Accessibility Statement

Last updated: October 14, 2026

1. Our commitment

The operators of Sustainable Fox Valley (sustainfv.org) believe that information about energy, water, food, and community action should be available to everyone in the Fox Valley, whatever their abilities, devices, or connection speed. Accessibility is part of how we design, write, and maintain the site, not an afterthought.

2. Our standard

We aim to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological disabilities.

Conformance status: partially conformant. This means that most of the site meets the standard, but some content, described in section 4, does not yet fully conform. We are working to close those gaps.

3. Measures we have taken

We have also:

• Supported reduced motion. Animations and transitions, such as elements that fade or slide in as you scroll, are turned off or minimized when your device’s “reduce motion” setting is enabled (the prefers-reduced-motion setting). No content flashes more than three times per second.
• Used clear structure. Pages use a logical heading order, landmark regions (header, navigation, main content, footer), and real lists and tables, so screen reader users can navigate efficiently.
• Labeled forms. Our contact, newsletter, and checkout forms have visible labels, describe required fields in text rather than color alone, and explain errors in plain language.
• Written plainly. We write in plain English, explain technical terms, and break long guides into sections with summaries and key takeaways.
• Made links descriptive. Link text describes where the link goes, and links that open in a new tab lead to external websites.
• Designed for touch. Buttons and links are large enough to tap comfortably, in line with the WCAG 2.2 target size guidance.
• Avoided content-blocking features. We do not use auto-playing audio, time limits on reading, or CAPTCHA puzzles that require solving an image challenge on our own forms.
• Tested. We check pages with automated tools and manual testing using a keyboard, browser zoom, and screen readers.

4. Known limitations

Despite our efforts, some parts of the site may not yet be fully accessible:

• Third-party plugins and services. Some features rely on tools we do not fully control, such as the CookieYes consent banner, payment processor fields at checkout, and embedded maps or videos. We choose providers that state a commitment to accessibility and configure them as accessibly as we can, but their interfaces may contain barriers. If you cannot complete a purchase because of a payment form issue, email us and we will arrange another way to pay.
• Older archived content. Some material carried forward from the original Sustainable Fox Valley initiative, including older documents and PDFs, was created before current standards and may lack full headings, alt text, or tagging. We are reviewing and updating this content, and we will provide an accessible version of any document on request.
• Images from open collections. Some photographs come from Wikimedia Commons. We write our own alt text for them, but detailed descriptions of complex images may be limited.
• Video and audio. If we publish video or audio, we aim to provide captions and transcripts. Embedded content from other organizations may not have them.
• Interactive tools. The footprint calculator is being tested with screen readers. If you have difficulty using it, we are happy to walk through it with you by email.

5. Accessible services and kits

When you book an assessment, workshop, or consultation, please tell us about any accessibility needs, such as captions on a video call, materials in large print, or extra time. We will do our best to accommodate them at no extra charge. For in-person workshops, the hosting organization provides the venue, and we will work with you to make the session accessible to all participants. Printed kit materials, such as the Study Circle Starter Kit workbooks, can be provided as accessible digital files on request.

6. Compatibility

The site is designed to work with recent versions of major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge) and with common assistive technologies, including screen readers such as NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, and TalkBack, as well as screen magnifiers and voice control software. It relies on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript; core content remains readable if JavaScript is unavailable, although interactive features such as the cart may not work.

7. Feedback and requests

We welcome your feedback. If you encounter a barrier, need information in a different format, or have a suggestion, please contact us:

• Email: [email protected] (subject line “Accessibility”)
• Contact form: our contact page

To help us respond, please tell us the page address, what you were trying to do, and the browser, device, or assistive technology you were using, if you know. You do not need to provide this information to get help.

Response time goal: We aim to acknowledge accessibility feedback within 2 business days and to respond with a solution, a workaround, or a plan within 5 business days. For requests for alternative formats, we aim to provide the content within 5 business days, or sooner if you have a deadline.

8. Ongoing improvement

We review accessibility whenever we add new features, plugins, or content, and we re-test key pages, including the shop and checkout, after major updates. Fixes for reported issues are prioritized by how much they affect people’s ability to use the site.

9. Related policies

You may also find these pages useful: Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Terms & Conditions, and Refund, Return & Cancellation Policy.