Our Commitment to Accessibility
Ratemy is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for all users, including people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone and applying the relevant accessibility standards to ensure we provide equal access to all of our users.
This accessibility statement applies to the Ratemy web application at https://www.ratingapp.net
Conformance Status
WCAG 2.1 Level AA Partially Conformant
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. Level AA conformance means that our content meets all Level A and Level AA success criteria.
Ratemy is partially conformant with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. This means that some parts of the content do not fully conform to the accessibility standard. Known issues are documented below.
Standards Applied:
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA
- ARIA Authoring Practices Guide (APG) 1.2
- Section 508 Standards (US Federal)
- European Accessibility Act (EAA) compliance in progress
Accessibility Features Implemented
Keyboard Navigation
- Full keyboard support: All interactive elements can be accessed using Tab, Enter, Space, and arrow keys
- Skip navigation links: Bypass repetitive content and jump directly to main content
- Keyboard focus indicators: Visible focus rings with 2px outline and color contrast ratio of at least 3:1
- Arrow key navigation: Tab components support arrow keys, Home, and End keys for navigation
- No keyboard traps: Users can navigate away from all components using standard keyboard controls
Screen Reader Support
- ARIA labels: All interactive elements have descriptive aria-label or aria-labelledby attributes
- ARIA roles: Semantic roles (button, navigation, main, article, alert) applied throughout
- ARIA states: Dynamic content uses aria-expanded, aria-selected, aria-checked, aria-pressed
- Live regions: Status messages use aria-live="polite" or "assertive" as appropriate
- Form validation: Error messages linked with aria-describedby and role="alert"
- Loading states: Components use aria-busy during asynchronous operations
- Hidden decorative elements: Icons marked with aria-hidden="true" when redundant
Visual Accessibility
- Color contrast: Text meets WCAG AA contrast ratio requirements (4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text)
- Resizable text: Text can be resized up to 200% without loss of content or functionality
- Font size controls: Built-in font size toggle (Small/Medium/Large) in accessibility menu
- Dark mode: System preference detection with manual toggle override
- Focus indicators: Enhanced focus outlines with 2px ring and offset for visibility
- Non-color dependence: Information conveyed through color is also indicated through text, icons, or patterns
Semantic HTML
- Proper heading hierarchy: Logical heading structure (h1 → h2 → h3) with no skipped levels
- Semantic elements: Use of <nav>, <main>, <article>, <section>, <header>, <footer>
- Labeled form inputs: All inputs have associated <label> elements with unique IDs
- Button types: Buttons use proper type="button" or type="submit" attributes
- List structures: Lists marked up with <ul>, <ol>, and <li>
- Link purpose: Links have descriptive text or aria-label (no "click here")
Image & Media Accessibility
- Alt text: All informative images have descriptive alt attributes
- Decorative images: Decorative images use alt="" or aria-hidden="true"
- Optimized images: Lazy loading and responsive sizing for performance
- AI Coach video avatars: Include captions and transcripts for speech content
Touch & Mobile Accessibility
- Touch target size: All interactive elements have minimum 44x44px touch targets (WCAG AAA)
- Spacing: Adequate spacing between touch targets to prevent accidental activation
- Responsive design: Layout adapts to screen sizes from 320px to 4K displays
- Orientation support: Content works in both portrait and landscape orientations
- Zoom support: Pinch-to-zoom enabled on mobile devices
Content Accessibility
- Clear language: Plain language with Flesch-Kincaid reading level of Grade 9-10
- Error identification: Form errors clearly identified with text and visual indicators
- Error suggestions: Helpful error messages with guidance on how to fix issues
- Consistent navigation: Navigation elements appear in the same location across pages
- Predictable interactions: Components behave consistently throughout the application
Assistive Technology Support
Ratemy has been tested with the following assistive technologies:
- Screen readers: NVDA, JAWS (Windows), VoiceOver (macOS, iOS), TalkBack (Android)
- Browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge (latest 2 versions)
- Voice control: Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Windows Voice Access, Voice Control (macOS/iOS)
- Magnification: ZoomText, Windows Magnifier, macOS Zoom
Known Accessibility Issues
We are actively working to resolve the following known accessibility issues:
| Issue | Impact | Status |
|---|
| Some third-party payment forms (Stripe) may not fully meet WCAG AA | Affects checkout flow; Stripe Checkout is WCAG AA compliant | In Progress |
| AI Coach video avatars lack audio descriptions for visual actions | Screen reader users may miss non-verbal cues; transcripts available | Planned Q2 2025 |
| Some data visualizations (charts, graphs) lack text alternatives | Affects analytics dashboards; data tables provided as alternative | Fixing Q1 2025 |
| PDF export of AI Coach session reports needs improved structure | PDFs may not be fully tagged for screen readers | Fixing Q1 2025 |
| Some modal dialogs may not always restore focus on close | Affects keyboard navigation flow; workaround: Tab to navigate | In Progress |
| LinkedIn OAuth integration (third-party) has accessibility gaps | LinkedIn login flow controlled by LinkedIn; alternative email login available | External |
Note: We prioritize fixing issues based on severity and user impact. Critical issues (WCAG Level A violations) are addressed within 30 days. Level AA issues are resolved within 90 days when feasible.
