Accessibility Statement

Conformance Standard

We aim to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA, published by the World Wide Web Consortium. WCAG 2.1 AA is the benchmark referenced by the Americans with Disabilities Act guidance and by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. We describe our current status as "partially conformant," which means most of the site meets the standard, but we have not completed a formal third-party audit of every page and we do not want to overstate where we are.

Measures We Have Taken

• Semantic structure. Every page uses real HTML landmarks — header, nav, main, and footer — with one descriptive H1 and a logical heading order, so screen-reader users can jump between sections instead of reading linearly.
• Keyboard operability. Navigation, dropdown menus, forms, and modal dialogs can all be reached and operated with Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space, and Escape. Focus is visible on every interactive element and is never trapped.
• Text alternatives. Photographs of adoptable animals, volunteers, and clinic events carry descriptive alt text. Purely decorative graphics are marked so assistive technology skips them rather than announcing noise.
• Color and contrast. Body text, headings, and button labels are tested against a 4.5:1 contrast ratio (3:1 for large text). Color is never the only way we communicate meaning — form errors also carry text, and links are underlined or otherwise distinguishable.
• Forms. Every field in the adoption application, volunteer application, and contact form has a visible, programmatically associated label. Validation errors appear in text next to the field they describe and are announced to assistive technology.
• Resizing and zoom. Content reflows without horizontal scrolling at 200% browser zoom and on small mobile screens. We use relative units so text scales with the reader's own browser settings.
• Motion. We avoid auto-playing video, flashing content, and carousels that move without user control. Animated counters and transitions respect the operating system's "reduce motion" preference.
• Link clarity. Link text describes its destination ("Read the June rescue report") rather than "click here," so a screen-reader link list is meaningful on its own.

How We Test

Accessibility is checked as part of every content update rather than once a year. Our review combines automated scanning with manual testing, because automated tools catch only a minority of real barriers. In practice that means: automated checks with browser-based accessibility auditors on every template; manual keyboard-only walkthroughs of the adoption application, volunteer application, contact form, and donation flow; and screen-reader spot checks using VoiceOver on macOS and iOS and NVDA on Windows with Chrome and Firefox.

We also review color contrast whenever the design changes and re-check that newly published rescue reports, program pages, and animal profiles carry correct headings and image descriptions before they go live.

Known Limitations

We would rather tell you where the gaps are than pretend they do not exist. As of the date above we are aware of the following:

• Embedded map. The Google Maps frame on our contact page is a third-party component whose keyboard and screen-reader behavior we do not control. Our full mailing address, phone number, and email are always provided in plain text next to it, so no information is available only inside the map.
• External donation processing. Donations are completed on Every.org and charity profiles are hosted by Charity Navigator, Candid, and the IRS. Those organizations maintain their own accessibility standards. If you hit a barrier while giving, call us and a volunteer will process your gift by phone or accept a check by mail.
• Older photographs. A small number of archival rescue photos have shorter alt text than we would like. We are rewriting these as we re-audit past reports.
• Documents. Our IRS determination letter is a scanned image. A text transcript of its contents is available on request at no charge.

Alternative Ways to Reach Every Service

Nothing we do requires you to use this website. Every action available online is also available by phone or mail:

• Adoption applications can be completed verbally with a volunteer over the phone at 714-282-1768.
• Volunteer and foster inquiries can be made by phone or by writing to PO Box 4156, Fullerton, CA 92834.
• Donations can be made by check payable to Barks of Love Animal Rescue at the same mailing address; a written acknowledgment for your tax records is mailed back to you.
• Adoptable animal profiles, program descriptions, and our financial disclosures can be read aloud to you by phone or sent in large print by mail.

Feedback and Complaints

If any part of this website prevents you from doing what you came to do, we want to hear about it — the report helps the next visitor as much as it helps you. Email info@boflar.org with "Accessibility" in the subject line, or call 714-282-1768. Please tell us the page address, what you were trying to do, and the browser and assistive technology you were using if you know it.

We acknowledge every accessibility report within two business days and aim to resolve confirmed barriers within thirty days. If a fix will take longer than that, we will tell you why and give you a workaround in the meantime. If our response does not resolve the issue to your satisfaction, you may escalate it in writing to our board of directors at the mailing address above.

Formal Approval

This accessibility statement was prepared by Barks of Love Animal Rescue and approved by our board of directors. It is reviewed at least twice a year and whenever the site undergoes a significant redesign. It applies to all pages of this website, including adoption listings, program pages, dated rescue reports, and application forms.