Accessibility Statement
Our Commitment
The Havana Syndrome Discovery Institute is committed to ensuring that the HSDI Helios platform is accessible to all users, including those with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive disabilities. We recognize that accessibility is not a compliance checkbox but a prerequisite for equitable access to scientific and policy information, particularly for the affected individuals and communities this platform is designed to serve.
We target conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA. Where full conformance is not yet achieved, we document known limitations and provide text-based alternatives. Accessibility improvements are a standing item on the HSDI platform development roadmap.
Implemented Accessibility Features
Navigation
- Skip-to-main-content link available on all pages for keyboard users
- Full keyboard navigation supported throughout the platform
- Logical tab order maintained across all interactive elements
- Visible focus indicators on all focusable elements
Visual Design
- Color contrast ratios meet or exceed WCAG 2.1 AA standards (4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text)
- Information is never conveyed by color alone
- Text can be resized up to 200% without loss of content or functionality
- No content flashes more than three times per second
Content and Structure
- Semantic HTML5 elements used throughout (main, nav, header, footer, section, article)
- Descriptive alt text provided for all informational images
- Form fields include visible labels and error messages
- Data visualizations include text-based alternatives or descriptions
Interactive Components
- All interactive components are operable via keyboard
- ARIA roles, states, and properties applied to custom components
- Modal dialogs trap focus appropriately and return focus on close
- Dynamic content updates are announced to screen readers via ARIA live regions
Known Limitations
The following components have known accessibility limitations. Text-based alternatives are provided in each case. We are actively working to improve these components in future platform releases.
The interactive network graph is not fully accessible via keyboard or screen reader. A text-based alternative listing all agent nodes and their cluster relationships is available in the accordion view on the same page.
Partial — text alternative availableThe radial SVG chart uses visual encoding that may not be fully conveyed to screen reader users. A structured list of all 48 disciplines and their cluster assignments is available in the sidebar panel on the same page.
Partial — text alternative availableThe Sankey diagram is a complex visual representation. A tabular breakdown of all hypothesis-to-discipline-to-target pathways is provided below the diagram.
Partial — tabular alternative availableAccessibility Feedback and Accommodation Requests
If you encounter an accessibility barrier on this platform, or if you require content in an alternative format, please submit a request through the Contact page, selecting the General Inquiry category and describing the specific barrier or accommodation needed. We aim to respond to all accessibility requests within five business days.
We welcome feedback on any aspect of platform accessibility. Reports of barriers, suggestions for improvement, and requests for alternative formats are reviewed by the HSDI platform team and incorporated into the ongoing development roadmap.