Accessibility

Our commitment

Covidence is committed to providing an accessible, inclusive experience for all users. We believe that everyone should be able to access, use and benefit from our platform, regardless of ability, technology or context of use.

Accessibility is an ongoing responsibility. We actively maintain and improve accessibility across our product and welcome feedback from our community to help us continue to do better.

Accessibility standards and conformance

Covidence is designed and maintained in alignment with the following accessibility standards:

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level A and Level AA
• Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act (where applicable)

Covidence has completed a planned accessibility remediation program and meets WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA success criteria for our defined core features. Accessibility is now managed as ongoing operational maintenance, embedded into our product design, development, testing and release processes.

Our accessibility approach

Accessibility considerations are incorporated throughout the product lifecycle, including:

• Use of semantic HTML and appropriate ARIA attributes where required
• Keyboard navigability for core workflows
• Screen reader compatibility for key user journeys
• Colour contrast and text readability standards
• Clear, consistent interaction patterns

We continue to monitor accessibility as the product evolves and prioritise improvements as part of regular development work.

Accessibility assessments and remediation

Covidence has undertaken a formal accessibility assessment and remediation program, including:

• An independent accessibility audit conducted by AccessibleWeb
• Identification and remediation of WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA issues across core features
• Establishment of an internal working group to prioritise and manage remediation
• Delivery of remediation milestones aligned to WCAG requirements
• Production of an updated, independently reviewed Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT)

This remediation program is now complete.

Accessibility conformance reporting (VPAT)

Covidence provides an up to date Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) to support customer procurement, compliance and assurance needs.

The VPAT:

• Reflects the current accessibility status of Covidence’s defined core features
• Documents evidence of conformance, as well as any known exceptions or limitations
• Is reviewed and updated on a regular basis

If you require a copy of the VPAT or additional accessibility documentation, please contact us using the details below.

Scope and known limitations

Our current accessibility scope includes Covidence’s defined core web based features.

The following are not currently included in the accessibility conformance scope:

• Data extraction tools, which are still evolving and have not yet reached sustained product maturity
• The mobile site, which provides a limited feature set

Scope boundaries are reviewed periodically as the product evolves. Once excluded areas reach appropriate maturity, they will be assessed for inclusion in the accessibility scope.

Providing feedback or requesting support

We welcome feedback from our community on accessibility barriers, usability challenges, or opportunities for improvement. If you experience difficulty using Covidence, or if you have suggestions that could help make the product more accessible, please let us know. You can contact us via: support@covidence.org

When reaching out, it may be helpful (but is not required) to include:

• You subject line as ‘Accessibility feedback’
• The page or feature you were using
• A brief description of the issue
• The browser or assistive technology involved (if applicable)

We aim to acknowledge accessibility-related enquiries within 2 business days and work with users to provide appropriate support or alternatives where possible.

Continuous improvement

Accessibility is not a one time effort. We regularly review user feedback, monitor changes to accessibility standards and incorporate learnings into future product improvements.

Your feedback plays an important role in helping us maintain and improve accessibility for everyone who uses Covidence.