If this site does not work for you, that is on us

What we are aiming at

Our target is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA, the standard most commonly referenced in US law and in public agency contracts. We treat it as a floor rather than a finish line.

What we have done

• Keyboard access throughout. Every link, button, menu, and form field can be reached and operated without a mouse, in an order that follows the page.
• Visible focus. Whatever you have tabbed to is outlined clearly, so you never lose your place.
• A skip link at the top of every page, so you can jump straight past the navigation to the content.
• Text contrast meets AA. We measured the text and background pairings used across the site and darkened two of our brand colors until each one passed.
• Real headings in real order, one main heading per page, so screen reader users can navigate by structure instead of reading everything.
• Labeled form fields, each with a visible label that stays visible while you type. Required fields carry a visible marker and are announced as required by screen readers, so the information is never carried by color alone.
• Described images. Meaningful images carry text descriptions; decorative ones are hidden from screen readers so they do not add noise.
• Reduced motion is respected. If your device is set to minimize animation, the fade-in effects turn off.
• It works without JavaScript. If scripts are blocked or fail, all content still displays.
• It reflows. Text resizes and the layout adapts down to small screens and high zoom without content being cut off or requiring sideways scrolling.

What still falls short

We would rather name these than let you discover them.

• No independent audit. Everything above is our own testing. We have not commissioned a third-party accessibility review, so we describe this site as aiming at WCAG 2.1 AA rather than certified against it.
• Limited screen reader testing. We have not tested against every combination of screen reader, browser, and operating system in use.
• What happens after you submit a form. Our forms are processed by an outside service, and the confirmation page you land on afterward is theirs, not ours. We do not control its accessibility.
• Links out to other organizations. The resources directory sends you to shelters, clinics, warmlines, and agencies that run their own websites. We cannot vouch for those, and some of them are not accessible. If one of them stops you, call us and we will get you the information directly.
• Fonts load from an outside service. If that service is slow or blocked, the page falls back to your system font. Everything stays readable, but it will not look the way we designed it.

Tell us when something does not work

This is the part that matters most. If any page, form, or document on this site gets in your way, we want to know, even if you are not sure whether it is us or your device.

Email empower.collective.sv@gmail.com or call 619-889-8728. Telling us what page you were on and what happened helps, but a rough description is completely fine.

We aim to reply within 1 to 2 business days. If a fix will take longer than that, we will say so and give you the information another way in the meantime.

Ask for another format

Anything on this site can be provided differently at no cost: read to you over the phone, sent as plain text or large print, or walked through with someone in person. You never have to explain why you are asking, and asking will not affect how we work with you or what you are eligible for.

How we keep this current

We review this site against our target standard when we make significant changes to it, and we update the review date at the top of this page when we do. When we fix something listed under what falls short, we remove it from that list rather than quietly leaving it there.

Who is responsible

This website is the responsibility of The Empower Collective LLC, 9805 Campo Rd. Suite #165, P.O. Box #65, Spring Valley, CA 91977. Reach us at empower.collective.sv@gmail.com or 619-889-8728.