MICA's Commitment to Accessibility

Mothers Institute for Collaboration and Art (MICA)  is committed to providing a fully accessible website experience for all users of all abilities, including those who rely on assistive technologies like screen readers, screen enlargement software, and alternative keyboard input devices to navigate the web.

Ongoing Efforts to Ensure Accessibility

We follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 as our guiding principle for determining accessibility. These are internationally agreed-upon standards that cover a wide range of recommendations and best practices for making content useable. As we add new pages and functionality to our website, all designs, code, and content entry practices are checked against these standards.

Website accessibility is an ongoing process. We continually test content and features for WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance and remediate any issues to ensure we meet or exceed the standards. Our team members test our website using industry-standard tools such as the Accessibility Checker WordPress Plugin, color contrast analyzers, keyboard-only navigation techniques, and Flesch-Kincaid readability tests.

Accessibility Features On Our Website

Our website is designed to be inclusive and welcoming to all users, with features that cater to diverse needs and preferences. We are actively working to improve the accessibility of our website and have implemented features that meet WCAG guidelines on many pages. We are continuously testing and improving, and we welcome your feedback.

Here is what we have implemented:

Structure and Navigation:

• Headings: We use clear and consistent heading structures (H1, H2, etc.) to organize content and guide navigation. This allows users to quickly understand the page’s structure and jump to relevant sections easily.
• ARIA landmarks: We use ARIA landmarks, such as header, main, nav, and footer, to define key sections of the website. This helps screen readers and assistive technologies navigate the content more effectively.

Visual Clarity:

• Contrast: We ensure sufficient color contrast between text and background elements to meet WCAG guidelines (minimum 4.5:1 ratio). This makes content easier to read for those with visual impairments.
• Link text: We use descriptive link text that accurately conveys the destination of the link. This prevents users from having to guess where a link will take them.

Meaningful Content:

• Labels: We provide clear and concise labels for form fields and other interactive elements. This ensures that users understand what information is required and how to interact with the elements.
• Image alt-text: We provide alternative text (alt-text) for images that describe their content and purpose. This ensures that users with visual impairments can access the information conveyed by images.

Additional Considerations:

• Keyboard accessibility: We ensure that all functionality on our website is accessible using a keyboard without requiring a mouse. This allows users with motor impairments to navigate and interact with the website effectively.
• Focus indicators: We provide clear visual indicators to show which element has keyboard focus. This helps users track their position on the page and know where their input will be directed.
• Skip navigation links: We provide skip navigation links that allow users to bypass repetitive content and move directly to the main content area. This saves time for those using screen readers or assistive technologies.
• Form accessibility: We design forms with accessibility in mind, using appropriate labels, input types, and error messages. This ensures that users with disabilities can fill out forms successfully.

If you encounter any issues or have feedback, please contact us at support@experiencemica.org.

Where We’re Improving

In our efforts to bring our website up to standard, we are targeting the following areas:

• Button links: While our theme has many wonderful features, it does not provide the ability to label buttons properly. We are working hard to resolve that.

This is part of our broader effort to make everyone’s experience at Mothers Institute for Collaboration and Art (MICA) a welcoming and enjoyable one. Please note that while we make every effort to provide information accessible for all users, we cannot guarantee the accessibility of third-party websites to which we may link.

Accessibility Support Contact

We welcome comments, questions, and feedback on our website. If you are using assistive technologies and are having difficulty using our website, please email support@experiencemica.org  or give us a call at 413-341-6916 We will do our best to assist you and resolve issues.