Built to a standard,
and checked against it.
WCAG 2.1 AA is the target. Every page is put through two automated engines, a computed contrast pass, and a keyboard walk before it is called done. An automated score is a floor, not a claim of conformance, and this page says which is which.
Target
WCAG 2.1 AA
Last pass
2026-09-08
Version
2026-09-08
Report to
matthewdscott7@gmail.com
- 01
The standard
The target is WCAG 2.1 at level AA, across every page this site renders. That is the standard the automated tools test against and the one a barrier report is measured against. Where a page falls short of it, the gap is a defect, not a design choice, and it is listed below or fixed.
- 02
The method
A page is not called done until three checks agree and a fourth has been walked. The checks run on a local build of the page before it is deployed.
- Lighthouse, accessibility category, target 100.
- axe-core on the WCAG 2.0 A and AA and WCAG 2.1 A and AA rule sets, target zero violations.
- Contrast computed, not eyeballed: text is sampled from the rendered page over whatever sits behind it, the median ratio is judged, and the targets are 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text and interface parts. Text over the live backdrop is measured this way because a swatch cannot see the backdrop.
- A keyboard walk: Tab reaches every control in reading order, the skip link is the first stop, every focused element shows a visible ring, and nothing traps focus.
- Screen-reader behaviour is checked by hand on the pages that change. It is not automated and no score is claimed for it.
- 03
What a score means
A Lighthouse 100 and an axe-core zero mean the automated checks found nothing. They do not mean the page meets every WCAG criterion: the tools cannot judge whether alternative text is meaningful, whether reading order makes sense, or whether a control is understandable. They are the floor. Full conformance is a claim about the whole standard, and this page does not make it.
- 04
Last pass
The last automated and keyboard pass ran on 2026-09-08 over the homepage, /audit, /build, /retainer, /landing, the answers pages on website cost and AI visibility, /audit/success, and the three trust pages (/privacy, /terms, /accessibility). Every route in that set scored Lighthouse 100 for accessibility with zero axe-core violations, and the hand contrast pass reported zero real failures. Pages outside that set were last checked when they were built or last changed.
- 05
Known exceptions
Two parts of the site sit outside the ordinary pass, and are stated here so they are not discovered.
- The WebGL backdrop that runs behind the catalogue pages is decorative. It is hidden from assistive technology, takes no pointer input, and only redraws while the page scrolls. The site-wide reduced-motion rule shortens every animation and transition to effectively zero when your system asks for it; the 3D scene on /landing falls back to a still image under that setting.
- The 85 plate pages (32 editorial studies and 53 technique specimens, each a standalone page under /plates/) are visual demonstrations of one technique apiece. They are not held to the automated pass above, some carry motion, and their text is set as part of the composition. Each one is an exhibit, not a path to anything; nothing you need from this site is only reachable through them.
- 06
Text size and motion
Ordinary text is set at 16 pixels and lead paragraphs at 19. The smallest text on the site, the uppercase labels, is 13 pixels, raised from 11 in September 2026 after my own note that anyone with poor eyesight would have to squint. Every size is set in relative units, so the page follows your browser's zoom and text-size settings. Motion follows your system's reduced-motion preference.
- 07
Report a barrier
If something on this site does not work for you, write to the address below. The page URL, what you were trying to do, and the browser and assistive technology you were using are enough. You will hear back within one business day, and the fix ships with the next deploy or you will be told why not.
Barrier reports go to matthewdscott7@gmail.com. Version 2026-09-08. What the site collects is on the privacy page; the engagement terms are on the terms page.