Compliance status

We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of circumstance and ability.

To fulfill this, Columbia County Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) aims to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.

This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.

Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML, adapts its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.

If you wish to contact the website’s owner, please use the following email: ldrahus@columbiaedc.com.

Screen-reader and keyboard navigation

CEDC’s website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters the site, they immediately receive a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate the site effectively. Here’s how the website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements:

  1. Screen-reader optimization: We run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website. In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels; descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups), and others. Additionally, the background process scans all of the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag for images that are not described. It also extracts text embedded within images using OCR (optical character recognition) technology. To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also receive automatic announcements to enable Screen-reader mode upon entering the website. These adjustments are compatible with popular screen readers including JAWS and NVDA.
  2. Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process adjusts the website’s HTML and adds various behaviors using JavaScript to make the website operable by keyboard. This includes navigation using Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operating dropdowns with arrow keys, closing them with Esc, activating buttons and links with Enter, navigating radio and checkbox elements with arrow keys, and selecting them with Spacebar or Enter. Keyboard users will also find quick navigation and content-skip menus available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first element of the site when navigating by keyboard. The system ensures focus remains within active popups and does not drift outside of them.

Disability profiles supported on our website

  • Epilepsy Safe Profile – this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
  • Vision Impaired Profile – this profile adjusts the website so that it is accessible to the majority of visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
  • Cognitive Disability Profile – this profile provides various assistive features to help users with cognitive disabilities such as Autism, Dyslexia, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements more easily.
  • ADHD Friendly Profile – this profile significantly reduces distractions and noise, to help people with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders browse, read, and focus on the essential elements more easily.
  • Blind Users Profile (Screen-readers) – this profile adjusts the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is installed on the blind user’s computer, and this site is compatible with it.
  • Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired) – this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments

  1. Font adjustments – users can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
  2. Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over 7 different coloring options.
  3. Animations – epileptic users can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
  4. Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
  5. Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
  6. Cognitive assistance – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
  7. Additional tools – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.

Assistive technology and browser compatibility

CEDC aims to support the widest range of browsers and assistive technologies possible. The website supports major browsers and systems comprising over 95% of user market share, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera, and Microsoft Edge, as well as JAWS and NVDA screen readers on both Windows and macOS.

Notes, comments, and feedback

Despite our best efforts to ensure full accessibility, some content may not yet be fully accessible or may be in the process of improvement. Columbia County Economic Development Corporation is continually enhancing accessibility features, updating technologies, and adopting new solutions to meet evolving standards.

If you wish to contact the website’s owner, please use the following email: ldrahus@columbiaedc.com.