This accessibility statement is a “living document” that was last reviewed in full on 25 July 2023 and most recently updated on 26 September 2023 at 11:14:41 AM.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) defines requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. It defines three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA.
This website is partially conformant with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. “Partially conformant” means that some parts of the content do not fully conform to the accessibility standard. This does not mean this website is not accessible. Refer to Limitations, Alternatives, and Actions below for additional information.
Additional Accessibility Considerations
Most of the content of this website requires prior approvals and passwords to view and therefore is not publicly available. Accessibility of public-facing portions of the website is the first priority for providing accessible experiences. Accessibility of password-protected portions of the website is the second priority, but in some cases “full accessibility” may be subject to reasonable accommodation.
This website is designed to be compatible with current major web browsers (5% or higher market share) utilizing compatible assistive technology on a major operating system that has been updated within the last 2 years. However, some functionality may be lost if the web browser or assistive technology does not support JavaScript, or if JavaScript is supported by not allowed function.
This website may not be compatible with web browsers older than 2 major releases or versions. Internet Explorer (other than “Edge” or Chromimum-based versions) has not been updated for several years; it has significant known incompatibilities with modern website design, lacks core functionality of modern web browsers, is no longer supported by its company of origin (Microsoft), and is not compatible with this website(though certain website content may still be viewable).
In addition, this website may not be compatible with assistive technology last updated more than 3 years ago; major operating systems last updated more than 2 years ago; and minor or uncommon operating systems (such as BeOS, Blackberry, BSD, Solaris, Symbian, Tizen, etc.) regardless of age or update history.
Technical Specifications
Accessibility of the website relies on the following technologies to work with the particular combination of web browser and any assistive technologies or plugins installed on your computer. These technologies are relied upon for website functionality and conformance with the accessibility standards used.
HTML: This website uses the “HTML5” standard. The ability to read, interpret and render (display) HTML is a prequisite for web browsers. While it may be possible to view or download website content outside of a web browser, there is no assumption of accessibility in such cases.
CSS: This website uses the “CSS3” standard. All website content is accessible without CSS, but disabling CSS, overriding the website’s specified styles, or using a web browser that does not fully support CSS may adversely affect clear presentation and accessibility of content.
JavaScript: The website uses “JavaScript” (a general-purpose programming language that conforms to the “ECMAScript” standard defined by ECMA-262) to enhance information presentation (such as visualization of tabular data) and to provide advanced interactive capabilities (such as sorting and filtering of certain data). Information and data so enhanced or provided remains accessible outside of JavaScript and/or does not materially affect the usability of the website or the information and services it provides (see Limitations, Alternatives, and Actions below).
Refer to the website Terms of Use additional information, including but not limited to “Disclaimer” and “Miscellaneous” provisions.
Despite our best efforts to ensure accessibility of the website, there are some known limitations. Below is a description of these known limitations along with suggested alternatives and planned actions (if applicable). Click or select the “details” arrow icon (▶) to expand the content for each issue. Please contact us if you observe an issue not listed below.
Color Contrast Values Table
Limitation: Certain color combinations result in non-accessible contrast values.
Description: Because the Color Contrast Values table displays actual colors and combinations, some of the results are not visually accessible. This is intentional so as to demonstrate the noncompliance of certain combinations. In addition, the red color used as a graphical element within the table is itself noncompliant when used in combination with some background colors.
Alternatives: All data is provided in standard HTML table format, which should be fully accessible to modern assistive technologies including screen-readers.
Action: The ADAC is exploring the use of custom “error” color alternatives for the affected backgrounds. Color alternatives are used for descriptive text (including headers and footnote references) and “error” graphics. Remaining low-contrast combinations are intentional demonstrations of low contrast. No further action is required.
Compliance of Color Contrast
Limitation: Color contrast ultimately relies on “local” technology of the end-user.
Description: Foreground and background color combinations in use on this website have been analyzed for color contrast. However, color contrast values are ideal mathematical results and may not match individual end-user experience based on local variables beyond the control of the website or its creators and operators, including but not limited to ambient lighting conditions and monitor calibration.
Alternative: It is assumed that the end-user will utilize a properly calibrated computer monitor in normal indoor ambient lighting conditions. End-users who have altered their computer monitor’s calibration (including but not limited to contrast, brightness, tint, or gamma), and/or end-users who are viewing their computer monitory in abnormal ambient lighting conditions (including but not limited to glare, variable lighting, or interior or exterior direct daylight) may not perceive the intended color contrasts.
