Accessibility statement

Our aim

We aim for readabletown.com to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA. That is one version newer than WCAG 2.1 Level AA, the standard the Department of Justice set for state and local governments.

How we build it

• A typeface chosen for legibility: Atkinson Hyperlegible Next, from the Braille Institute, for everything you read.
• Body text at 18 pixels on every screen, in lines of about 66 characters, with a contrast ratio of at least 7 to 1 against its background. Links are always underlined.
• A skip link, one main heading per page, headings in order, and labelled landmarks.
• Visible labels on every form field, the browser's own error messages, and controls at least 44 pixels tall.
• A visible focus outline on everything you can reach with a keyboard.
• Motion only where it explains something, and none when your device asks for reduced motion.
• Every photograph has a text description, and every page is available in English and Spanish.

How we check it

Before each release we run automated checks with axe-core on every page, measure the contrast of every text colour, use each page with a keyboard only, and look at each page at six screen widths, from 360 to 1440 pixels. Automated tools catch only part of what matters, so the keyboard and visual checks are done by a person.

Known limits

• The sample agenda at the top of the home page speaks with your browser's own voice when you press Listen. Voices vary by device, and some browsers have none. The words it speaks are also given as text for screen readers.
• The "as posted" version of that agenda is drawn to look like a scan on purpose. It is described in text, so nothing depends on seeing it.

Tell us what did not work

If anything on this site is hard to use, please tell us which page and what happened. We read every message. An email address will be listed here once our mailbox is set up; until then, this form is the way to reach us.