The State of Wisconsin Investment Board (“SWIB”) is committed to providing an accessible website experience for all users of all abilities, including those who rely on assistive technologies like screen readers, screen enlargement software, and alternative keyboard input devices to navigate the web.
Ongoing Efforts to Ensure Accessibility
We look to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1, together with applicable regulatory interpretations, as a guiding framework for determining accessibility. These standards cover a wide range of recommendations and best practices for making content useable. As we add new pages and functionality to our website, we endeavor to evaluate the designs, code, and content against these standards.
Website accessibility is an ongoing process. We test content and features for WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance and make concerted efforts to remediate any issues. Testing of our website is performed by our team members using industry-standard tools such as the Accessibility Checker WordPress Plugin, color contrast analyzers, keyboard-only navigation techniques, and Flesch-Kincaid readability tests.
Accessibility Features On Our Website
The following is a list of items we have included in our website to improve its accessibility:
1. Text & Content Accessibility
- Alternative text (alt text) for images so screen readers can describe them
- Clear headings structure (H1–H6) for easy navigation
- Readable fonts and sufficient text size
- Simple and clear language for better understanding
- Descriptive link text (e.g., “Download report” instead of “Click here”)
2. Forms Accessibility
- Proper labels for input fields
- Error messages with clear instructions
- Accessible validation (not just color-based)
3. Keyboard Accessibility
- All functionality should be usable with a keyboard only (no mouse required)
- Logical tab order for navigation
- Visible focus indicator (shows which element is selected)
4. Color & Visual Design
- Support for zooming (up to 200% or more) without breaking layout
- Avoid relying only on color to convey information (e.g., error messages should include text/icons)
- Sufficient color contrast between text and background
5. Navigation & Structure
- Consistent navigation menus across pages
- Skip to content links to bypass repetitive content
- Multiple ways to find content (search, sitemap, menu)
6. Assistive Technology Support
- Proper semantic HTML (e.g., <button>, <nav>, <main>)
- Compatibility with screen readers NVDA
7. Responsive & Mobile Accessibility
- Content adapts to different screen sizes
- Touch targets are large enough
8. Language & Localization
- Specify page language in HTML (lang attribute)
Where We’re Improving
In our efforts to bring our website up to standard, we will target any areas where an issue has been identified and may list them here.
This is part of our broader effort to make everyone’s experience at SWIB a welcoming and enjoyable one. Please note that while we make every effort to provide information accessible for all users, we cannot guarantee the accessibility of third-party websites to which we may link.
Accessibility Support Contact
We welcome comments, questions, and feedback on our website. If you are using assistive technologies and are having difficulty using our website, please email info@swib.state.wi.us. We will do our best to assist you and resolve issues.