01 The standard we build to
Every site we ship targets WCAG 2.1 Level AA. That is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, published by the W3C, at the middle of three levels. It is what the Department of Justice adopted in its 2024 rule for state and local government websites, and it is the benchmark courts have effectively settled on for private businesses under Title III of the ADA.
We do not use an accessibility overlay widget. Those are the plug in toolbars that promise instant compliance for a monthly fee. They do not work, disability advocates object to them, and businesses using them still get sued. We would rather build the site properly.
02 What we did on this website
- Keyboard access. Every link, button, form field and accordion works without a mouse, in a sensible order, with a visible rust focus ring on whatever you are on.
- Skip link. Press Tab on arrival and the first thing offered is a jump straight to the content, past the navigation.
- Real structure. Proper landmarks, one page heading, and headings that descend in order without skipping levels. The decorative sample websites in our portfolio section use plain text rather than headings, so they do not clutter the outline for screen reader users.
- Text alternatives. Every meaningful image has a description. Decorative graphics, including the animated mark, are hidden from screen readers so they are not read out as noise.
- Motion can be switched off. This is the big one for us, and it is covered on its own below.
- Contrast. Body text is dark forest on cream or cream on dark forest, both comfortably past the 4.5 to 1 minimum.
- Zoom and reflow. The page works at 200 percent zoom and down to a 320 pixel wide screen without sideways scrolling.
- Labelled form. The contact form has real labels, not just placeholder text, and errors are announced rather than only shown in colour.
- Works without JavaScript. If scripts fail to load, the page falls back to a static version with all the content and a working contact route.
03 About the animation
If you have reduce motion switched on
You will not see the scrolling animation at all. You get a still version of the page with the same words, the same prices and the same contact form. Nothing is hidden behind the animation, and you are not missing information.
The top of our home page is a long animated sequence. Motion like that can cause real problems: nausea, dizziness and migraines for people with vestibular disorders, and difficulty for anyone who finds movement distracting.
So the site checks your device's reduce motion setting before it animates. If that setting is on, we do not run the animation, we do not lock the page while you scroll, and we serve a plain version instead. You can turn it on in System Settings under Accessibility on a Mac or iPhone, in Settings under Ease of Access on Windows, or in Accessibility on Android. Nothing about the offer changes.
04 Where we know we fall short
Claiming a site is perfectly accessible is usually a sign nobody tested it. Ours is not perfect, and these are the parts we are least sure of:
- The animated sequence is long. Even with reduce motion respected, someone scrolling past it with a screen magnifier may find it tedious. We are watching whether it should be shorter.
- The sample website mockups are visual by nature. We describe each one in text, but they will always carry less for a screen reader user than for a sighted one.
- We have tested with keyboard navigation, browser zoom and automated checks. We have not yet paid for an audit by a professional tester who uses assistive technology daily. We would like to, and we will say so here when we have.
05 The sites we build for clients
Your site is built to the same WCAG 2.1 AA target, at no extra charge. It is not an upgrade or an add on, it is just how we build.
One honest warning. Accessibility can be undone after launch. Adding an image without a description, pasting in a third party booking widget, or dropping in a video without captions can all break what we shipped. If you are on the Care plan, email us before you add something and we will check it. If you are not, we are still happy to answer the question.
06 Tell us when we get it wrong
If any part of this site or a site we built is hard to use, we want to know. You do not need to know the technical name for the problem. "I could not get to the phone number with my keyboard" is a perfect report.
How to reach us
Email northgemstudios@gmail.com with what happened, the page you were on, and what you were using if you know it.
We will acknowledge within 2 business days and tell you what we are doing about it within 10 business days. If a fix will take longer, we will say so and give you a way to get what you needed in the meantime.
We will not charge you for reporting a problem, and we will not ask you to prove anything.
Drafted by the studio, not by a lawyer, and not legal advice. Accessibility law is enforced case by case, and a statement like this is evidence of good faith rather than a shield. Have someone qualified review it, and get a professional audit if your exposure warrants one.