Accessibility Statement

1. Our Accessibility Goal

Our goal is to work toward the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, Level AA.

These guidelines describe ways to make web content more accessible to people with visual, hearing, physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological disabilities.

This is our accessibility goal, not a declaration that every page or feature currently meets every requirement. Some content or functionality may still present barriers.

2. Areas of Focus

As we update the website and publish content, our accessibility priorities include:

• Clear page structure, meaningful headings, and descriptive links.
• Readable text, sufficient color contrast, and layouts that support zoom and smaller screens.
• Keyboard access and visible focus indicators for interactive elements.
• Useful alternative text for informative images.
• Clearly labeled forms and understandable instructions and error messages.
• Captions, transcripts, or other appropriate alternatives for audio and video.
• Controls for moving content and respect for reduced-motion preferences.

These priorities guide improvements and do not represent a claim that every feature has already been fully implemented or verified.

3. Third-Party Content and Services

The website includes features provided by third parties, such as Townie Awards voting through Fillout, event ticketing through Eventbrite, the CitySpark community calendar, and embedded social media content.

The accessibility of these features may depend partly on the provider, and we may not be able to directly modify every part of their interfaces.

If a third-party feature creates a barrier, please contact us. We will work with you to identify an accessible way to obtain the information or assistance you need and, where appropriate, raise the issue with the provider.

4. Requesting Assistance or Reporting a Barrier

If you have difficulty accessing information or using a website feature, email info@townienbpt.com.

To help us understand the issue, please include, if available:

• The page URL or the name of the feature.
• A description of what you were trying to do and what prevented you from doing it.
• The information or assistance you need.
• Your preferred way to receive the information.
• Any relevant deadline, such as an event date or voting deadline.

You may also share your browser, device, or assistive technology if you think it would help us investigate. These details are optional. You do not need to disclose a diagnosis or provide medical documentation to report a barrier or request assistance.

We will review your message and work with you toward a practical solution. Depending on the request, this may include providing information by email, supplying a text alternative, or helping you access a feature.

If your request is time-sensitive, please identify the deadline in your message. We cannot guarantee immediate resolution or an extension of an event or voting deadline.

5. Ongoing Improvements

Accessibility is an ongoing part of maintaining and improving The Townie.

Reader feedback helps us identify barriers and prioritize improvements. We aim to address reported issues in the content and features we control and consider accessibility when evaluating website changes and third-party tools.

We will update this statement as our accessibility practices and website features evolve. The date above indicates when this statement was last revised; it is not an accessibility audit date.

6. Contact Us

For accessibility feedback or assistance, contact:

The Townie
Greater Newburyport, Massachusetts
Email: info@townienbpt.com

Suggested email subject: Website Accessibility Assistance