At the Waterford Chamber of Commerce, we are committed to making our website and all digital resources accessible to everyone. We believe that inclusivity is essential to serving our entire community, including people with disabilities, senior citizens, and those using assistive technologies.
Digital accessibility isn't just about compliance - it's about ensuring that every member of our community can fully participate in the economic and social opportunities that the Chamber provides.
How We Ensure Accessibility
We strive to meet and exceed accessibility guidelines by implementing the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards to ensure our website is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust (POUR) for all users.
Our approach follows these four fundamental principles that guide all aspects of our digital design and development:
1. Perceivable – Ensuring Everyone Can Access Content
Alternative Text for Images
Every meaningful image on our website includes descriptive alt text, allowing visually impaired users to understand visuals using screen readers. Decorative images are properly marked to avoid confusion.
High Contrast & Readability
Our website design uses high contrast text and backgrounds (minimum 4.5:1 ratio for normal text, 3:1 for large text) to enhance visibility for people with low vision or color blindness. We never rely on color alone to convey information.
Text Resizing & Zoom Compatibility
The website supports browser-based zooming up to 200% without breaking page layout or losing functionality, making it easier to read for users who need larger text sizes.
Captions & Transcripts
All video content includes closed captions, and audio content provides text transcripts to ensure information is available to users who are deaf or hard of hearing.
2. Operable – Navigable Without Barriers
Keyboard Navigation Support
The website is fully keyboard-accessible, meaning users can navigate using the Tab key, Enter, and arrow keys without requiring a mouse. All interactive elements have visible focus indicators.
Skip-to-Content Links
We provide a "Skip to Main Content" link at the top of every page, allowing screen reader users and keyboard users to bypass repetitive navigation elements and reach the main content quickly.
Adjustable Motion Effects
We avoid unnecessary animations that could trigger motion sensitivity issues and respect the user's prefers-reduced-motion browser settings to disable animations when requested.
Timing Controls
Any time-sensitive content includes controls to extend, pause, or disable time limits, ensuring users with varying processing speeds can access all information.
No Flashing Content
Our website avoids content that flashes more than three times per second to prevent triggering seizures in users with photosensitive epilepsy.
Mobile Touch Targets
All clickable elements meet minimum size requirements (44px by 44px) to ensure they can be easily activated by users with motor impairments or those using mobile devices.
3. Understandable – Clear & User-Friendly Experience
Consistent Navigation & Layout
Our website maintains a clear, logical structure with consistent navigation patterns across all pages, so users can predict where to find information quickly and confidently.
Readable Fonts & Simplified Language
We use easy-to-read fonts (minimum 16px) and plain language principles to ensure our content is accessible to all reading levels and cognitive abilities. Complex jargon is explained or avoided.
Error Prevention & Forms
Input fields have clear labels and instructions. We minimize form submission errors by providing real-time validation, helpful error messages, and confirmation pages for important actions.
Page Titles & Headings
Every page has descriptive titles and uses proper heading hierarchy (H1-H6) to create a logical content structure that screen readers can navigate efficiently.
4. Robust – Compatible With Assistive Technologies
Screen Reader Compatibility
Our site is optimized for use with popular screen readers including JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack, ensuring compatibility across Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android platforms.
ARIA Landmarks & Labels
We use Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) attributes, landmarks, and labels to provide additional context and improve navigation for users with assistive technologies.
Semantic HTML
Our website uses proper HTML5 semantic elements (header, nav, main, article, aside, footer) to create meaningful page structure that assistive technologies can interpret correctly.
Mobile & Cross-Browser Support
The website works seamlessly across all major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) and mobile devices, ensuring accessibility regardless of platform or assistive technology used.
Valid Code Standards
We maintain clean, valid HTML and CSS code that follows web standards, ensuring reliable performance across different assistive technologies and future compatibility.
Progressive Enhancement
Our website is built with progressive enhancement, meaning core content and functionality work even if advanced features fail to load or aren't supported.
Our Testing & Compliance Process
We take a comprehensive approach to accessibility testing and compliance:
- Automated Testing: We use automated accessibility scanning tools to identify potential issues during development.
- Manual Testing: Our team manually tests all interactive elements using keyboard navigation and screen readers.
- User Testing: We conduct testing sessions with actual users who have disabilities to gather real-world feedback.
- Regular Audits: We perform quarterly accessibility audits and address any issues promptly.
- Staff Training: Our web team receives ongoing training on accessibility best practices and emerging standards.
Continuous Improvement & Feedback
Accessibility is an ongoing effort, and we are committed to continually improving our website. We regularly update our practices based on:
- Evolving WCAG guidelines and best practices
- User feedback and accessibility reports
- New assistive technologies and user needs
- Legal requirements and industry standards
If you experience any difficulties, have suggestions, or need assistance accessing any content, please don't hesitate to contact us. Your feedback helps us ensure that our website remains accessible to all members of the Waterford community.
Need Accessibility Assistance?
We're here to help ensure you can access all of our content and services. Contact our accessibility team for assistance or to report accessibility issues.
Response Time: We aim to respond to accessibility inquiries within 2 business days and resolve issues as quickly as possible.