Action: As this is beyond the control of the website or its creators and operators, no public action is feasible.
Content Management System and Backend Authoring Tools
Limitation: Certain parts of the CMS and backend authoring tools may not be accessible.
Description: The CMS and backend authoring tools in use for this website are “partially conformant.” However, there are no public-facing elements with which to interact that are affected by this partial conformance.
Alternative: Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request for website creators and operators who are permitted to interact with the affected portions of the website.
Action: This is a “known issue” by the developers of these programs, who are taking proactive steps to bring their systems and tools into compliance with relevant accessibility standards. In the meantime, no public action is required.
Display of Observation Photographs
Limitation: Observation photographs may not display properly or at all.
Description: Display of observation photographs within some website pages may require JavaScript to be visible to the end-user. If an end-user’s combination of web browser, operating system, and assistive technologies does not support JavaScript or allow it to run, then the observation photographs may not be displayed at all.
Alternative: In all known cases of this limitation, an alternative format (such as PDF) is provided for accessible review of the photographs.
Action: No further action is required; however, the ADAC continues to explore alternatives that do not rely on JavaScript but would yield acceptably similar results.
Generated Content
Limitation: Generated content may not be read/announced by certain assistive technologies.
Description: Some content is automatically generated by CSS “rules” rather than HTML content. This content may or may not be read/announced by certain assistive technologies such as screen readers.
Alternative: Where possible, alternative means of communicating the generated content is employed. These alternative meands may include color, graphic lines, and/or “title” attributes in the HTML markup itself.
Action: Use of generated content is generally limited to “value-added” effects and considered on a case-by-case basis. Alternatives are generally functional, but they may not be specifically functional using a specific end-user’s combination of operating system, web browser, and assistive technology. See this discussion of screen reader compatibility for a sample of potential compatibility quirks.
Password Strength Indicator
Limitation: The password strength indicator in account registration form may not display properly or at all.
Description: The password strength indicator provides enhanced feedback regarding the cryptographic strength of an end-user’s proposed password. The password strength indicator requires JavaScript to be visible and to function. If an end-user’s combination of web browser, operating system, and assistive technologies does not support JavaScript or allow it to run, then the password strength indicator may not be displayed at all.
Alternative: The enhanced feedback provided by the password strength indicator does not affect the functionality of the account registration form, nor does it have any effect on the acceptability of an end-user’s password. A link that does not rely on JavaScript is provided to passwordsgenerator.net/ as an alternative means of generating a stronger password.
Action: Use the alternative link to generate a stronger password.
Remaining Characters Counter
Limitation: The remaining characters counter used in several forms may not display properly or at all.
Description: The remaining characters counter provides enhanced feedback regarding the number of characters remaining in limited-length form fields. The remaining characters counter requires JavaScript to be visible and to function. If an end-user’s combination of web browser, operating system, and assistive technologies does not support JavaScript or allow it to run, then the remaining characters counter may not be displayed at all.
Alternative: The enhanced feedback provided by the remaining characters counter does not affect the functionality of the forms in question. The forms are programmed to stop accepting input at the maximum character length regardless of the counter’s functionality.
Action: No public action is required.
Tabular Data Filtering and Sorting
Limitation: The filtering and sorting controls provided for certain tables may not be functional.
Description: The filtering and sorting controls require JavaScript to function. If an end-user’s combination of web browser, operating system, and assistive technologies does not support JavaScript or allow it to run, then the filtering and sorting controls will not function.
Alternative: Filtering and sorting of tabular data is an enhanced function. The data remains accessible through standardized presentation in compliant HTML table elements.
Action: No public action is required.
Text Alternatives for Observation Photographs
Limitation: Less-than-descriptive text alternatives for observation photographs.
Description: Observation photographs may include only basic text alternatives because providing detailed descriptions of photographs would create an unacceptable burden on the ADAC. However, observation photographs require special permission (pre-authorizations and passwords) to view and are therefore not visible to the general public.
Alternative: Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request for website users who are authorized to view the observation photographs.
Action: No public action is required.
Interactive Map Content
Limitation: Interactive map content is locally generated (not saved on server).
