When a website uses a visual indicator to identify links that open external websites, that indicator should be applied consistently. Inconsistent use of external link indicators reduces predictability and may cause users to unknowingly navigate away from the current website.

User impacts

Follow the links for additional information on user impairments:

Best practice violation

Best practice violations do not violate specific WCAG criteria but negatively impact user experience by violating a POUR principle:

  • Perceivable: If content on your site is not presented in a way that all users can perceive—like text without sufficient color contrast or images without alt text—some users might miss crucial information.
  • Operable: When interactive elements are not fully navigable or usable with a keyboard alone, they fail to be operable for users who rely on assistive technologies or non-mouse inputs.
  • Understandable: Content that is overly complex, uses inconsistent navigation, or includes unpredictable interactions can make your site difficult to understand for many users, leading to confusion or errors.
  • Robust: If your site relies on outdated technology or isn’t compatible with assistive devices, it might not be robust enough to support all users, particularly those using newer or more specialized tools.

Example(s)

Global (Home)

“Colt Optics” in the main menu lacks external link indication.

Remediation

For this issue to be remediated and marked Fixed, all the items from the selected Method below must be addressed.

Method

  1. Ensure consistent identification

Inline images are displayed immediately adjacent to surrounding text without sufficient spacing. The lack of visual separation reduces readability and makes it more difficult to distinguish decorative or supplemental images from the associated text.

User impacts

Follow the links for additional information on user impairments:

Best practice violation

Best practice violations do not violate specific WCAG criteria but negatively impact user experience by violating a POUR principle:

  • Perceivable: If content on your site is not presented in a way that all users can perceive—like text without sufficient color contrast or images without alt text—some users might miss crucial information.
  • Operable: When interactive elements are not fully navigable or usable with a keyboard alone, they fail to be operable for users who rely on assistive technologies or non-mouse inputs.
  • Understandable: Content that is overly complex, uses inconsistent navigation, or includes unpredictable interactions can make your site difficult to understand for many users, leading to confusion or errors.
  • Robust: If your site relies on outdated technology or isn’t compatible with assistive devices, it might not be robust enough to support all users, particularly those using newer or more specialized tools.

Example(s)

The Economic Impact Of Westlands Water District

A screenshot of inline images bumping up to the text wrapped around them.

Remediation

For this issue to be remediated and marked Fixed, all the items from the selected Method below must be addressed.

Method

  1. Increase the margins between the images and text.

Media players should provide users with sufficient controls to navigate, review, and consume content at their own pace. When video playback controls are limited, users may have difficulty revisiting information, locating specific sections, understanding how much content remains, or interacting with media in a manner consistent with their needs and preferences. Providing robust playback controls improves usability, supports a wider range of user needs, and aligns with common expectations for modern video experiences.

User impacts

Follow the links for additional information on user impairments:

Best practice violation

Best practice violations do not violate specific WCAG criteria but negatively impact user experience by violating a POUR principle:

  • Perceivable: If content on your site is not presented in a way that all users can perceive—like text without sufficient color contrast or images without alt text—some users might miss crucial information.
  • Operable: When interactive elements are not fully navigable or usable with a keyboard alone, they fail to be operable for users who rely on assistive technologies or non-mouse inputs.
  • Understandable: Content that is overly complex, uses inconsistent navigation, or includes unpredictable interactions can make your site difficult to understand for many users, leading to confusion or errors.
  • Robust: If your site relies on outdated technology or isn’t compatible with assistive devices, it might not be robust enough to support all users, particularly those using newer or more specialized tools.

Example(s)

Antique Warehouses Scranton, Pennsylvania

"settings":{
	"auto_pip":1,
	"badge":0,
	"byline":0,
	"collections":0,
	"color":0,
	"force_color_one":0,
	"force_color_two":0,
	"force_color_three":0,
	"force_color_four":0,
	"embed":0,
	"fullscreen":0,
	"like":0,
	"logo":0,
	"playbar":0,
	"portrait":0,
	"pip":0,
	"share":0,
	"spatial_compass":0,
	"spatial_label":0,
	"speed":0,
	"title":0,
	"volume":0,
	"watch_later":0,
	"watch_full_video":1,
	"controls":1,
	"airplay":0,
	"audio_tracks":0,
	"chapters":0,
	"chromecast":0,
	"cc":0,
	"transcript":0,
	"quality":0,
	"play_button_position":2,
	"ask_ai":0,
	"skipping_forward":0,
	"debug_payload_collection_policy":"default"
},

On the Store Location page, the embedded Vimeo video provides only basic play and pause functionality. Standard controls such as playback progress, seeking, duration information, volume controls, and fullscreen functionality have been removed from the player. Users cannot easily determine how long the video is or navigate directly to specific portions of the content.

Remediation

For this issue to be remediated and marked Fixed, all the items from the selected Method below must be addressed.

Method 1

  1. Enable additional player controls, including a progress indicator, playback duration, and seeking functionality, allowing users to navigate the video more efficiently.

Method 2

  1. Provide a clearly visible link to view the video on its native platform where a full set of playback controls is available.

An accordion labeled “No Current RFP” remains expandable and collapsible even though no meaningful content is available within the panel. Disclosure widgets imply that additional information can be revealed, so presenting an interactive accordion without useful expandable content may create confusion or unnecessary interaction.

User impacts

Follow the links for additional information on user impairments:

Best practice violation

Best practice violations do not violate specific WCAG criteria but negatively impact user experience by violating a POUR principle:

  • Perceivable: If content on your site is not presented in a way that all users can perceive—like text without sufficient color contrast or images without alt text—some users might miss crucial information.
  • Operable: When interactive elements are not fully navigable or usable with a keyboard alone, they fail to be operable for users who rely on assistive technologies or non-mouse inputs.
  • Understandable: Content that is overly complex, uses inconsistent navigation, or includes unpredictable interactions can make your site difficult to understand for many users, leading to confusion or errors.
  • Robust: If your site relies on outdated technology or isn’t compatible with assistive devices, it might not be robust enough to support all users, particularly those using newer or more specialized tools.

Example(s)

Procurement

A screenshot of a collapsed accordion titled "No Current RFP".

Remediation

For this issue to be remediated and marked Fixed, all the items below must be addressed.

Method 1

  1. When no proposal is active, replace the accordion entirely with a static note (eg, “No current RFP”)

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