Legal
Accessibility
What we have done, how we checked it, and what we know is still imperfect. A statement that only listed the good parts would not be worth publishing.
The standard
This site aims to meet WCAG 2.2 level AA. We believe it currently does, on every page, in both the light and the dark theme. Where we fall short we would rather say so here than wait to be told.
What that means in practice
- Every page can be operated from the keyboard alone, in a visible focus order, starting with a skip link to the main content.
- Text meets or exceeds the 4.5:1 contrast minimum, and interface graphics 3:1, measured against the colour actually painted behind them rather than the colour we intended.
- Controls are at least 24 by 24 pixels, including the small dots that page through the client quotes.
- The photograph viewer traps focus while it is open, pages with the arrow keys, closes on Escape, and returns focus to the thumbnail you opened it from.
- Headings, landmarks and lists are marked up as what they are, so the page can be navigated by structure rather than by reading all of it.
- Photography carries descriptive alternative text; decoration is hidden.
Motion
If your system asks for reduced motion, it gets it. The loading curtain is skipped entirely, the hero parallax and the scroll reveals do not run, text appears without staggering, and the client quotes stop advancing on their own — the dots and arrows then become the only way through, which is the point.
Without that preference set, the quotes advance every few seconds. They pause when the pointer or keyboard focus is anywhere near them, and stop permanently the moment you use a control.
How it was tested
Automated checks with axe-core run across twenty routes in both themes, and a second pass measures the rendered contrast of live text against its painted background across twenty-three routes in both themes. Both currently report no failures. Automated testing catches perhaps half of what matters, so it is backed by keyboard walkthroughs of the main journeys.
Known limitations
- We have not yet tested with a screen reader end to end. Automated checks and keyboard testing are not a substitute for that, and it is the next thing we owe this page.
- The neighbourhood pages describe location in prose and in a map figure; the prose carries the information, but a genuine text alternative to the map itself is still missing.
- Contact details shown on this site are placeholders, so the links behind them lead to the studio that built it rather than opening a dialler or a mail client.
- PDF particulars, where we publish them, are not tagged for accessibility. Ask and we will send the same content as plain text or large print.
If something does not work
Tell us and we will fix it, then tell you when it is done. Write to studio@alvarahouse.com or telephone +1 (360) 555 0148. Please say which page and what you were trying to do. We acknowledge within three working days.
If you would rather not use the site at all, everything on it — particulars, prices, viewing arrangements — can be handled by telephone or in person at 14 Quarry Row, Cascara Point, WA 98110. See also our privacy notice and our terms.