Accessibility, and How to Report a Problem

The site is built to WCAG 2.1 AA (keyboard, screen reader, contrast, zoom, reduced motion), what is not perfect yet, and how to report a problem with or without an account.

Crossroad Sellers is built to meet WCAG 2.1 level AA, the standard the Americans with Disabilities Act is measured against for websites, on every page: the bidding site, the auction house console and the platform's own pages. Before each change goes live, every page is run through an automatic accessibility checker as every kind of user, and new pages are tried with the keyboard alone. There is no "accessibility overlay" widget; the pages themselves are fixed. The full statement is on the Accessibility page, linked at the bottom of every page.

What That Means in Practice

Keyboard. Everything works without a mouse. Press Tab to move between links, buttons and fields; Enter or Space to press; the arrow keys inside menus and the auction calendar. A Skip to content link is the first thing Tab reaches on every page. The thing that has focus always shows a visible ring.
Screen readers. Every page has one main heading, headings in order, and landmarks for the header, menu, content and footer. Every button, link and field has a name; every photo of a lot is described by the lot's title; decorative photos are silent. Error messages are announced when they appear.
Contrast and size. Text meets a 4.5:1 contrast ratio in both light and dark mode, and the site follows your system's choice of light or dark. Nothing is said with colour alone: a status is always words, never just a colour. Pages reflow at 200% zoom and on a phone with no sideways scrolling.
Motion. The only moving things are the countdown clocks and a short slide-in notice. If your system asks for reduced motion, the site honours it.
Time. Lots close on the server's clock, not yours. The countdown is a courtesy; a bid placed in the final two minutes extends that lot so nobody is beaten by a slow screen reader or a slow connection.

What Is Not Perfect Yet

Lot descriptions and photos are written by each auction house. A screen reader reads a photo by its lot's title; how clear a description is depends on the house.
A few forms check you are not a robot. It is usually invisible. If it stops you, email [email protected] and we will help.
The iPhone apps are newer than the website and have had less testing with VoiceOver.

Steps: Report a Problem

You do not need an account, and you do not need to be signed in.

At the bottom of any page, choose Accessibility.
Under Report an Accessibility Problem, say what went wrong in your own words. That is the only thing you must fill in.
If you like, add which page (it is filled in when you came from one), what you use (for example "NVDA with Chrome" or "keyboard only"), your name, and your email.
Choose Send Report. The page tells you your report's number.

Or simply email [email protected].

What Happens Next

A person on the Crossroad Sellers team reads every report. The platform answers these, not the auction house.
If you left an email address, you get a copy straight away, and a reply within two business days.
If you are stuck in the middle of something, such as a bid on a lot that is closing, a payment, or signing in, say so in the report or reply to the email. We will help you finish it another way while the page is fixed. Bidding by phone through the auction house's staff is always available for anyone who cannot use the site.
Every report is kept, with every step taken on it, so nothing gets lost.