Accessibility statement

Route built, content not written. This page is excluded from the sitemap and set to noindex. It cannot publish until conformance audit is confirmed by ACHS. Every page needs a named approver before it goes live — DCH General Services §605.1.28 makes each published version a retained advertising record.

An accessibility statement names the standard a website is built to, describes what it does for readers with disabilities, lists what is known not to work yet, and gives a way to report a problem. This site targets WCAG 2.2 level AA. The statement is in preparation and not yet in effect.

Status

This statement has not been finalized, no conformance audit has been carried out, and it is not in effect. What follows describes the target and the features already built, not an audited claim of conformance.

What this site already does

These are deliberate design decisions, not defaults, and the finished statement should describe them.

Body text at a minimum of 19 pixels, with generous line spacing and limited line length.
A text-size control in the top bar that steps the whole page up or down and persists as the reader moves between pages.
Tap targets of at least 56 pixels, sized for an unsteady hand on a tablet.
Full keyboard operation, with a visible focus indicator on every interactive element.
Semantic heading structure, so a screen reader user can move through a page by heading rather than reading it end to end.
Reduced-motion support, and no motion that cannot be turned off.

What this document must cover

The conformance target, stated as WCAG 2.2 level AA, with the honest wording for the current position: target, partial conformance, or full conformance, according to what an audit finds.
The audit. Who carried it out, when, what was tested, and with what assistive technology.
Known gaps, named specifically rather than in general terms, each with a plan and a date. A statement without a gaps section reads as an unaudited statement.
Third-party content the agency does not control, and what happens when a reader hits a problem in it.
A real contact route for accessibility problems, drawn from site config, with who receives reports and what a person can expect back. A contact that goes nowhere is worse than none.
Alternative formats. How to get information in large print or another format on request.
A review date, and the date the statement itself takes effect.

Two reasons this matters more here than on most sites. The audience is older and disabled by definition, so an unusable page is not a minor defect - it is the whole service failing at the door. And Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act carries effective-communication obligations for people with disabilities, alongside the language assistance requirements covered by the notice of availability.

Questions people ask about this

What standard is this site built to?

The conformance target is WCAG 2.2 at level AA. That is a target rather than a claim: a formal conformance audit has not yet been carried out, and the statement will record what the audit finds, including anything that does not meet the standard.

Can the text be made bigger?

Yes. There is a text-size control in the bar at the top of every page that steps the whole page up in size, and it holds as you move between pages. Body text starts at a minimum of 19 pixels, which is larger than most sites use.

What should I do if part of the site does not work for me?

Report it. Say which page, what you were trying to do, what happened, and what you use to browse - a screen reader, keyboard only, magnification, voice control. A specific report gets fixed. The statement will name a contact route and a response commitment once one is agreed.