Accessibility Statement
Waythrough Project is committed to making affordable housing information accessible to everyone. Many of the people we serve have disabilities, and we take that responsibility seriously. This statement describes our conformance target, the measures we've implemented, how we test, and how to reach us if something isn't working.
Conformance target
Waythrough Project targets conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at the AA level. WCAG 2.1 AA is the standard referenced by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Washington State Policy #188. We treat these guidelines not as a ceiling but as a baseline — where practical, we incorporate AAA-level enhancements such as enhanced contrast ratios and comprehensive focus management.
Technical measures
The following accessibility features are built into every page of this site:
Structure and semantics
All pages use semantic HTML5 elements (<main>, <nav>, <section>, <footer>) so assistive technologies can identify page regions. Heading levels follow a logical hierarchy (h1 through h3) without skipping levels. Breadcrumb navigation uses a <nav> element with an aria-label to distinguish it from the primary navigation.
Keyboard navigation
Every page can be navigated entirely with a keyboard. A "Skip to main content" link appears on focus (the first Tab press), allowing keyboard users to bypass the navigation menu. All interactive elements — links, buttons, form controls, the search overlay, and the dark mode toggle — are reachable via Tab and operable with Enter or Space. The search dialog traps focus while open and returns focus to the trigger button on close.
Focus management
All interactive elements display a visible focus indicator (a 3px primary-color outline with a 2px offset) that meets WCAG 2.4.7. The search overlay uses the inert attribute when hidden, ensuring that off-screen content is removed from the tab order and not announced by screen readers. ARIA attributes (aria-hidden, aria-expanded, aria-controls) are updated dynamically as overlays and menus open and close.
Color and contrast
All text and interactive elements meet WCAG AA contrast ratios (4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text) in both light and dark themes. The site supports a dark mode toggle and respects the user's operating system preference via prefers-color-scheme. Information is never conveyed through color alone — links within text blocks are underlined, form errors include text labels, and status indicators use icons alongside color.
Screen reader support
Decorative images and icons are marked with aria-hidden="true". Form inputs have associated <label> elements (visually hidden where appropriate using the .sr-only class). The search combobox uses role="combobox", aria-autocomplete, and aria-activedescendant to announce suggestions. A live region (aria-live="polite") announces the number of search results without interrupting the user.
Motion and animation
Fade-in animations are used for page content but respect the prefers-reduced-motion media query — when enabled, all transitions and animations are disabled. A fallback timeout ensures content becomes visible within 800ms even if the IntersectionObserver does not fire.
Responsive design and text resizing
The site is fully responsive from 320px to widescreen. All sizing uses relative units (rem, em, percentages), so text can be resized up to 200% without content loss or overlap. Touch targets on mobile meet the recommended 44×44px minimum.
Downloadable documents
PDF resources are created with tagged structure, logical reading order, document language metadata, and descriptive bookmarks. We follow PDF/UA (Universal Accessibility) principles when producing downloadable documents.
Testing methodology
We use a multi-layered testing approach that combines automated scanning with manual evaluation. Automated tools alone catch roughly 30–40% of accessibility barriers; the rest require human judgment.
Automated testing
axe-core 4.7 — We run the axe accessibility engine (by Deque Systems) against every page template. axe tests over 90 WCAG rules and reports violations by severity (critical, serious, moderate, minor). We treat critical and serious findings as blockers that must be resolved before deployment.
Lighthouse — Google Lighthouse audits are used for performance, SEO, and accessibility scoring. We target a 90+ accessibility score across all page types.
Manual testing
Keyboard-only navigation — Every page is tested by navigating with Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space, Escape, and arrow keys. We verify that all interactive elements are reachable, that focus order is logical, that focus indicators are visible, and that no keyboard traps exist.
Color contrast verification — We calculate WCAG contrast ratios programmatically for every foreground/background color combination in both light and dark themes. Any pairing below 4.5:1 (normal text) or 3:1 (large text) is flagged and corrected.
Screen reader evaluation — Pages are reviewed with screen readers to verify that heading structure is logical, landmarks are correctly labeled, dynamic content updates are announced, and form controls communicate their purpose and state.
Zoom and reflow — We test at 200% browser zoom and 400% on key pages to confirm that content reflows into a single column without horizontal scrolling or content clipping.
Most recent audit results
Our most recent audit was conducted on March 29, 2026, covering all 51 pages across both light and dark themes.
| Category | Result |
|---|---|
| Automated rules passing (axe-core) | 36+ per page |
| Critical violations | 0 |
| Serious violations | 0 (4 found and remediated) |
| Contrast compliance (light theme) | All pairings pass AA |
| Contrast compliance (dark theme) | All pairings pass AA |
| Keyboard navigation | Full coverage, no traps |
| Heading order | Correct across all pages |
| Form labels and ARIA | All inputs labeled |
Issues identified and remediated
During our March 2026 audit, four issues were identified and resolved:
1. Insufficient contrast on muted text in dark mode. The --color-text-muted variable was set to #64748b, producing only 3.07:1 contrast against the card background. We raised it to #8494a7, achieving 4.72:1. (WCAG 1.4.3)
2. Focusable elements inside a hidden search overlay. When the search dialog was closed, it used aria-hidden="true" but its input and buttons remained in the tab order. We added the inert attribute to fully remove hidden content from keyboard and screen reader access. (WCAG 2.4.3, 4.1.2)
3. Links distinguished only by color. Breadcrumb links relied on color alone to be distinguished from surrounding text. We added an underline with text-decoration so the links are identifiable without color perception. (WCAG 1.4.1)
4. Heading levels skipped. Several pages used an <h4> directly after an <h2>, skipping h3. We corrected these to maintain proper heading hierarchy. (WCAG 1.3.1)
Known limitations
Skip-link outside landmark region. The "Skip to main content" link sits outside any ARIA landmark. This is a common and widely-accepted pattern, as the skip-link is only visible on focus and exists specifically to aid navigation into the main landmark.
Breadcrumbs outside <main> on some page types. On a subset of pages, the breadcrumb navigation renders just before the <main> element. Screen reader users can still navigate by landmarks and headings without issue. This is being addressed in a future template update.
Ongoing monitoring
Accessibility is not a one-time checkpoint. We re-audit when new page templates are added, when styles or scripts change, and on a regular quarterly cycle. Each audit covers automated scanning (axe-core), keyboard testing, contrast verification in both themes, and a screen reader spot-check of new content.
Content editors follow a publishing checklist that includes verifying heading structure, image alt text, link text clarity, and plain language readability before any page goes live.
Applicable standards and regulations
This site is designed to meet or exceed the following:
WCAG 2.1 Level AA — The W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, the globally recognized standard for web accessibility.
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act — Requires federal agencies and federally funded programs to make electronic and information technology accessible.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) — Prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in places of public accommodation, which courts have extended to websites.
Washington State Policy #188 — Requires state agencies to conform to WCAG 2.1 AA for websites and digital content.
Feedback and contact
If you encounter a barrier on this site, or if you have suggestions for how we can improve accessibility, please let us know. We take every report seriously and aim to respond within two business days.
Email: [email protected]
When reporting an issue, it helps to include the page URL, the device and browser you were using, the assistive technology (if applicable), and a description of what happened.
This statement was last reviewed and updated on March 29, 2026.