise.

Accessibility features

ArcGIS Enterprise includes several features designed to help create more accessible experiences for users. Administrators have access to tools that evaluate color contrast ratios when designing the organization's home page, creating information banners, and assigning a classification schema to the organization.

Accessibility best practices

Additional accessibility considerations for the home page design are described in the following sections.

Home page design

As an administrator, you must consider accessibility when designing the organization's home page. While you can customize the home page's color scheme to adhere to your organization's look and feel, the provided preset color themes are designed to maximize color contrast for users with low or impaired vision. If you use custom styles to create a branded theme for your organization, ensure that your selected colors pass the legibility check available in the custom style setup window. Similarly, although you can customize the home page typography to align with your organization's look and feel, the provided preset font themes are designed to adapt to translation and readability across browsers and a variety of screen readers.

Your home page is designed to be responsive and viewable on any device. Avoid embedding text or graphic elements directly into your banner images, as this can cause issues when viewed on devices with different resolutions. Additionally, embedding text in images makes it inaccessible for users with low or impaired vision. Use the organization title and text blocks to provide information to your users.

Maps and scenes

Consider the following best practices when creating maps and scenes in ArcGIS Enterprise. For information on creating more accessible apps, refer to the product documentation for ArcGIS Experience Builder, ArcGIS Dashboards, and ArcGIS StoryMaps.

Basemaps—Esri-provided content and ArcGIS Living Atlas include several basemaps with enhanced contrast, designed for users with low vision or color vision deficiencies. When working with other basemaps, consider how their color schemes align with your data. You can improve accessibility by using bold labels and high-contrast elements. Conversely, selecting a basemap such as Light Grey or Dark Grey Canvas allows for better contrast with your map layers.
Styling features—Color choice affects how users with color vision deficiencies interpret map data. Avoid relying solely on color to convey information. Use varying symbol sizes or shapes to represent data and emphasize key features. You can also test your features' styling using browser tools that simulate color vision deficiencies to ensure legibility.
Filters and layer effects—Use layer effects and filters to reduce visual clutter and draw attention to key information. Avoid fast-moving visuals, repetitive patterns, or overly complex effects that can hinder accessibility.
Reduced motion—Limit the use of the zoom and pan options in the map. Set an appropriate point zoom scale to limit the drawing time. Also consider how your maps and apps can enhance accessibility by respecting users' preferences for reduced motion.
Pop-ups—Long lists of field names and values can be overwhelming and hard to interpret. Ensure fields are renamed with clear, understandable names, and limit the number of fields in pop-ups to only those necessary for the map, scene, or app. Any colors or other customizations you make for pop-ups must be checked with browser tools for contrast, readability, and color vision deficiency needs.

Alternative text

When including images or graphic elements in your content, it is important to provide meaningful alternative (alt) text for the images or mark them as decorative for users of assistive technology. This can often be done using the alt attribute or with the appropriate role or aria-hidden attributes.

Headings and labels

Assistive technology users rely on properly structured headings to navigate content on a page. Ensure that your content uses headings in the same hierarchical order as they appear visually. Similarly, use accessible name or label properties in your maps and apps whenever possible. This allows users of assistive technology to interact with content and controls.

Additional resources

For more information about accessibility, see the following resources:

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