Testing & Evaluation Methods
Ratemy's accessibility is evaluated using a combination of:
- Automated testing: axe DevTools, WAVE, Lighthouse accessibility audits (run on every build)
- Manual testing: Keyboard-only navigation, screen reader testing (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver)
- User testing: Regular feedback from users with disabilities
- Expert review: Periodic audits by certified WCAG accessibility consultants
- Code review: Accessibility checks integrated into development workflow
Last comprehensive audit: October 15, 2024 by Accessible Web Consulting LLC
Next scheduled audit: April 2025
Feedback & Contact Information
We welcome feedback on the accessibility of Ratemy. If you encounter an accessibility barrier on our website, please let us know:
Accessibility Support Contact:
Email: accessibility@www.ratingapp.net
Phone: 1-800-RATEMY-1 (1-800-728-3691) - Press 3 for accessibility support
Response Time: We aim to respond to accessibility feedback within 2 business days
Accessible formats: If you need content in an alternative format (large print, audio, braille), contact us and we will provide it within 5 business days at no charge.
When reporting an accessibility issue, please include:
- The URL or page where you encountered the issue
- A description of the problem
- The assistive technology you were using (if applicable)
- Your browser and operating system
- Any error messages you received
Commitment to Ongoing Improvement
Accessibility is an ongoing effort. We are committed to:
- Conducting regular accessibility audits (semi-annually)
- Training our development team on WCAG and ARIA best practices
- Including accessibility requirements in all new feature development
- Soliciting and incorporating feedback from users with disabilities
- Staying current with evolving accessibility standards and best practices
- Publishing updates to this accessibility statement as improvements are made
Recent Improvements (Last 6 Months):
- Added font size controls with persistent preference storage (October 2024)
- Implemented dark mode with system preference detection (September 2024)
- Enhanced keyboard navigation for tab components with arrow key support (August 2024)
- Added aria-live regions for dynamic content updates (August 2024)
- Improved focus indicators with 3:1 contrast ratio (July 2024)
- Increased minimum touch target size to 44x44px throughout app (June 2024)
Formal Complaints Process
If you are not satisfied with our response to your accessibility concern, you may:
- Escalate within Ratemy: Email our Chief Technology Officer at cto@www.ratingapp.net
- File a complaint with regulatory authorities:
- US: Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division (Section 508 violations)
- EU: Your national enforcement body under the European Accessibility Act
- UK: Equality and Human Rights Commission
Technical Specifications
Accessibility of Ratemy relies on the following technologies to work:
- HTML5 (semantic elements)
- WAI-ARIA 1.2 (Accessible Rich Internet Applications)
- CSS3 (styling, focus indicators, responsive design)
- JavaScript (enhanced interactivity, must be enabled)
The website is designed to be compatible with:
- Modern browsers released in the last 2 years (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
- Screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, TalkBack)
- Operating systems (Windows 10+, macOS 11+, iOS 15+, Android 11+)