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Foundation

Icons

We leverage Font Awesome (v5.15.4) icons to communicate meaning, action, status, or feedback.

Appointments

Icon HTML Unicode Usage
<i class="fas fa-calendar"></i> &#xf133; Duration (days/months/years), Link - Calendar
<i class="fas fa-building"></i> &#xf1ad; In-person appointment
<i class="fas fa-phone-alt"></i> &#xf879; Phone appointment
<i class="fas fa-clock"></i> &#xf0e0; Time (hours/minutes)
<i class="fas fa-video"></i> &#xf03d; Video appointment

Feedback

Icon HTML Unicode Usage
<i class="fas fa-info-circle"></i> &#xf05a; Informational, Alert - Info, Notifications
<i class="fas fa-check"></i> &#xf00c; Confirmation or completion, Alert - Success
<i class="fas fa-exclamation-triangle"></i> &#xf071; Warning, Alert - Warning
<i class="fas fa-exclamation-circle"></i> &#xf06a; Error, Alert - Error, Notifications

Health

Icon HTML Unicode Usage
<i class="fas fa-clipboard-list"></i> &#xf46d; Lab and test results (Facilities), Compare GI benefits by school (Profile)
<i class="fas fa-dot-circle"></i> &#xf192; Health care facility operating status (Facilities)
<i class="fas fa-deaf"></i> &#xf2a4; Hearing aid (Facilities)

Hub

Icon HTML Unicode Usage
<i class="fas fa-star"></i> &#xf005; Burials
<i class="fas fa-briefcase"></i> &#xf0b1; Careers and employment, On-the-job Training (GI Bill Comparison tool)
<i class="fas fa-file-alt"></i> &#xf15c; Disability
<i class="fas fa-graduation-cap"></i> &#xf19d; Education, VA education and benefits (Profile)
<i class="fas fa-users"></i> &#xf0c0; Family member benefits
<i class="fas fa-medkit"></i> &#xf0fa; Healthcare
<i class="fas fa-home"></i> &#xf015; Housing
<i class="fas fa-shield-alt"></i> &#xf3ed; Life Insurance
<i class="fas fa-handshake"></i> &#xf2b5; Pension
<i class="fas fa-id-card"></i> &#xf2c2; Records
<i class="fas fa-flag-usa"></i> &#xf74d; Service member benefits

Identification

Icon HTML Unicode Usage
<i class="fas fa-phone"></i> &#xf095; Telephone number
<i class="fas fa-map-marker-alt"></i> &#xf041; Location or address
<i class="fas fa-road"></i> &#xf018; Driving directions
<i class="fas fa-globe"></i> &#xf0ac; Website address
<i class="fas fa-question-circle"></i> &#xf059; Help or contact information
<i class="fas fa-cog"></i> &#xf013; Settings
<i class="fas fa-user-circle"></i> &#f2bd; Homepage sign in button
<i class="fas fa-bullhorn"></i> &#f0e0; Announcement

Interaction

Icon HTML Unicode Usage
<i class="fas fa-plus"></i> &#xf067; Accordion expand indicator, Add item
<i class="fas fa-minus"></i> &#xf068; Accordion collapse indicator
<i class="fas fa-times"></i> &#xf00d; Close indicator (modals, alerts)
<i class="fas fa-download"></i> &#xf019; Download item, Link - Download
<i class="fas fa-chevron-down"></i> &#xf078; Dropdown expand indicator
<i class="fas fa-chevron-up"></i> &#xf077; Dropdown collapse indicator
<i class="fas fa-sort"></i> &#xf0dc; Form field dropdown
<i class="fas fa-trash-alt"></i> &#xf1f8; Remove or delete item

Messaging

Icon HTML Unicode Usage
<i class="fas fa-paperclip"></i> &#xf0c6; Attachment
<i class="fas fa-folder"></i> &#xf07b; Content folder, Move
<i class="fas fa-envelope"></i> &#xf0e0; Message, letter, Subscribe to news, notifications, or updates (Facilities)
<i class="fas fa-print"></i> &#xf02f; Print
<i class="fas fa-reply"></i> &#xf3e5; Reply
Icon HTML Unicode Usage
<i class="fas fa-angle-double-left"></i> &#xf100; Previous
<i class="fas fa-angle-double-right"></i> &#xf101; Next
<i class="fas fa-chevron-right"></i> &#xf054; Link - Active component
<i class="fas fa-arrow-down"></i> &#xf063; Navigate page down
<i class="fas fa-arrow-up"></i> &#xf062; Navigate page up
<i class="fas fa-search"></i> &#xf002; Search
<i class="fab fa-youtube"></i> &#xf167; Channel, Link - Channel, YouTube (Social)
<i class="fas fa-play-circle"></i> &#xf144; Video, Link - Video

Notifications

Icon HTML Unicode Usage
<i class="fas fa-exclamation-circle"></i> &#xf06a; Urgent - requiring user action
<i class="fas fa-info-circle"></i> &#xf05a; Informational - not requiring user action

Profile

Icon HTML Unicode Usage
<i class="fas fa-calendar-check"></i> &#xf274; Appointment
<i class="fas fa-clipboard-check"></i> &#xf46c; Claims and appeals
<i class="fas fa-file-invoice-dollar"></i> &#xf571; Debt
<i class="fas fa-dollar-sign"></i> &#xf155; Direct Deposit, Profile - Check your GI bill statement of benefits
<i class="fas fa-comments"></i> &#xf086; Messages
<i class="fas fa-file-medical"></i> &#xf477; Medical records
<i class="fas fa-user-check"></i> &#xf4fc; Payment history
<i class="fas fa-prescription-bottle"></i> &#xf485; Prescriptions
<i class="fas fa-suitcase"></i> &#xf0f2; Travel reimbursement

Social

Icon HTML Unicode Usage
<i class="fab fa-facebook"></i> &#xf090; Facebook
<i class="fab fa-flickr"></i> &#xf16e; Flickr
<i class="fab fa-instagram"></i> &#xf167; Instagram
<i class="fab fa-twitter"></i> &#xf099; Twitter

Accessibility considerations

  • When using a decorative icon, it shouldn’t be read out to screen-reader users because it doesn’t add to their understanding. Icons should be accompanied with text.
  • All interactive accessible icons must be keyboard accessible and touch accessible as well as clickable via a mouse.

When to use role="img"

If an icon is being used alone (without support text), it should have a `role="img"` AND appropriate ARIA markup OR screen reader only descriptive text.

When to use

If an icon is being used with visual (and assistive device) text, it should have `role="presentation"`.

Examples

Here are a few examples of icons being used in different contexts:

Icon being used alone

<IconHelp color={'#000000'} cssClass={'a-class'} id={'icon-help'} role={'img'} ariaLabel={'Help'} />

Icon being used with supporting text

<IconHelp color={'#000000'} cssClass={'a-class'} id={'icon-help'} role={'presentation'} ariaLabel={'Help'} /> Help 

Icon being used alone inside an <a> tag

<a href="#"> <IconHelp color={'#000000'} cssClass={'a-class'} id={'icon-help'} role={'img'} ariaLabel={'Help'} /> </a>

icon being used with supporting text inside an <a> tag

<a href="#"> <IconHelp color={'#000000'} cssClass={'a-class'} id={'icon-help'} role={'presentation'} ariaLabel={'Help'} /> Help </a>
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Last updated: Feb 07, 2023