# Accessibility Statement

740 words
ORIGINAL: https://brennan.day/accessibility/

This accessibility statement applies to brennan.day, the personal website of Brennan Kenneth Brown.

## Commitment to Accessibility

I am committed to ensuring digital accessibility for all users, including people with disabilities. I believe in the principle that the web should be accessible to everyone, regardless of ability, and I continually work to improve the user experience for all visitors.

## Accessibility Features

This website has been designed and developed with accessibility in mind, incorporating the following features:

### Structural Accessibility

• Semantic HTML: Proper use of HTML5 elements (<header>, <main>, <nav>, <footer>) to provide clear document structure
• Skip Links: A "Skip to main content" link at the top of each page allows keyboard users to bypass navigation
• Headings: Logical heading hierarchy (h1-h6) to support screen reader navigation
• Landmarks: ARIA landmarks and roles to identify major page regions

### Visual Accessibility

• Color Contrast: Text meets or exceeds WCAG 2.1 AA contrast ratios (4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text)
• Responsive Design: Content adapts to different screen sizes and zoom levels
• Focus Indicators: Clear visible focus states for all interactive elements
• Text Scaling: Text remains readable when scaled up to 200%

### Keyboard Navigation

• Full Keyboard Access: All functionality is available via keyboard
• Tab Order: Logical tab order that follows the visual layout
• No Keyboard Traps: Users can navigate in and out of all components

### Content Accessibility

• Alt Text: Meaningful alternative text for all informative images
• Link Text: Descriptive link text that makes sense out of context
• Form Labels: All form inputs have properly associated labels
• Error Messages: Clear and helpful error messages when validation fails

## Accessibility Test Results

This website was tested using the WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool. Here are the results:

AIM Score: 9.8 out of 10

Manual testing is still necessary to ensure compliance and optimal accessibility.

### Recent Improvements

The following accessibility issues were recently resolved:

• Post Graph Links: Added aria-label attributes to all post graph links to eliminate "Empty link" errors
• Scroll-to-Top Button: Fixed styling for better visibility and proper theme support across light/dark modes

These improvements contributed to the excellent accessibility score and demonstrate ongoing commitment to maintaining high accessibility standards.

## Technical Standards

This website aims to conform to:

• WCAG 2.1 Level AA (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)
• Section 508 (US federal accessibility standards)
• EN 301 549 (European accessibility requirements)

### Technologies Used

• HTML5 semantic markup
• ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) where appropriate
• CSS3 with accessibility considerations
• Minimal JavaScript with keyboard and screen reader support

## Known Limitations

While I strive for full accessibility, there may be some limitations:

• Some older blog posts may not meet current accessibility standards
• Third-party content (embedded videos, social media widgets) may have varying accessibility levels
• I am continually working to identify and fix accessibility issues

## Feedback and Assistance

I welcome feedback on the accessibility of this website. If you encounter any accessibility barriers or have suggestions for improvement, please contact me:

• Email: mail@brennanbrown.ca
• Mastodon: @brennan@social.lol
• Contact Form: /contact

### Reporting Issues

When reporting accessibility issues, please include:

• The URL of the page where you encountered the issue
• The nature of the accessibility barrier
• The assistive technology or browser you were using
• Any steps to reproduce the issue

I will make every effort to respond to accessibility feedback within 5 business days and address issues in a timely manner.

## Ongoing Efforts

Accessibility is an ongoing commitment. I regularly:

• Test the site with screen readers and keyboard-only navigation
• Review new content for accessibility before publishing
• Stay updated on accessibility best practices and guidelines
• Audit the site periodically to identify and fix issues

## External Resources

For more information about web accessibility:

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
• Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
• A11y Project

This accessibility statement will be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect the current state of the website's accessibility.

If you need information in an alternative format or require assistance accessing any content on this site, please don't hesitate to contact me.