Last Updated: July 24, 2026
The Accessibility Reporting Tool (ART) was designed with security in mind. While no software can guarantee absolute security, ART follows a privacy-first, local-first approach that minimizes risk by keeping your data under your control whenever possible.
Our Security Philosophy
ART was built around a simple principle:
Your accessibility reports belong to you.
Unlike many web-based applications, ART does not require you to create an account or upload your reports to remote servers. Instead, reports, templates, and settings are automatically stored locally on your device using your browser’s built-in storage capabilities.
Local-First Architecture
By default, ART stores project data locally on your device. This approach provides several security benefits:
- No user accounts to compromise.
- No passwords to manage.
- No centralized database containing customer reports.
- No cloud storage of your accessibility documentation unless you choose to export it elsewhere.
- You remain in control of your own data.
Data Transmission
ART is designed to minimize the transmission of your project data.
- Accessibility reports are not automatically transmitted to ART.
- Imported files are processed within your browser.
- Exported reports are created on your device.
- ART does not upload your reports to remote servers.
Your Responsibilities
While ART helps protect your information by storing it locally, you are responsible for protecting your own device and any exported files.
You should:
- Keep your operating system and browser up to date.
- Use strong passwords to protect your computer.
- Encrypt sensitive exported reports when appropriate.
- Store exported reports securely.
- Exercise caution when sharing reports with others.
Open Source Transparency
ART is an open-source project. Anyone may inspect the source code, review how the application works, and contribute improvements.
Open-source development encourages transparency, community review, and continuous improvement, helping identify and resolve issues more quickly.
Reporting Security Issues
If you believe you have discovered a security vulnerability in ART, I encourage you to report it responsibly.
Please include as much information as possible, including:
- A description of the issue.
- Steps to reproduce the problem.
- The browser and operating system used.
- Any supporting screenshots or documentation.
Security concerns may be reported through the
ART GitHub Issues page
.
Third-Party Services
ART may include links to third-party websites such as GitHub or documentation published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). ART is not responsible for the security practices of external websites.
Security Updates
Security improvements will be incorporated into ART as the project evolves. Users are encouraged to keep their local copy of ART up to date by downloading or cloning the latest release from the official GitHub repository.
A Shared Responsibility
Security is a shared responsibility between software developers and users.
ART is designed to reduce unnecessary risk by minimizing data collection, avoiding unnecessary network communication, and keeping your information under your control whenever possible. Combined with good security practices on your own devices, these design decisions help provide a secure foundation for documenting accessibility evaluations.