Accessibility

Statement · August 2026

We believe every founder should be able to use this map — including founders who are blind, who cannot use a mouse, or who rely on assistive technology. Accessibility is not a feature of GulfPitch; it is part of what the platform is for.

Our standard

GulfPitch is built to WCAG 2.1 Level AA, the internationally recognized standard for web accessibility. Automated conformance testing (axe-core, WCAG 2.1 A/AA rulesets) currently reports zero violations across every page, every view and both color themes. We also test by hand: full keyboard walkthroughs and screen reader sessions are part of how we ship.

What this means in practice

• The map speaks. The interactive map has a fully equivalent list view: every funding program — name, country, category, amount and status — is announced by screen readers, searchable, and filterable by country.
• Everything works without a mouse. A skip link takes you straight to the accessible list. Every control is reachable by keyboard, with a visible gold focus indicator. Program details open as proper dialogs: Enter opens, Escape closes, focus returns to where you were.
• Readable in both themes. Text in night and light mode meets or exceeds the 4.5:1 contrast ratio required by WCAG.
• No noise. Decorative animation is hidden from assistive technology, and result counts are announced automatically when you search or filter.

Known limitations

The map canvas itself is visual by nature. Its list view is the equivalent, fully accessible alternative and carries the same verified data. If you find anything the list view does not cover, that is a bug — please tell us.

Where this is going

This is the first step of a longer road. Our ambition is to make GulfPitch the most inclusive startup funding platform in the region — up to and including accessible versions of The Gulf Startup Show. We work with accessibility experts and assistive technology users in Qatar to keep raising the bar.

Tell us what is in your way

If any part of this site does not work with your screen reader, keyboard or other assistive technology, write to hello@gulfpitch.com. Reports from assistive technology users are treated as priority bugs — we read every message, and we fix what you find.