Accessibility
Built to be used by everyone.
SEEC believes that the families, educators, and community members who interact with our website should be able to do so regardless of ability, device, or assistive technology.
Our Standard
What we aim for.
This website targets conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA, and alignment with Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act, the accessibility standard for federal digital content.
WCAG 2.1 AA covers requirements across four principles: content should be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. We do not claim a certification. We treat these standards as a working target, review the site against them on an ongoing basis, and continuously improve toward full conformance.
How We Work Toward It
What we do in practice.
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Semantic HTML structure
Every page uses proper landmarks, headings, and lists so screen readers and other assistive technologies can navigate predictably.
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Keyboard navigation
Every interactive element on the site is reachable and operable with a keyboard. A "Skip to main content" link appears at the top of every page for keyboard users.
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Visible focus indicators
Focused elements display a clear ring so users can always see where they are on the page.
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Color contrast
Text and interactive elements are designed to meet or exceed the WCAG AA contrast ratio of 4.5:1.
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Respects user preferences
The site honors operating-system preferences for reduced motion and high contrast.
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Image alternative text
Meaningful images carry descriptive alt text; decorative images are explicitly hidden from assistive technology.
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Form labels
Every form input has an associated label, not just placeholder text.
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External link signaling
Links that open in a new tab are visually marked and announced to screen readers.
Known Limitations
Where we're still working.
Accessibility is an ongoing practice, not a one-time deliverable. The following are areas we are actively working to improve:
Video captions and transcripts
The Smithsonian-produced videos embedded on this site are hosted on YouTube. We are coordinating with the Smithsonian video team to ensure captions are enabled and transcripts are made available on the site.
Tour request form
The tour request form on our Visit page is built with labeled, keyboard-accessible fields and announces visible success and failure states. If the form ever gives you trouble, the same page offers a direct path: email seecinfo@si.edu or call (202) 633-1399 and our enrollment team will schedule your tour personally.
Photography descriptions
As we add photography from the SEEC archive in the coming months, every meaningful image will receive descriptive alternative text written by a member of our team.
Tell Us If Something Is Broken
Your feedback matters.
If you encounter an accessibility barrier on this site, or have a suggestion for how we can do better, please reach out. We treat accessibility reports as priority feedback and aim to respond within two business days.
When you contact us, it helps to include the page you were on, the device and assistive technology you were using, and a brief description of what went wrong.
Email seecinfo@si.eduThis statement was last reviewed on July 17, 2026.
We review this page whenever significant changes are made to the website, and at minimum once per year.