Accessibility Statement

Every site I build targets WCAG 2.2 AA, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines published by the W3C. This site is built to that same standard. It is how the work is done from the first template, rather than an audit bolted on at the end.

For public bodies in British Columbia, the Accessible British Columbia Act sets accessibility obligations, and public-sector procurements commonly specify WCAG 2.1 AA as the floor. Building to 2.2 AA covers that requirement and goes further, because 2.2 includes everything 2.1 asks for and adds newer criteria on top.

Structure

Pages use semantic HTML: real headings in order, landmarks, lists that are lists, and buttons that are buttons. Screen readers get a document that makes sense instead of a pile of styled boxes.

Keyboard

Everything interactive can be reached and operated with a keyboard alone, with a visible focus state so you can always see where you are.

Contrast and type

Text is sized and coloured to meet AA contrast ratios, and layouts hold together when text is resized or the page is zoomed.

Tap targets

Buttons and links are big enough to hit with a thumb, and small ones are spaced so a near miss does not land on the wrong thing.

Motion

Every animation respects your reduced-motion preference. Turn on "reduce motion" in your operating system and the site holds still. The animated map behind page headers starts once you begin using the page and then keeps moving while it is on screen. Every header with a map has a pause button in its corner, one press pauses the map on every page, and the site remembers your choice.

Images

Meaningful images carry alt text. Decorative ones are marked so assistive technology can skip them.

Measurement

Pages I change go through automated checks before they ship: the axe rules for WCAG 2.2 AA, a colour contrast sweep, a tap target census, and a check of keyboard focus order. Then I check by hand, with keyboard walks and zoomed layouts. Automated tools catch only part of the problem, so their scores are the floor and never the goal.

I hold this site to the same standard I sell. It is a living site with new pages shipping regularly, so if something new falls short, I want to know, and I will fix it rather than argue about it. These are the limits I know about today.

Text over images

Automated tools cannot judge text that sits over a photo or the animated map, so I check those spots by eye. If one is hard to read for you, that is a real miss and I want to hear about it.

Other companies’ pages

Payments and some booking steps happen on other companies’ services. I cannot fix their pages, but if one blocks you, tell me and I will find another way to get it done.

If any part of this site is hard to use with assistive technology, or hard to use at all, email me at hello@kootenaymade.ca, or call or text 778 761 5897. Tell me what happened and what you were using. If a form on this site is the barrier, the phone and email work without it. I read every message myself and I reply within 24 hours.

Every report gets the same treatment: I fix it first, then check the fix with the same kind of setup that hit the problem, and then I write back to tell you what changed. Anyone who takes the time to report a barrier is doing me a favour.

The same standard applies to every site that leaves my desk, whether it is a small-business build or an institutional project. Accessibility work is part of the build and priced into the project. It is never an upsell.

If you are a public body evaluating vendors, I am glad to walk through methodology, testing practice, and evidence on any project.