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AccessTool: Web3 Accessibility for the Polkadot Ecosystem #2529

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## AccessTool – Ensuring Accessibility & Compliance for Web3 on Polkadot

- **Team Name:** ADA Compliance Alliance
- **Payment Details:**
- **DOT**: 5FqfPRDa78X9WegvyRPfvvRGgcNw26NN7Wx3XR9PFgQaJn8A
- **Payment**: Fiat, details to be shared upon approval
- **Level:** 2

## Project Overview :page_facing_up:

### Overview

Over 96.8% of websites fail WCAG compliance, excluding millions with disabilities. The problem is even more severe in Web3, where decentralized applications (dApps) rely on dynamic content, blockchain interactions, and custom interfaces, rendering traditional accessibility tools ineffective.

Beyond ethical concerns, inaccessibility leads to legal liabilities, regulatory penalties, and economic losses. The 2025 European Accessibility Act mandates strict penalties (up to 6% of global revenue) for non-compliant businesses. In the U.S., non-compliance results in missed revenue exceeding $13 billion annually and an increasing number of lawsuits.

Existing solutions, such as manual audits and traditional tools, are slow, costly, and not focused on Web3, highlighting the need for a decentralized, AI-driven approach.

AccessTool bridges the digital divide in Web3 by ensuring accessibility for all users, empowering developers, and reducing compliance risks.

### Project Details

**Introducing AccessTool**

AccessTool aims to leverage AI and blockchain to automate and decentralize web accessibility compliance for Polkadot and Web3. It provides:

- AI-powered scans & one-click fixes for rapid compliance (e.g., AI auto-generates missing alt text using NLP, suggests correct ARIA labels, or dynamically adjusts contrast levels using Computer Vision).
- On-chain verifiable audits for transparency and legal protection.
- Cross-platform integration via Polkadot’s smart contracts and XCM.

**Why Polkadot?**

Polkadot’s interoperability, scalability, and governance make it ideal for AccessTool. By leveraging XCM (Cross-Consensus Messaging), accessibility data can be shared across multiple chains, ensuring a unified Web3 compliance standard.

- Scalability: Cost-efficient large-scale audits through Polkadot parachains.
- Interoperability: dApps, wallets, and parachains can integrate decentralized audits seamlessly.
- Security & Transparency: Immutable blockchain-verified compliance records, enabling regulators and businesses to instantly verify accessibility status, reducing legal risks.

**How It Works**

1. **Submit URL**: Users upload their Web3 dApp or traditional website for scanning.
2. **AI Scans for Accessibility Issues**: The AI detects WCAG violations such as missing alt text, keyboard traps, and contrast issues.
3. **Compliance Report**: Users receive a detailed report with an accessibility score and suggested fixes.
4. **Fixes**: One-click fixes automatically address common accessibility issues.
5. **Verification**: Compliance status is stored on Polkadot via smart contracts.
6. **Data Sharing**: XCM enables parachains to verify and share compliance records.

**Decentralized Audits & Platform Integration**

- Results stored on-chain via smart contracts for transparency and legal protection.
- Bridges Web2 and Web3 with scalable, cost-effective accessibility solutions.

**Technology Stack**

Blockchain Layer (Polkadot)

- Polkadot Parachain (Substrate): Scalable, low-cost audits.
- XCM: Cross-chain data sharing.
- Smart Contracts (ink): On Polkadot/Substrate, these smart contracts securely store and verify accessibility compliance data. They ensure that compliance records are permanent and easily auditable by third parties, providing both legal protection and transparency."

**AI Accessibility Engine**

- Computer Vision & NLP (TensorFlow/PyTorch): Detects WCAG violations.

**Minimum Viable Product (MVP)**

The MVP will deliver a functional tool for Polkadot developers, featuring AI-powered detection of accessibility issues and on-chain reporting. It targets accurate identification of WCAG violations in Web3 dApps and websites, **with results logged on Polkadot’s blockchain for transparency. Includes suggested one-click fixes for simple issues to significantly reduce manual effort, with full automation planned in later phases.**

### Ecosystem Fit

AccessTool integrates into the Polkadot/Substrate ecosystem as a Web3 accessibility solution, leveraging blockchain for tamper-proof audits and XCM for interoperability.

