Accessibility Statement

1. Conformance Status

Gironde.org partially conforms to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA. "Partially conformant" means that some parts of the content do not fully conform to the accessibility standard.

Our website has been designed with the following accessibility standards and best practices in mind:

• WCAG 2.1 Level AA: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines developed by the W3C
• RGAA 4.1: French accessibility standards (Référentiel Général d'Amélioration de l'Accessibilité)
• EN 301 549: European accessibility standard for ICT products and services

2. Accessibility Features

We have implemented the following features to make Gironde.org more accessible:

2.1 Keyboard Navigation

• All interactive elements are accessible via keyboard
• Logical tab order throughout the website
• Skip navigation link to bypass repetitive content
• Visible focus indicators on all interactive elements
• No keyboard traps that prevent navigation

2.2 Screen Reader Support

• Semantic HTML5 markup (header, nav, main, footer, section, article)
• ARIA landmarks for major page regions
• Descriptive alternative text for all informative images
• Empty alt attributes for decorative images
• Proper heading hierarchy (h1-h6)
• Form labels properly associated with inputs
• ARIA labels for icon-only buttons and links

2.3 Visual Design

• Color Contrast: Text meets WCAG AA contrast ratios (minimum 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text)
• Text Sizing: Relative units (rem, em) allow text resizing up to 200% without loss of functionality
• Color Independence: Information is not conveyed by color alone
• Responsive Design: Mobile-friendly layout adapts to different screen sizes and orientations
• Clear Typography: Readable fonts with adequate line spacing and letter spacing

2.4 Interactive Elements

• Large, easy-to-click touch targets (minimum 44x44 pixels)
• Clear hover and focus states for all interactive elements
• Consistent navigation across all pages
• Descriptive link text (no "click here" links)
• Form validation with clear error messages

2.5 Multimedia Content

• Descriptive text alternatives for images
• Images use lazy loading with proper width and height attributes to prevent layout shift
• Interactive maps include keyboard-accessible controls

3. Known Accessibility Issues

We are aware of the following accessibility limitations on our website and are actively working to address them:

3.1 Third-Party Content

• Interactive Maps: The Leaflet/OpenStreetMap interactive maps may have limited screen reader support. We are exploring alternative accessible map views.
• Google Fonts: Some users with very strict privacy settings may experience fallback fonts.
• External Images: Images hosted on Unsplash may occasionally have suboptimal alternative text.

3.2 PDF Documents

If PDF documents are added to the website in the future, we will ensure they are properly tagged and accessible. Currently, all content is presented in HTML format.

3.3 Language Switching

The website is currently available in English only. French language support is planned for future updates.

4. Compatible Assistive Technologies

Gironde.org has been tested with the following assistive technologies:

4.1 Screen Readers

• NVDA (Windows) — Latest version with Chrome and Firefox
• JAWS (Windows) — Version 2024 with Chrome and Edge
• VoiceOver (macOS/iOS) — Latest version with Safari
• TalkBack (Android) — Latest version with Chrome

4.2 Browser Compatibility

Our website is compatible with the following browsers with accessibility features enabled:

• Google Chrome (latest version)
• Mozilla Firefox (latest version)
• Microsoft Edge (latest version)
• Apple Safari (latest version)

4.3 Other Assistive Technologies

• Keyboard-only navigation
• Speech recognition software (Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Windows Speech Recognition)
• Screen magnification software (ZoomText, Windows Magnifier)
• Browser zoom (up to 200%)
• High contrast mode
• Dark mode (via browser or OS settings)

5. Accessibility Testing & Evaluation

We employ multiple testing methods to ensure and maintain accessibility:

5.1 Automated Testing

• WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool)
• axe DevTools browser extension
• Lighthouse accessibility audits
• HTML validation (W3C Markup Validation Service)

5.2 Manual Testing

• Keyboard-only navigation testing
• Screen reader testing (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver)
• Color contrast verification
• Text resizing and zoom testing
• Mobile device testing

5.3 Ongoing Monitoring

We conduct regular accessibility audits and reviews to identify and fix issues. Accessibility is considered in all new feature development and content updates.

6. Feedback & Contact Information

We welcome feedback on the accessibility of Gironde.org. If you encounter any accessibility barriers or have suggestions for improvement, please contact us:

When Reporting an Issue, Please Include:

• The page URL where you encountered the issue
• A description of the problem
• The assistive technology you were using (if applicable)
• Your browser and operating system
• Any screenshots or screen recordings that might help us understand the issue

7. Requesting Accommodations

If you need information from this website in an alternative format, we will work to provide it in a format that meets your needs. Alternative formats may include:

• Large print
• Plain text document
• Accessible PDF
• Audio recording
• Other formats as needed

Please contact us at accessibility@gironde.org to request an alternative format. We will respond within 5 business days and provide the content in your requested format within 10 business days when possible.

8. Our Commitment to Accessibility

Accessibility is an ongoing effort. We are committed to:

• Regularly reviewing and updating our accessibility practices
• Training our content creators and developers on accessibility best practices
• Incorporating accessibility into our design and development processes
• Listening to user feedback and making improvements based on real-world usage
• Staying current with evolving accessibility standards and guidelines

9. Enforcement & Formal Complaints

If you are not satisfied with our response to your accessibility concern, you may file a formal complaint with the appropriate authority:

9.1 France (RGAA Compliance)

9.2 European Union

Under the EU Web Accessibility Directive (2016/2102), you may also contact your national enforcement body if you believe we are not meeting accessibility requirements.

10. Technical Specifications

Accessibility of Gironde.org relies on the following technologies to work with the particular combination of web browser and assistive technologies on your computer:

• HTML5
• CSS3
• JavaScript (progressively enhanced — core content accessible without JS)
• WAI-ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications)
• SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) with appropriate ARIA labels

These technologies are relied upon for conformance with the accessibility standards used.