Who it helps
Website accessibility for photosensitive epilepsy
One-click profile
Seizure safe
Stops animations and softens strong colors. Visitors turn it on with one click from the panel.
- Stop animations
- Saturation
The barriers
What makes websites hard to use?
Common problems for photosensitive epilepsy visitors, and the reason the tools below exist.
Flashing and flickering content
Strobe effects, flashing ads, fast-cutting videos and GIFs can trigger seizures. Epilepsy Action says 10 to 25 flashes per second is the most likely range, but some people react to rates as slow as 3 or as fast as 60 per second.
Strong patterns
Repeating high-contrast patterns, such as bold black and white stripes, checks and zigzags, can also trigger seizures.
Saturated red
Epilepsy Action says red is the color most likely to trigger a seizure, and the risk can be higher when strong red changes to a very different color, like blue. WCAG has a separate test for red flashes for this reason.
Content that starts by itself
Autoplaying videos, GIFs and animations give people no warning and no chance to look away first.
The tools
Which tools help?
Each one is a tile in the panel. Visitors switch it on, and it stays on as they browse.
- Stop animationsStops CSS animations, pauses videos and many embedded players, and freezes animated GIFs on their first frame. Visitors can turn it on before they scroll on.On
- SaturationThe Low level softens strong colors across the page, including bright reds. The Mono level shows the page in shades of gray.LowHighMono
- Hide imagesHides images and background pictures, including animated GIF banners and busy patterned backgrounds, while keeping the layout in place.On
For site owners
What should you fix in your own code?
The tools help visitors adapt your pages, but they can't fix how your site is built. These changes make the biggest difference.
- Remove anything that flashes more than three times in any one second, unless the flashing stays below the general and red flash thresholds (WCAG 2.3.1, Level A).
- Don't autoplay videos, GIFs or animations. Show a still image first and let visitors choose to play.
- Put a clear warning before any video, game or page that contains flashing, and offer a way to skip it.
- Avoid bold striped, checked or zigzag patterns, especially in large backgrounds.
- Respect the reduced-motion setting in visitors' operating systems with the CSS prefers-reduced-motion media query.
- Check videos, ads and other third-party content for flashing before you publish. Our website accessibility checklist covers motion and media checks.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
About photosensitive epilepsy, the tools and how they work.
Still have a question?
We read every message and reply as soon as we can.
support@example.comContact usWhat is the three flashes rule?
It's WCAG success criterion 2.3.1, a Level A requirement. Web pages must not contain anything that flashes more than three times in any one second, unless the flashing is below the general and red flash thresholds.
Can an accessibility widget prevent seizures?
No, and no tool should promise that. A widget can stop animations once a visitor turns it on, but flashing content may already be playing before then, and some embedded players can't be paused from outside. The only reliable fix is to keep flashing content off your pages.
How common is photosensitive epilepsy?
Epilepsy Action says around 3 to 5 in every 100 people with epilepsy have photosensitive epilepsy. Most cases develop in people under 20.
What does the Seizure safe profile turn on?
It turns on Stop animations and sets Saturation to Low in one click. The choice is saved in the visitor's own browser, so they don't have to turn it on again on each page.
Other visitor needs
Give every visitor the tools they need
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