.. meta::
   :description: Accessibility commitment for Balospe.com — supporting differently abled visitors in accessing abstract mathematical content.
   :keywords: accessibility, different abilities, math anxiety, math phobia, WCAG, translation

.. TODO AA: Page maturity — update StayC when reviewed
   Page status: NN_draft_v0_2026m03d31

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Accessibility
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Balospe.com is committed to being accessible to all visitors, regardless
of how they are differently abled. Every human being navigates the world
with a unique set of abilities, even if many so-called neurotypical people
do not yet think of themselves that way. This page describes what we are
doing and where we need help.


Accessing abstract mathematical content
=========================================

One area where this site strives hardest to help visitors succeed is
accessing the essence of abstract mathematical content where it matters
most. This is particularly important for readers who suffer from
**math anxiety** or even **math phobia** due to prior traumatic experiences
with how they were introduced to mathematics.

Math phobia is not yet recognized by the
`Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR)
<https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm>`_
as a specific clinical disorder. This says more about the medical experts
who compile the DSM than it says about the devastating reality that math
anxiety is playing in the fate of Life on Earth. When citizens cannot
assess existential risk because they fear the mathematics that describes
it, the consequences are civilizational.

LLoL's vision for Balospe.com includes translating abstract formal content
into accessible explanations at multiple levels --- for beginners, for
producers, and for experts --- so that mathematical literacy becomes
achievable regardless of a visitor's starting point. The site's
:doc:`naming system </matheology/naming-easy>` already provides
beginner-friendly entry points alongside expert-level formal definitions.


The translation challenge
===========================

Unfortunately, this translation task is enormous. Covering all the
abstract content on this site in ways that are genuinely accessible to
diverse audiences requires sustained, skilled effort from many
contributors.

This is a core reason for the
:doc:`ResearchCity vision </buy-in/index>` and
the call for global support. A dedicated ResearchCity would employ
accessibility experts, educational designers, and translators to
systematically make every key insight on this site reachable by those
who need it most.

Currently, the scaling up is at **Stage 0** --- one person (LLoL) doing
what he can on a shoestring budget. If you wish to support this work
and help make abstract mathematical content accessible to everyone,
:doc:`here is how you can buy in </buy-in/index>`.


Accessing content in different languages
==========================================

Being differently abled also extends to language. Not everyone reads
English, and the ideas on this site are intended for all of humanity.
The site supports 10 languages (English, German, Spanish, French,
Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi, Chinese), but translation
coverage is currently minimal.

The :doc:`translation effort </ww/translate/index>` needs volunteers
and eventually professional translators funded through ResearchCity.
If you can help translate content into your language, that is one of
the most impactful contributions you can make to accessibility.


Technical accessibility
=========================

What is currently in place:

- **Keyboard navigation** --- all interactive elements are keyboard-accessible.
- **Screen reader compatibility** --- the site generates semantic HTML via Sphinx.
- **Responsive design** --- content adapts to mobile, tablet, and desktop.
- **Light and dark themes** --- reduces eye strain for different visual preferences.
- **Right-to-left support** --- Arabic and Hebrew content renders correctly.
- **Alt text on images** --- descriptive text for visual content.
- **Decorative elements** marked ``aria-hidden="true"`` (e.g., separator SVGs).

What we are working toward:

- `WCAG 2.1 Level AA <https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/>`_ conformance.
- Improved accessibility of mathematical notation for screen readers.
- Captioned or transcribed audio/video content.
- Improved color contrast across all page elements.


Known limitations
===================

- Some mathematical content (MathJax-rendered formulas) may not be fully
  accessible via screen readers.
- PDF versions of pages may have limited accessibility features.
- Translation coverage is currently minimal beyond English.
- The site is under active development --- accessibility improvements
  are ongoing.


Report an accessibility barrier
==================================

If you encounter an accessibility barrier on this site, please let us
know. Your feedback helps us prioritize improvements.

`Send accessibility feedback via FeedbackFlow
<mailto:FF+accessibility@balospe.com?cc=FF%2BCompleteFeedbackFlow%40balospe.com&subject=FF%20k3%20s3%20AIMS%20for%20%5Baccessibility%5D%20Replace_by_summary_of_your_accessibility_barrier_report&body=I%20encountered%20an%20accessibility%20barrier%3A%0D%0A%0D%0APage%3A%20%0D%0ABrowser%2Fdevice%3A%20%0D%0AAssistive%20technology%20(if%20any)%3A%20%0D%0A%0D%0ADescription%20of%20the%20barrier%3A%0D%0A%0D%0A>`_

Note: accessibility reports are pre-classified as ``k3 s3`` (higher
priority, shorter-term) because removing barriers to access is urgent.


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.. dropdown:: Notes
   :class-container: page-footer-form-notes
   :class-title: page-footer-form-title

   .. include:: /_templates/include-file/footer/page-footer-stability.rst


.. dropdown:: See also on Balospe.com
   :open:
   :class-container: page-footer-form-refs-internal
   :class-title: page-footer-form-title

   - :doc:`/legal/index`
   - :doc:`/ww/translate/index`
   - :doc:`/buy-in/index`
   - :doc:`/ff/index`


.. only:: html

   .. dropdown:: How you can improve this page: Send your FeedbackFlow
      :class-container: page-footer-form-feedbackflow
      :class-title: page-footer-form-title

      .. include:: /_templates/include-file/footer/form-open-std/prelink.rst

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      .. raw:: html

         <p>To submit your FeedbackFlow, click anywhere on the email preview below:</p>
         <a class="ff-email-preview-link" href="mailto:FF+accessibility@balospe.com?cc=FF%2BCompleteFeedbackFlow%40balospe.com&amp;subject=FF%20k2%20s2%20AIMS%20for%20%5Baccessibility%5D%20Replace_by_OneLineSummary_of_proposed_FF_improvement&amp;body=To%20make%20this%20page%20%5Baccessibility%5D%0D%0Amore%20gentle%20kind%20reasonable%0D%0Afor%20beginners%2C%20producers%2C%20andOr%20experts%0D%0Awith%20a%20background%20in%20xyz%3A%0D%0A%0D%0APlease%20consider%20improving%20this%3A%0D%0A%0D%0A">To:      FF+accessibility@balospe.com
         CC:      FF+CompleteFeedbackFlow@balospe.com
         Subject: FF k2 s2 AIMS for [accessibility] Replace_by_OneLineSummary
         Body:    To make this page [accessibility]
                  more gentle kind reasonable
                  for beginners, producers, andOr experts
                  with a background in xyz:

                  Please consider improving this:</a>

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      .. admonition:: Adjusting importance and urgency in the AIMS Plotter
         :class: sidebar note

         The email subject encodes two independent AIMS variables:
         **k** (impact, y-axis) and **s** (seasoning time, x-axis).
         Default ``k2 s2`` = moderate impact, mid-term.
         Increase both to ``k3 s3`` for higher priority,
         decrease to ``k1 s1`` for lower.
         See :doc:`AIMS details </ff/system/index>`.


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