**Target Audience**

- Parachain teams
- dApp & wallet developers
- Enterprises & regulators
- End-users with disabilities

**Impact & Alignment with Polkadot’s Vision**
AccessTool will bridge a critical accessibility gap in Web3 while advancing Polkadot’s mission of an inclusive blockchain ecosystem. By ensuring decentralized applications, wallets, and websites meet WCAG standards, it reduces social exclusion, legal risks, and economic losses caused by inaccessible digital experiences. AccessTool enhances parachain adoption by ensuring dApps meet regulatory standards, reducing barriers to enterprise use.

**Identified Via**

- **WebAIM 2024 Report** – 96.8% of websites fail WCAG compliance.
- **EU Accessibility Act (2025)** – Strict legal penalties for non-compliance.
- **Lawsuits & Settlements** – High-profile cases (Domino’s, Beyoncé’s website) highlight legal risks.
- **User Feedback & Surveys** – Accessibility barriers prevent full engagement with dApps and Web3 platforms.

**Uniqueness & Competitive Edge**

No direct competitors in the Polkadot/Substrate ecosystem focus exclusively on Web3 accessibility compliance. Existing projects address usability and UI/UX but lack automated WCAG audits, smart contract-driven verification, and cross-chain accessibility data sharing.

Unlike Web2 tools (e.g., WAVE, Siteimprove), AccessTool offers:

- AI-powered fixes (vs. manual audits).
- Cross-chain accessibility data sharing.
- Integration with decentralized ecosystems.

This makes AccessTool a one of a kind dedicated Web3 accessibility solution in the Polkadot ecosystem.

## Team :busts_in_silhouette:

### Team members

- David Len
- Mathias Loesch
- Asad Alisiyal

### Contact

- **Contact Name:** David Len
- **Contact Email:** Davidlesk89@gmail.com

### Legal Structure

- **Registered Address:** Not registered
- **Registered Legal Entity:** Not registered

### Team's experience

AccessTool is built by a dedicated team committed to digital inclusivity and Web3 innovation. Each member has a personal connection to the disabled community, driving our mission to create a more accessible digital world.

- **David** – Project Lead | Driving the vision, strategy, and partnerships for AccessTool, ensuring seamless integration of blockchain and AI-powered accessibility solutions.
- **Asad** – Blockchain Developer | Specializing in Substrate and smart contract development, responsible for building the decentralized audit and compliance infrastructure.
- **Mathias** – AI/ML Engineer | Focused on developing AI-powered accessibility scans and automated remediation tools to streamline WCAG compliance.

### Team Code Repos

- https://github.com/asadalisiyal - Asad
- https://github.com/mloesch - Mathias

### Team LinkedIn Profiles (if available)

## Development Status :open_book:

**Web Accessibility Research**

- [WebAIM Million 2024 Report](https://webaim.org/projects/million/) - 96.8% of websites fail WCAG compliance.
- [W3C WCAG 2.2 Guidelines](https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/) - Industry standards for digital accessibility.
- [Web Accessibility Challenges - ResearchGate](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309660088_Web_Accessibility_Challenges) - Academic research on web accessibility challenges.
- [ADA Litigation and Digital Accessibility](https://www.adagreatlakes.org/Publications/Legal_Briefs/BriefNo47%20ADA%20Litigation%20and%20Digital%20Accessibility.pdf) - Legal brief on digital accessibility lawsuits.
- [Web Accessibility Lawsuits - WSJ](https://www.wsj.com/business/entrepreneurship/small-business-web-accessibility-lawsuits-c910f6fb) - The law firm hitting businesses with thousands of disability suits.

