The Down to Earth website has been built and tested to conform with the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0), Priority Level AA. Learn more about the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0).
Accessibility Evaluation
The Down to Earth web site has been reviewed using both automated and manual accessibility evaluation tools to ensure compatibility with assistive technology devices. Our review process includes:
- Automated accessibility assessment with Wave Evaluation Tool and AChecker (tools recommended by the W3C for evaluating web content for conformance to WCAG guidelines)
- Manual Accessibility Evaluation using Non-Visual Desktop Access (NVDA) Screen Reader
- A usability review by assistive technology users and people with disabilities (JAWS screen reader and a Braille display)
The site was evaluated using the methodologies outlined in the W3C’s Website Accessibility Conformance Evaluation Methodology to determine conformance with WCAG 2.0 Priority level AA: https://www.w3.org/WAI/eval/conformance.html .
Accessibility Conformance
The Down to Earth website meets or exceeds WCAG 2.0, Priority AA conformance with few exceptions.
The website incorporates several third-party plugins which do not pass HTML/CSS validation. Subsequent testing with assistive technology devices, including screen readers, has confirmed that these errors do not impact accessibility in a meaningful way.
Accessibility Features
The Down to Earth website includes a number of accessibility features including:
- Keyboard accessible navigation system with advanced keyboard functions
- Keyboard accessible forms and form controls
- Accessible Accordion Lists
The site also includes WAI-ARIA roles, properties and states to provide additional information to assistive technology devices. Learn more about WAI-ARIA: https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/aria/ .
Multimedia / Video Content
All video content on the Down to Earth website includes synchronized captions in English. Video content is embedded from YouTube using Google’s HTML5 player. Videos have been tested with NVDA screen reader and a keyboard to ensure that they are usable with a keyboard only.
Text transcripts (PDF format) are also included to provide users with an alternative format to time-based media.
Accessibility Maintenance
The Down to Earth website is reviewed periodically to ensure continued conformance with WCAG 2.0 Priority Level AA. Accessibility support staff also review all new posts to ensure that new content is published in accessible formats.
How to Report Accessibility Errors
If you experience any accessibility problems, please report them immediately to: webmaster@downtoearth.org . We strive to provide accessible content to all users, and need your feedback to ensure that our website is fully accessible.
Accessibility Services Provided by Aurora Design and Consulting