Website Accessibility Statement from the Branch-Military Parent Technical Assistance Center

The Branch-Military Parent Technical Assistance Center is making a conscious effort to make this website accessible to everyone. If you have problems accessing something on the current website, or have a suggestion for improving the website’s accessibility, please email us at thebranch@wapave.org.

STANDARDS COMPLIANCE

We are revising and making sure this website follows WCAG 2.0 Level AA accessibility guidelines, so the site should be accessible to individuals who use various technology supports such as screen readers and screen magnification. Additional information about WCAG 2.0 Level AA accessibility guidelines may be found at (external website):  http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/.

MAKING THE TEXT LARGER OR SMALLER

The Branch website was designed to meet the needs of visitors with text of different sizes. We are changing our format to make it easier for you to use the browser’s controls or assistive technology to change the font size (the exact method will depend on your browser or assistive technology). Headings will always be larger than paragraph text. This helps to make the visual display easier to identify.

We are working to make sure our site uses a “fluid” design. Our revisions will make it possible for you to click on links, read text, see information, and other illustrations on any size device and at all font sizes.

IMAGES

The Branch website includes images both to improve the appeal of the site and to share information. The site includes information about the image and also has it included in the alt-text or long description. This helps visitors who cannot access the images still receive the full benefit of our website.

MENU NAVIGATION

All menus on the Branch site can be navigated using the mouse, keyboard, or touch screen. The site includes drop-down menus that are not always “touch screen” accessible. To help with this problem, The Branch gives the visitor the option of using the menu itself, to take you to a page that provides links to each of the other sites available through our current drop-down.

HEADINGS AND SEMANTICS

The Branch site supports assistive technology that allows you to navigate using headings. Major sections are described by top level headings or titles, with subsections marked by subheadings in logical progression.

LINKS

Links identify information about the link site and are represented by a different hex color. Links to an external website are indicated.

Color Schemes and Contrast

We are currently working to make sure that text colors on the website have good contrast with background color, to make the text clear and easy to read. New colors will follow a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 between any text and its background. Static text (i.e., text that you cannot interact with) will be in a black font.

PDF (.PDF) DOCUMENTS

Portable Document Format (PDF) is sometimes used to preserve the content and formatting of publications and other items that were intended for distribution by hard copy (e.g., paper-based). If you cannot access or read a pdf created by Branch Staff, please email us at thebranch@wapave.org.

If you are using a screen reader to access the website, you may need Adobe Reader or some similar program to open and read the PDF files. If you have a screen reader, you may also need Access Adobe. You can download Adobe Reader and Access Adobe for free from Adobe’s website at (external website) http://www.adobe.com/.

Multimedia and PowerPoint

All Branch-created multimedia presentations on the website are captioned; a transcript is also provided. PowerPoints will be available in accessible PDF format.

If you have any problems navigating the website, please report them to us by emailing us at thebranch@wapave.org. We appreciate your feedback.
Last updated: July 2016

For a PDF version of this document, please contact us at thebranch@wapave.org or by calling 253.565.2266, ext. 112