The standard we build to

Our target is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, WCAG 2.2, at conformance Level AA. That is the level most public accessibility requirements in the United States refer to, and it is what this site was designed and coded against.

We do not claim full conformance, and this site is not certified by anyone. A claim of full conformance would mean every success criterion is met on every page, which no honest small practice can promise about a website that keeps changing. What we can tell you is what the target is, what has been built to meet it, how it is checked, and what is still outstanding. All of that is on this page.

Accessibility is not only a website matter. If you need an adjustment for a visit rather than for this site, say so when you call and we will tell you what we can arrange.

What is built into the site

These are properties of the pages themselves rather than of anything added on top of them:

  • Semantic HTML. Pages are built from real headings, lists, landmarks, tables and form controls in a single logical reading order, so assistive technology is given the structure instead of having to guess at it. Each page has one first level heading and heading levels are not skipped.
  • One visible focus style. Every interactive element shows the same clear focus outline when it is reached by keyboard, offset from the element so it stays legible against what is behind it. The focus indicator is never removed anywhere on the site.
  • Skip links. The first two things a keyboard user reaches on any page are links that jump straight to the main content and to the footer.
  • Keyboard operation. Navigation, menus, disclosures, scrollable tables and every control can be operated with a keyboard alone. There are no keyboard traps.
  • Dialogs that behave. The Display and accessibility panel is a modal dialog. It moves focus into itself when it opens, keeps Tab and Shift plus Tab inside it while it is open, closes on Escape, and returns focus to the control that opened it.
  • Reduced motion. Animation, transitions and scroll reveal effects switch off automatically when your device asks for reduced motion, and you can also turn them off in the preferences panel regardless of the device setting.
  • Target sizes. Controls are designed to a target of at least 44 by 44 CSS pixels, which is well above the 24 by 24 minimum that Level AA sets. Standard buttons are 48 pixels tall. Two exceptions are listed under known limitations below.
  • Text that scales. Layout uses relative units, so content reflows when you zoom the page or enlarge text in your browser without being cut off and without forcing horizontal scrolling on an ordinary screen.
  • Meaningful alternatives. Images that carry information have text alternatives. Decorative images are hidden from assistive technology rather than announced as noise. Link text says where the link goes instead of reading as "here" or "read more" on its own.
  • Color is not the only cue. Where color carries meaning there is also text, a shape or an underline carrying the same meaning, and link underlining can be forced on for every link.
  • Self-hosted typefaces. Fonts are served from this site rather than from an outside service, so text renders even when third-party requests are blocked or slow.
  • Nothing loads without permission. No third-party script runs until you allow it, so a screen reader or extension you rely on is not competing with code you did not ask for. Our Privacy Policy lists the two features this applies to.

The Display and accessibility panel

Every page has a Display and accessibility control that opens a panel of preferences. Your choices take effect immediately, are saved in your own browser on that device only, and a Reset to default button puts everything back.

Text size
Default, Large or Largest. This scales type across the whole site and lets the layout reflow around it, rather than magnifying a fixed picture of the page.
Contrast
A high contrast setting that strengthens text color, borders and interface edges across the site.
Motion
Follow my device, or Reduce motion. Reducing motion turns off animation, transitions and the scroll reveal effect.
Links
Always underline links, so that a link is identifiable without relying on color at all.
Typeface
A higher legibility typeface for body text and headings, which some readers find easier to tell apart.
Background video
Hide background video, which removes moving footage from behind page headings.

How the site is checked

The site is checked in three ways. Automated checking catches the mechanical faults: missing alternative text, contrast below threshold, broken heading order, form controls with no label, invalid markup. Manual keyboard testing walks each page and each control with the mouse unplugged, watching focus order, focus visibility, dialog behavior and escape routes. Manual screen reader testing spot checks the pages patients actually use, including the contact page and the appointment request page.

Automated tools on their own find only a minority of real accessibility problems, which is precisely why the manual passes exist. New and changed pages are checked before they are published, and the site as a whole is reviewed periodically.

Known limitations

These are the parts we know are not fully under our control or not yet where we want them. We would rather list them than let you discover them:

  • The online appointment request form. The form is hosted by Jotform and rendered inside our page, which means its markup, its labeling and its keyboard behavior are controlled by Jotform and not by us. We cannot guarantee it meets Level AA. Anyone who has trouble with it can request an appointment by calling (559) 683-4694 during office hours, and nobody is disadvantaged for using the telephone instead.
  • The interactive map. The map on the contact page is supplied by the OpenStreetMap Foundation and is a drag and zoom interface that is awkward to operate without a pointing device. It never loads unless you ask for it. The same page carries our street address, written directions and a telephone number in plain text, which is the accessible equivalent.
  • A few controls below the 44 pixel target. The small button variant used in a handful of secondary places is 40 CSS pixels tall, and the compact action rail buttons at narrow window widths are about 42. Both clear the 24 by 24 minimum required at Level AA and both fall short of our own 44 pixel design target. Raising them is on our list.
  • Downloadable documents. Patient forms offered as PDF files may not be fully tagged for screen reader use. Call the office and we will complete any form with you by telephone or at the front desk, or provide it in another format.
  • Other third-party content. Anything embedded from another company is outside our control. Where we cannot make an embedded feature accessible, we publish the same information another way on the same page.
  • Older material. Pages, images and documents published before the current build may not yet meet every criterion. We fix these as they are found and as they are reported to us.

If you run into something that is not on this list, tell us. We will add it here and work on it.

Tell us about a barrier

If any part of this site keeps you from getting what you need, contact us. Say which page you were on, what you were trying to do and what happened. If you can, mention which browser and which assistive technology you use, because that helps us reproduce it. You do not need to know any technical terms, and there is no form to fill in.

Phone
(559) 683-4694, Monday to Wednesday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and Thursday 7:30 am to 4:00 pm.
Email
drbrosi@sti.net. Please keep health details out of email, since email is not secure.
Mail
Accessibility, Robert J. Brosi, DDS Inc., PO Box 2407, Oakhurst, CA 93644-2407
In person
At the office, 49414 Road 426, Oakhurst, California 93644. Hours and directions are on our contact page.
Fax
(559) 642-6219

What we will do when you contact us

We aim to acknowledge accessibility feedback within two business days and to give you a substantive answer within ten business days. If a fix is going to take longer than that, we will tell you what we are doing and when we expect it to be finished, rather than leaving you waiting.

We will also give you the information you were looking for in another format on request, at no charge. That includes reading a page to you over the telephone, sending the content as plain text or in large print, completing a form with you by telephone or at the front desk, and posting a printed copy to you.

If you need an adjustment for an appointment rather than for the website, for example help getting into the building, extra time, a quieter time of day, or a sign language interpreter, call the office ahead of your visit and ask. Telling us in advance is what lets us have it ready when you arrive.

How this statement is maintained

This statement is reviewed when the site changes materially, and at least once a year. It was prepared by the practice together with the developers who built the site, DDS Web Solutions.

If a known limitation on this page is fixed, it comes off the list. If a new one is found, it goes on. The list is meant to be current rather than flattering.

  • Privacy Policy, which covers what this website does with information, including the setting this panel saves in your browser.
  • Notice of Privacy Practices, which covers your dental record and your protected health information.
  • Terms of Use, which covers using this website.
  • Contact, for our address, office hours, directions and telephone number.