Accessibility Statement

Our Commitment

Steven Milanese is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone and applying the relevant accessibility standards to guarantee we provide equal access to all users.

We 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. This includes users of assistive technology, users with cognitive or learning disabilities, users with temporary disabilities, and users in challenging environments.

Conformance Status

We strive to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA. These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities and more user-friendly for everyone.

Our website currently achieves a perfect 100 accessibility score on Google Lighthouse audits, demonstrating our commitment to maintaining high accessibility standards.

Accessibility Features

To help ensure accessibility, stevenmilanese.com includes the following features:

• Alternative text for all informative images
• Semantic HTML markup for proper structure
• ARIA labels and descriptions where appropriate
• Keyboard navigation support throughout the site
• Skip navigation links for screen reader users
• Sufficient color contrast ratios (WCAG AA compliant - minimum 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text)
• Responsive design that works across all devices and screen sizes
• Clear and consistent navigation with logical tab order
• Descriptive link text that makes sense out of context
• Form labels and error messages with clear instructions
• Video captions and transcripts where applicable
• Focus indicators visible for keyboard navigation
• Text alternatives for non-text content
• Page titles that describe topic or purpose
• Headings organized in proper hierarchical structure
• Language of page identified in HTML
• No content that causes seizures or physical reactions
• Multiple ways to find pages within the site
• Consistent identification of components across pages

Keyboard Navigation

This website can be fully navigated using only a keyboard. Key navigation features include:

• Tab: Move forward through interactive elements
• Shift + Tab: Move backward through interactive elements
• Enter: Activate links and buttons
• Space: Activate buttons, checkboxes, and scroll down
• Arrow keys: Navigate within menus and form elements
• Escape: Close modals, menus, and the AI chat widget

A “Skip to content” link is provided at the beginning of each page for quick navigation to main content.

Screen Reader Support

Our website is optimized for screen readers with:

• Proper heading structure for easy navigation
• ARIA labels and landmarks for complex components
• Live regions for dynamic content updates
• Descriptive text for all interactive elements
• Mathematical formulas rendered with accessible MathML where possible

Technical Specifications

Accessibility of stevenmilanese.com relies on the following technologies to work with the particular combination of web browser and any assistive technologies or plugins installed on your computer:

• HTML5
• CSS3
• JavaScript (with progressive enhancement)
• WAI-ARIA

These technologies are relied upon for conformance with the accessibility standards used.

Known Limitations

Despite our best efforts to ensure accessibility of stevenmilanese.com, there may be some limitations. Below is a description of known limitations:

• 3D WebGL Content: Some interactive 3D visualizations may not be fully accessible to screen readers. We provide text descriptions where possible.
• Complex Animations: Users sensitive to motion can use their browser's reduced motion settings to minimize animations.
• Third-party Content: We cannot guarantee the accessibility of content from external sources (such as embedded videos or social media posts). However, we strive to only embed content from providers who follow accessibility standards.
• PDF Documents: Some older PDF documents may not be fully accessible. We are working to update these documents or provide accessible alternatives.
• Mathematical Formulas: Complex mathematical equations in blog posts may not be fully accessible to all screen readers. We provide text descriptions where possible.
• Legacy Browser Support: Some accessibility features may not work correctly in browsers older than our minimum supported versions.

Browser Compatibility

This website is designed to be compatible with the following browsers:

• Chrome 90 and above
• Firefox 88 and above
• Safari 14 and above
• Edge 90 and above

Older browsers may not support all features or provide the optimal experience.

Feedback

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of stevenmilanese.com. Please let us know if you encounter accessibility barriers:

• Email: [email protected]
• GitHub Issues: Report an issue

We try to respond to accessibility feedback within 5 business days.

Accessibility Testing Tools

We recommend the following free tools for testing accessibility:

• Screen Readers: NVDA (Windows), JAWS (Windows), VoiceOver (Mac/iOS), TalkBack (Android)
• Browser Extensions: axe DevTools, WAVE, Lighthouse
• Color Contrast: WebAIM Contrast Checker
• Keyboard Testing: Tab through the site without using a mouse

Accessibility Features by Section

Different sections of our site have specific accessibility considerations:

• Homepage Hero: Video background includes reduced motion support. Text has high contrast overlays for readability.
• 3D Visualizations: All WebGL content includes text descriptions. Users can pause animations using the spacebar.
• Blog Posts: All images include alt text. Code blocks are properly labeled and support syntax highlighting that works with screen readers.
• AI Chat (Gilfoyle): Fully keyboard navigable with ARIA live regions for message updates. Can be closed with Escape key.
• Contact Forms: All form fields have associated labels and error messages are announced to screen readers.

Assessment and Remediation

We regularly assess the accessibility of our website through:

• Automated testing using Google Lighthouse and axe DevTools
• Manual keyboard navigation testing
• Screen reader testing with NVDA and JAWS
• Color contrast analysis
• User feedback and reported issues
• Compatibility testing across different assistive technologies
• Mobile accessibility testing on iOS and Android
• Periodic third-party accessibility audits

When issues are identified, we prioritize fixes based on their impact on users and work to implement solutions as quickly as possible. Critical accessibility barriers are addressed within 48 hours when feasible.

Our current accessibility metrics:

• Lighthouse Accessibility Score: 100/100
• WAVE Errors: 0
• Axe Critical Issues: 0
• Keyboard Navigation: Fully Supported
• Screen Reader Compatibility: Tested with NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver

Legal Compliance

This accessibility statement is aligned with:

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title III
• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
• EU Web Accessibility Directive
• Ontario's Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)

Future Improvements

We are continuously working to improve accessibility. Planned enhancements include:

• Adding sign language interpretation for video content
• Implementing a high contrast mode toggle
• Providing audio descriptions for complex visualizations
• Creating Easy Read versions of technical content
• Adding a accessibility preferences panel for personalized settings

Recognition

We acknowledge and thank the accessibility community for their ongoing work in making the web more inclusive. Special recognition to:

• The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) for WCAG guidelines
• Screen reader developers for their essential tools
• The open source community for accessibility testing tools
• Users who provide feedback to help us improve