## Development Roadmap :nut_and_bolt:

### Overview

- **Total Estimated Duration:** 18 weeks
- **Full-Time Equivalent (FTE):** 2 FTE
- **Total Costs:** 29,999 USD
- **DOT %:** 50%

### Milestone 1 — Frontend & API Development

- **Estimated duration:** 4 weeks
- **FTE:** 1.5
- **Costs:** 5,999 USD

> [!NOTE]
> **The default deliverables 0a-0d below are mandatory for all milestones**, and deliverable 0e at least for the last one.

| Number | Deliverable | Specification |
| ------: | ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **0a.** | License | Apache 2.0 |
| **0b.** | Documentation | We will provide both **inline documentation** of the code and a basic **tutorial** that explains how a user can interact with the frontend and API functionalities. |
| **0c.** | Testing and Testing Guide | Core functions will be fully covered by unit tests to ensure functionality and robustness. A guide will be provided for running these tests. |
| **0d.** | Docker | We will provide a Dockerfile(s) to test all delivered functionality. |
| 1. | Frontend UI | Develop an intuitive and accessible UI for AccessTool’s Web Accessibility Tool, ensuring compliance with WCAG guidelines. Design in Figma and convert to Next.js. |
| 2. | API Development | Implement authentication and role-based access control to secure user data. |
| 3. | Website Submission System | Allow users to submit website URLs for future scanning. Store submitted URLs in a database. |

---

### Milestone 2 — AI-Powered Scanner Integration

- **Estimated duration:** 7 weeks
- **FTE:** 2
- **Costs:** 13,000 USD

| Number | Deliverable | Specification |
| ------: | ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **0a.** | License | Apache 2.0 |
| **0b.** | Documentation | Documentation for AI scanner integration, usage, and API interactions. |
| **0c.** | Testing and Testing Guide | Unit and integration tests for AI-powered website scanning and compliance verification. |
| **0d.** | Docker | Dockerfile for running and testing AI scanning functionality. |
| 1. | AI Model Integration | Adapt TensorFlow for WCAG detection in Web3 contexts (e.g., dApp interfaces) and integrate the scanner with the frontend for real-time analysis. |
| 2. | Reporting System | Develop a comprehensive reporting tool that provides actionable insights and suggested fixes for compliance violations. |
| 3. | Real-time Analysis | Enable real-time scanning and feedback for users through frontend integration. |

---

### Milestone 3 — Smart Contract Development (Polkadot/Substrate)

- **Estimated duration:** 7 weeks
- **FTE:** 2
- **Costs:** 11,000 USD

| Number | Deliverable | Specification |
| ------: | ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **0a.** | License | Apache 2.0 |
| **0b.** | Documentation | Code documentation and a guide on smart contract interactions and blockchain integration. |
| **0c.** | Testing and Testing Guide | Smart contract unit tests and a guide to executing them. |
| **0d.** | Docker | Docker environment for testing smart contract functionalities. |
| **0e.** | Article | Publish an article detailing the smart contract development and blockchain integration process. |
| 1. | Smart Contract Development | Develop and deploy smart contracts on Polkadot/Substrate for compliance recording and verification. |
| 2. | Blockchain Integration | Connect the AccessTool platform with smart contracts to log and track WCAG compliance data. |
| 3. | Substrate Configuration for Audit Logging | Set up the Substrate environment to support smart contract deployment and ensure immutable audit logs. |


...

## Future Plans

**Short-Term (6-12 Months)**

- **Launch MVP**: The MVP will feature an AI-powered WCAG scanner, offering audit reporting and integration with the Polkadot ecosystem, ready for developer use.
- Expand Web3 Integrations: Support for dApps, wallets, and all Polkadot-based projects.
- Community Engagement: Promote accessibility via Polkadot forums, developer meetups, and Web3 summits.

**Long-Term Vision**

- Set the Standard for Web3 Accessibility: Establish decentralized compliance as a norm.
- Expand Multi-Chain Interoperability: Post-MVP, we’ll refine Polkadot integration before exploring Ethereum and Solana compatibility in 2026.
- Foster a Decentralized Accessibility Ecosystem: Enable developers and businesses to collaborate on inclusive Web3 solutions.

## Referral Program (optional) :moneybag:

## Additional Information :heavy_plus_sign:

**How did you hear about the Grants Program?** personal recommendation
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