Accessibility Statement

Accessibility Statement

UPDATE: September 1, 2023

Compliance status

We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the broadest possible audience, regardless of ability.

To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible to blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.

This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.

Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML, adapts its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.

If you wish to contact the website’s owner please use the website's form

Screen-reader and keyboard navigation

Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with screen-readers can read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements:

1. Screen-reader optimization: 
   we run a process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website. In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels; descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups), and others. 
   
   Additionally, the background process scans all of the website’s images. It provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag for images that are not described. It will also extract texts embedded within the image using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology. To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on as soon as they enter the website.
   
   These adjustments are compatible with popular screen readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack.
2. Keyboard navigation optimization: 
   The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.
   
   Additionally, keyboard users will find content-skip menus available at any time by clicking Alt+2, or as the first element of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, not allowing the focus to drift outside.
   
   Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

Disability profiles supported on our website

• Epilepsy Safe Profile:
  this profile enables people with epilepsy to safely use the website by eliminating the risk of seizures resulting from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
• Vision Impaired Profile:
  this profile adjusts the website so that it is accessible to the majority of visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
• Cognitive Disability Profile:
  this profile provides various assistive features to help users with cognitive disabilities such as Autism, Dyslexia, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements more easily.
• ADHD Friendly Profile: this profile significantly reduces distractions and noise to help people with ADHD, and Neurodevelopmental disorders browse, read, and focus on the essential elements more easily.
• Blind Users Profile (Screen-readers):
  this profile adjusts the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is installed on the blind user’s computer, and this site is compatible with it.
• Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired):
  this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments

1. Font adjustments –
    users can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
2. Color adjustments –
    users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds with over seven different coloring options.
3. Animations –
    epileptic users can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
4. Content highlighting –
    users can choose to emphasize essential elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
5. Audio muting –
    users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
6. Cognitive disorders –
    we utilize a search engine linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
7. Additional functions 
   –
   we allow users to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.

Assistive technology and browser compatibility

We aim to support as many browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS, and NVDA (screen readers), both for Windows and MAC users.

Notes, comments, and feedback

Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs, there may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating, improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility following technological advancements. If you wish to contact the website’s owner, please use the website's form below. 

Contact Us

Company Accessibility Plan

WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY PLAN
Dated: August 30, 2023

Mission Statement. The Company shall ensure Blind or Visually Disabled individuals full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations provided by and through the Company’s Digital Properties.

No later than 8/30/25 the Company shall ensure the U.S. portion of the Website is Accessible.

The Company shall ensure the U.S. portion of any New Websites and Mobile Apps is Accessible at the time of their release.

The Company shall ensure the U.S. portions of Subsequently Acquired Websites and Mobile Apps are Accessible within twelve (12) months of their acquisition.
Third-Party Content.

The Company shall not be required to ensure Third-Party Content is Accessible unless the Third-Party Content is necessary for consumers to complete a purchase, perceive information about a discount, special offer, or installment plan, or contact the Company's customer service.

After the Effective Date of this Plan, for each new, renewed, or renegotiated contract with a vendor of Third-Party Content, the Company will request that the vendor commit to provide content in a format that confirms to WCAG 2.1 or can be made to confirm to WCAG 2.1. If during this contracting process the Company issues a request for proposal for development or inclusion of Third-Party Content on the Digital Properties, then the Company shall include Accessibility as a criterion. For Third-Party Content that is not subject to a written contract, the Company shall seek out such content that confirms to WCAG 2.1 or can be made to conform to WCAG 2.1.

Accessibility Coordination Team.

No later than 8/30/23, the Company shall designate one or more employees as the Accessibility Coordination Team for the Digital Properties.

The Accessibility Coordination Team shall be responsible for coordinating the Company's implementation of the Website Accessibility Plan.
Accessibility Consultant and Status Report.

No later than 8/30/23, the Company shall retain an Accessibility Consultant knowledgeable about digital accessibility, the ADA, and Accessibility if it has not already done so.
The Accessibility Consultant's duties shall include: (a) assisting the Company to conduct an Accessibility Audit of the Website; (b) advising the Company on how to make the Website Accessible; (c) verifying that the Website is Accessible by 8/30/25; and (d) verifying that any New Websites and Mobile Apps, and any Subsequently Acquired Websites and Mobile Apps, are Accessible.
The Accessibility Consultant shall provide the Company with a Status Report. In the Status Report, the Accessibility Consultant shall (a) identify content, features, and services on the Digital Properties that are not fully and equally accessible to individuals who use screen reader auxiliary aids, and (b) recommend steps the Company must take to ensure Accessibility.