Description: Interactive maps rely on end-user web browser compatibility, including but not limited to JavaScript and Cascading Style Sheet functionality, and external (third-party) Application Programming Interface (API) functionality to generate and display content. However, interactive maps require special permission (pre-authorizations and passwords) to view and are therefore not visible to the general public.
Alternative: Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request for website users who are authorized to view the interactive maps.
Action: No public action is required.
Interactive Map Interaction
Limitation: Project-specific map data within interactive maps cannot be accessed by keyboard navigation.
Description: Keyboard navigation functionality within interactive maps is established by third-party providers (ESRI and/or Google), over which the website has no control or influence. However, interactive maps require special permission (pre-authorizations and passwords) to view and are therefore not visible to the general public.
Alternative: Most project-specific map data is provided in tabular form through clearly identified alternative resources. Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request for website users who are authorized to view the interactive maps.
The ADAC assessed the accessibility of the website by the following approaches: external evaluation, self-evaluation, and color contrast calculations.
External Evaluation
External evaluation information is being developed.
Self-evaluation
The ADAC or a designated alternate performed accessibility testing of the website using the “WAVE” tool. This was followed by (and continues in an on-going fashion with) manual spot-checks of content accessibility at all public-facing and most “private” (non-public-facing) pages of the website. In addition, the ADAC or a designated alternate monitors compliance with quarterly accessibility testing of the website using manual and automatic accessibility checking tools.
Color Contrast Calculations
The ADAC verified color contrast values of common foreground and background color combinations.
The following table calculates color contrast values for common combinations of foreground (text) and background colors that could be specified by the standard color palette of this website. Not all combinations shown here are actually used by this website, and this website may use additional combinations not shown here.
WCAG 2.0 level AA requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. WCAG 2.1 requires a contrast ratio of at least 3:1 for graphics and user interface components (such as form input borders). WCAG Level AAA requires a contrast ratio of at least 7:1 for normal text and 4.5:1 for large text. ¶ Large text is defined as 14 point (typically 18.66px) and bold or larger, or 18 point (typically 24px) or larger.
Not Applicable (combination is never used). [White circle with black outline with text “N/A” inside]
1.03
Fails WCAG 2.0 Level AA and Level AAA for all uses. [Solid red (or pink) border around value less than 3.00.]
3.00
Fails WCAG 2.0 Level AA for normal text and Level AAA for all uses, but passes Level AA for large text, graphical objects, and user interface components. [Dashed red (or pink) border around value less than 4.50.]
4.51
Passes WCAG 2.0 Level AA for all uses and Level AAA for large text. [Text greater than or equal to 4.50, without decoration.]
7.04
Passes WCAG 2.0 Level AAA for normal text. [Text greater than or equal to 7.00 followed by a star.]
Color contrast values are ideal mathematical results and may not match individual end-user experience based on local variables beyond the control of the website or its creators and operators, including but not limited to ambient lighting conditions and monitor calibration.
Because a transparent foreground color is necessarily influenced by its background color, this table substitutes a congruent (≅) opaque color based on the specific combination of the specified transparent foreground color over the specified opaque background color.
Color combinations, including congruent color values, are calculated without gamma correction. This may result in the actual displayed color varying significantly from the ideal mathematical results shown.
Actual design may use rgba(0,0,0,0.8) rather than #000000 for “black” text color, which results in lower actual contrast ratio as shown in parentheses.
Special use case of --ll-color at 0.6 opacity over white background (≅ #668faa)2 for graphical elements only.
We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of this website. Please let us know if you encounter accessibility barriers while using this website by contacting the ADAC through any method listed on the contact page. We try to respond to all accessibility feedback within 5 business days. However, we are not responsible for lost or misdirected contact attempts. A valid email address is required to receive our response.
Formal Complaints
We aim to respond to accessibility feedback within 5 business days. Should you be dissatisfied with our response to you, we will propose a solution within 10 business days of notification of dissatisfaction.
This Accessibility Statement is reviewed and approved by:
Michael Ellars, ADAC, CASp
LINXS ADA Coordinator for Design & Construction
Dates
This accessibility statement was created on 10 November 2021 as a customized document loosely based on multiple sources, including the W3C Accessibility Statement Generator Tool and the example Accessibility Statement provided by the Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament.
This accessibility statement was last reviewed in full on 25 July 2023 and was most recently updated on 26 September 2023 at 11:14:41 AM.
