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Accessibility

Effective date: {{LEGAL_EFFECTIVE_DATE}}
Last updated: {{LEGAL_LAST_UPDATED}}
Last reviewed: {{ACCESSIBILITY_LAST_REVIEWED}}

My commitment

I want everyone to be able to use my site, including people who use screen readers, keyboards instead of a mouse, screen magnifiers, voice control or other assistive technology. I build my site from scratch, so I can pay attention to the details that make a page easier to use, and I keep working on it when I find something that could be better.

iBuildFreeWebsites is a business name of Hawkins Holdings LLC, a Florida limited liability company. In this statement, "I," "me" and "my" mean Hawkins Holdings LLC, and "my site" means ibuildfreewebsites.com.

The standard I aim for

I aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA. These guidelines, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), explain how to make web content more usable for people with disabilities, and Level AA is the level most commonly used as a benchmark. This statement describes the goal I build toward and the work I've done. It isn't a certification or a guarantee that every part of my site meets every guideline.

What I've done

My site is built to:

  • use clear page structure, with headings in order and labeled page regions, so screen reader users can move around easily;
  • include a "Skip to main content" link at the top of every page;
  • work with a keyboard alone, with a visible outline that shows where you are on the page;
  • use text and background colors with enough contrast to be easy to read;
  • give every meaningful image a text description, and hide purely decorative images from screen readers;
  • give every form field a visible label, show clear error messages that explain how to fix the problem, and keep what you've typed if something goes wrong;
  • avoid using color as the only way to show information;
  • keep working when you zoom in to 200% or make the text bigger, and fit on small phone screens without making the page scroll sideways;
  • tone down movement and animation if you've turned on your device's "reduce motion" setting;
  • use buttons that tell screen readers whether they're open or closed for things like the FAQ and the mobile menu;
  • when my site uses analytics or advertising tools, show the cookie banner at the bottom of the screen without blocking the page, and make it fully usable with a keyboard and a screen reader;
  • use your device's built-in fonts, so text appears right away and stays easy to read; and
  • avoid time limits, auto-playing audio or video, and content that flashes.

I don't use accessibility "overlay" widgets. I'd rather build the pages correctly in the first place than add a tool on top that can get in the way of the assistive technology people already use.

How I check it

Before launch and after major changes, I check my site by using it with only a keyboard, by testing it with the VoiceOver screen reader on a Mac and an iPhone, by zooming in to 200% and viewing it on small phone screens, and by running automated accessibility checks. Automated tools only catch some problems, which is why I also test things myself. I review this statement at least once a year.

My site is designed to work with recent versions of the major browsers, like Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge, and with the screen readers built into common devices. Older browsers may not display everything as intended.

Known limitations

  • Pages run by other companies. My intake form is a Google Form, and payments go through Square. I don't control how accessible those pages are. If you have trouble with any of them, please let me know and I'll help you another way. For example, I can take your intake answers by email or set up your call time over email.
  • Websites in my portfolio. The live websites I link to from my portfolio are separate websites, and they may not meet the same standard as this one.
  • Videos. My site doesn't have videos right now. When I add video walkthroughs, I'll include captions.

If you find a problem that isn't listed here, I'd like to hear about it.

How to tell me about a problem

If something on my site isn't working for you, or you need information from it in a different format, please let me know in whichever way is easiest for you:

  • Contact form: use the contact form at the bottom of my homepage.
  • Email reply: if I've already emailed you, reply to any of my emails.
  • Mail: Hawkins Holdings LLC, Attn: Accessibility, {{MAILING_ADDRESS}}.

It helps if you can tell me which page you were on, what you were trying to do and what happened. If you're comfortable sharing it, the browser and any assistive technology you use helps too, but you don't have to include any of that. I'll get back to you by email as soon as I can, and I'll either fix the problem or work with you to get you what you need another way.

Websites I build for clients

This statement covers only my own site, ibuildfreewebsites.com.

When I build a website for a client, I use the same accessibility best practices, aiming for WCAG 2.1 Level AA. That gives each client a strong head start, but once a website is delivered, it belongs to the client, and keeping it accessible and legally compliant, including under the Americans with Disabilities Act, is the client's responsibility as the business owner. That includes the photos and words the client provides, any outside tools the client adds (like booking apps, review widgets or social media feeds), and any changes made after the site is delivered. I don't guarantee that any website is fully accessible or ADA compliant, and nothing I provide is legal advice. My Terms explain this in more detail.

If a client hosts with me and an accessibility problem turns up in the code I delivered, I'll fix it for free, because that's on my end. Other accessibility changes can be handled as a paid edit. If you're a visitor having trouble with a website I built for a business, please contact that business directly, since it's in charge of its website.