Accessibility Audit.

No later than 8/30/23, the Company shall complete the Accessibility Audit.
The Accessibility Audit shall be conducted in a professional manner and shall be benchmarked by appropriate processes, including automated and end-user testing, consistent with the Accessibility Consultant's recommendations.

Accessibility Strategy.

Within eighteen (18) months of the Effective Date of this Plan, The Company shall develop and implement an Accessibility Strategy designed to ensure the Digital Properties are Accessible.
The Company shall consider the the Accessibility Audit, the Accessibility Statement, and the recommendations and Status Reports of the Accessibility Consultant when implementing the Accessibility Strategy.
Within eighteen (18) months of the Effective Date of this Plan, The Company shall disseminate the Accessibility Strategy among The Company Personnel.

Accessibility Statement.

Within nine (9) months of the Effective Date of this Plan, The Company shall develop the Accessibility Statement.
The Accessibility Statement shall at minimum, (a) state that The Company is making efforts to maintain and increase access to the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations provided by and through the Websites, and that may be provided by and through any New Websites and Mobile Apps or Subsequently Acquired Websites and Mobile Apps; (b) solicit feedback from visitors to The Company' Digital Properties on how the accessibility of these properties can be improved; and (c) include an accessible means of submitting accessibility questions and problems, including a toll-free telephone number and an email address to provide feedback about the Accessibility Statement and the Digital Properties.
Within twelve (12) months of the Effective Date of this Plan, The Company shall add a section or page on the Website through which users can access the Accessibility Statement. The Company shall display a link to the Accessibility Statement at the beginning of a screen reader user's experience on the Digital Properties, such as by using index values placed on aria labels, so that screen readers perceive the link to the Accessibility Statement as if it were located at the top of each homepage throughout the Digital Properties. This link shall include alternative text which reads, "Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility­ related questions."

Accessibility Training.

Within eighteen (18) months of the Effective Date of this Plan, The Company shall train all employees responsible for website and mobile application design, development, and maintenance to ensure future design, development, and maintenance of the Digital Properties to ensure the Digital Properties are and remain Accessible.

To the extent The Company has already provided training to all current employees responsible for website and mobile application design, development, and maintenance, then The Company shall provide refresher training to those employees within eighteen (18) months of the Effective Date of this Plan.

The Company shall provide accessibility training to all newly-hired employees responsible for website and mobile application design, development, and maintenance within 180-days of their hire date.
The Company shall provide refresher accessibility training to such employees on an annual basis commencing in 2023.
Modified Bug Fix Priority.

Within eighteen (18) months of the Effective Date of this Plan, The Company shall make reasonable efforts to modify existing bug fix policies, practices, and procedures to include the elimination of bugs that create accessibility barriers, including those that create nonconformance with WCAG 2.1.

The Company shall via such reasonable efforts ensure that any bugs that create accessibility barriers to the Digital Properties are remedied with the same level of priority (e.g., speed, resources used to remediate) as any other equivalent loss of function for individuals without disabilities.

Accessibility Support.

Within eighteen (18) months of the Effective Date of this Plan, The Company shall provide support during regular business hours to help Blind or Visually Disabled individuals resolve accessibility issues encountered while using the Digital Properties. The Company shall train the Accessibility Coordination Team to review, handle, or escalate accessibility related questions and comments generated by the toll-free telephone number, and email address published in the Accessibility Statement of the Website.
Should any complaint or issue that concerns or relates to compliance with the terms of this Plan be made through the customer service personnel, said complaint or issue shall be forwarded to the Accessibility Coordination Team, who then shall coordinate internally to make sure any reported nonconformance by a Blind or Visually Disabled individual is fixed as soon as possible, assuming the issue can be fixed, but no later than ninety (90) days after it was reported to the Accessibility Coordination Team.

Quarterly Accessibility Audit.

The Company, or a consultant retained on its behalf, shall perform an automated Accessibility Audit on a quarterly (four times per year) basis to evaluate whether the Digital Properties are Accessible.

The Company will maintain a copy of each Accessibility Audit for a period of no less than 12 months.

Annual End-User Accessibility Testing.

The Accessibility Consultant shall perform an annual End User Test, with said testing to be performed by individuals who have training and experience in the manner in which Blind or Visually Disabled individuals use a screen reader to navigate, browse, and conduct business online, to evaluate whether the Digital Properties are Accessible.

SEPTEMBER 1, 2023 ADDENDUM: