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 the standard this site was designed and coded with in mind.

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.

Standards, browsers and assistive technologies also change over time, and a combination that works today may behave differently tomorrow. This statement describes our approach and our current understanding of the site. It is not a warranty, a guarantee or a certification.

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 describe how the pages themselves are built, as distinct from anything added on top of them. They are our design approach and what we test for, not a guarantee that every page meets every criterion in every browser and with every assistive technology:

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 is built with a single first-level heading, and we check for skipped heading levels as part of our review.
One visible focus style. Interactive elements are designed to show the same clear focus outline when they are reached by keyboard, offset from the element so it stays legible against what is behind it. We do not intentionally suppress the focus indicator 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 other controls are designed to be operable with a keyboard alone, and we test for keyboard traps as part of our review.
Dialogs that behave. The Display and accessibility panel is a modal dialog designed to move focus into itself when it opens, keep Tab and Shift plus Tab inside it while it is open, close on Escape, and return focus to the control that opened it.
Reduced motion. Animation, transitions and scroll reveal effects are designed to switch off 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 where the layout allows, which exceeds the minimum that Level AA sets. The exceptions we know of are listed under known limitations below.
Text that scales. Layout uses relative units, so content is intended to reflow 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 are given text alternatives. Decorative images are hidden from assistive technology rather than announced as noise. Link text is written to say 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, we also use text, a shape or an underline to carry 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. The site is built so that 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.
Text spacing: A roomier setting that increases line height and the spacing between letters, words and paragraphs.
Color: A grayscale option for readers who find color distracting or who have a color vision deficiency.
Cursor: A larger pointer that is easier to track across the page.
Focus outline: A high visibility version of the keyboard focus outline.
Reading guide: A horizontal band that follows the pointer to help keep your place in a line of text.

This is a preferences panel, not an accessibility overlay

The panel described above was built into this website by the people who built the website. It is not a third-party accessibility overlay, widget or toolbar, and no outside script is loaded to produce it. It changes real styling on this site and does nothing else.

The practice chose that route deliberately. An overlay is a script that loads on top of a finished page and attempts to repair it from the outside. In our judgment that approach has real drawbacks: an overlay can interfere with screen readers and other assistive technology a visitor has already set up the way they want it, it requires loading third-party code on every page, and it leaves the underlying page as it was.

The alternative is slower and far less visible: build the page correctly, then offer a small set of honest preferences on top of it. That is what this site does. The panel makes no attempt to alter or override your own assistive technology, your operating system settings or your browser settings, and it does not need to.

How the site is checked

We check the site 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 is carried out with the mouse unplugged, watching focus order, focus visibility, dialog behavior and escape routes. Manual screen reader testing spot checks the pages patients use most, including the contact page and the appointment request page.

Automated tools on their own find only a portion of real accessibility problems, which is why the manual passes exist. We aim to check new and changed pages before they are published and to review the site as a whole periodically. No amount of testing covers every combination of browser, device and assistive technology, so some issues will only come to light when someone tells us about them.

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. It clears the 24 by 24 minimum required at Level AA and falls short of our own 44-pixel design target. We intend to address this in a future update.
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 aim to 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 address 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, and we will look into 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: [email protected]. 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 promptly, generally within a few business days, and to give you a substantive response as soon as we reasonably can. If a fix will take time, we will tell you what we are doing and, where we can, when we expect it to be done. We cannot promise that every request can be met in exactly the way it was asked, but we will look for a reasonable alternative.

On request we will make reasonable efforts to provide the information you were looking for in another format, at no charge. That may include 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, or mailing 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

We intend to review this statement when the site changes materially, and periodically in any case. 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.