Accessibility

Every text element meets a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1. Interactive components meet 3:1. Color is never the sole conveyor of meaning — all status indicators combine color with text or icons.

• Primary text #c6d4df on background #1b2838 — 5.1:1 contrast ratio
• Secondary text #b8c5d0 on card surface #2a475e — 5.0:1 contrast ratio
• Accent blue #66c0f4 — used as links and UI components (meets 3:1), never as primary text color
• Status colors (green, red, amber) all exceed 4.5:1 against card backgrounds and are always paired with descriptive text

The type system is built on a golden ratio scale (φ=1.618) from a 16px base. No text element falls below 16px anywhere in the product.

• Minimum 16px body text — inputs, labels, tooltips, and UI copy all meet this floor
• Golden ratio scale: 16px body → 20px component headings → 30px section headings → 68px hero display
• Libre Bodoni (variable weight 100–900) for headings — optical size support ensures legibility at all scales
• Montserrat for body text — humanist sans-serif optimized for screen readability
• JetBrains Mono for all numeric data — tabular figures and monospacing prevent digit misreads
• Line height and letter spacing tuned per size — tighter tracking at large display sizes, looser at body sizes

Every function in PearlAudit is operable without a mouse.

• All interactive elements reachable via Tab and Shift+Tab
• Address autocomplete supports ↑↓ to navigate, Enter to select, Esc to dismiss
• 3px visible focus rings in accent blue on every focusable element
• Logical, document-order tab sequence on all pages — no focus traps
• Loading overlay includes a keyboard-accessible Cancel button

PearlAudit is built with semantic HTML and ARIA to work correctly with NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, and TalkBack.

• HTML5 landmark elements throughout — <header>, <main>, <nav>, <footer>
• Address search field uses role="combobox", aria-expanded, and aria-autocomplete="list"
• Error messages use role="alert" for immediate announcement
• Credit usage changes announced via aria-live="polite" regions
• All icon-only controls have descriptive aria-label attributes; decorative icons use aria-hidden="true"
• All images include descriptive alt text

• All click and touch targets meet 44×44 CSS pixel minimum
• No hover-only interactions — all hover states have keyboard equivalents
• No time limits on user interactions — dossier generation can be cancelled at any time
• Autocomplete selection works on both mouse click and keyboard — no drag-and-drop required anywhere

Beyond the software itself, PearlAudit surfaces property data relevant to accessibility due diligence and ADA-related evaluations.

• Year Built — identify pre-ADA construction (the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted in 1990; older buildings may require retrofits)
• Building Class & Land Use — understand property type and the ADA occupancy category that applies
• Floor Count — multi-story commercial buildings have specific vertical accessibility requirements under the ADA
• Unit Count — multi-family buildings exceeding threshold sizes have unit-level Fair Housing Act accessibility requirements