PACHC is committed to providing a fully accessible website experience for all users of all abilities, including those who rely on assistive technologies like screen readers, screen enlargement software, and alternative keyboard input devices to navigate the web.
Ongoing Efforts to Ensure Accessibility
We follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 as our guiding principle for determining accessibility. These are internationally agreed-upon standards that cover a wide range of recommendations and best practices for making content useable. As we add new pages and functionality to our website, all designs, code, and content entry practices are checked against these standards.
Website accessibility is an ongoing process. We continually test content and features for WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance and remediate any issues to ensure we meet or exceed the standards. Testing of our website is performed by our team members using industry-standard tools such as the Accessibility Checker WordPress Plugin, color contrast analyzers, keyboard-only navigation techniques, and Flesch-Kincaid readability tests.
Accessibility Features On Our Website
The following is a list of items we have included in our website to improve its accessibility:
- Semantic HTML structure with properly ordered headings to support screen reader navigation
- Descriptive page titles and meta descriptions on every page
- Keyboard navigation support throughout the site, including a visible focus indicator on interactive elements
- “Skip to main content” link allowing keyboard and screen reader users to bypass repetitive navigation
- Alternative text on meaningful images so the content is conveyed to screen reader users
- Sufficient color contrast between text and background to meet WCAG 2.1 AA contrast ratios
- Resizable text that remains readable and functional when zoomed up to 200% without loss of content or functionality
- Responsive design that adapts to mobile, tablet, and desktop screen sizes
- Form fields with associated labels and clear error messaging
- Descriptive link text that communicates the destination or purpose of each link
- ARIA landmarks (header, navigation, main, footer) to help assistive technologies orient users on the page
- Language attribute set on the HTML element so screen readers use correct pronunciation
- GTranslate integration to support users who prefer to read content in another language
- Ongoing automated and manual accessibility testing using the Accessibility Checker tool
- A documented process for reporting accessibility barriers, with a contact method provided in this statement
Where We’re Improving
Accessibility is an ongoing process, and compliance can involve a combination of legal requirements, evolving best practices, and the differing standards used by accessibility scanners, automated testing tools, and manual reviews. Because of this, accessibility issues may be identified and resolved over time as technologies, standards, and evaluation methods continue to change.
We regularly review and update our website to improve accessibility and usability for all users. While we aim to meet recognized accessibility standards wherever reasonably possible, some content or third party integrations may not yet fully align with every accessibility guideline, audit method, or testing tool.
Accessibility Support Contact
We welcome comments, questions, and feedback on our website. If you are using assistive technologies and are having difficulty using our website, please email pachc@pachc.org or give us a call at 717-761-6443. We will do our best to assist you and resolve issues.
