Accessibility statement.

Our Commitment to Accessibility

StarkPros is committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of ability or technology. We believe every person in Stark County deserves equal access to the information and services on our platform.

We actively work to increase the accessibility and usability of our website and hold ourselves to the standards outlined below. Our efforts are ongoing, and we regularly review our site to identify and resolve accessibility barriers.

Accessibility Features

We have implemented the following features to make StarkPros accessible:

• Keyboard navigation: All interactive elements are accessible via keyboard. Use Tab to navigate forward, Shift+Tab to navigate backward, and Enter or Space to activate controls.
• Screen reader support: Pages are built with semantic HTML, ARIA labels, and live regions so assistive technologies can accurately convey content and state changes.
• Skip to content: A “Skip to main content” link is available for keyboard and screen reader users to bypass repeated navigation.
• Focus indicators: Clear, visible focus outlines are provided on all interactive elements so keyboard users always know where they are on the page.
• Color contrast: Text and interactive elements meet or exceed WCAG AA contrast ratios (4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text) to support users with low vision or color deficiencies.
• Responsive design: The site adapts to all screen sizes, from mobile phones to large desktop monitors, and supports pinch-to-zoom up to 200% without loss of content or functionality.
• Reduced motion: Animations are minimized or removed when the operating system's “prefers reduced motion” setting is enabled.
• Descriptive alt text: Meaningful images include descriptive alternative text; decorative images are hidden from assistive technologies.
• Semantic HTML: We use proper heading hierarchy, landmark regions (nav, main, footer), and ARIA roles to provide a logical document structure.
• Form labels: All form fields have associated labels, clear instructions, and descriptive error messages to guide users through input.
• Print-friendly: Pages are optimized for printing with clean, readable layouts.

Standards We Follow

We aim to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA. These guidelines, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), define how to make web content more accessible for people with disabilities, including visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments.

WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance means our site addresses criteria across four principles:

• Perceivable: Information and interface components are presented in ways users can perceive, including text alternatives and adaptable layouts.
• Operable: Interface components and navigation are operable via keyboard, have sufficient time limits, and avoid content that could cause seizures.
• Understandable: Information and operation of the interface are understandable, with readable text, predictable navigation, and input assistance.
• Robust: Content is robust enough to be interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.

Known Limitations

While we strive for full accessibility, some areas may not yet meet all guidelines. Known limitations include:

• Third-party content: Some embedded content from third-party providers (such as maps or payment forms) may not fully conform to WCAG 2.1 AA. We work with our partners to improve accessibility where possible.
• User-uploaded images: Photos uploaded by service professionals may not always include descriptive alt text. We encourage our pros to add descriptions and are exploring automated alt text generation.
• Legacy PDF documents: Older PDF files linked from our site may not be fully accessible. We are working to replace these with accessible HTML versions.

We are actively working to address these gaps. If you encounter a barrier not listed here, please let us know.

Feedback & Contact

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of StarkPros. If you experience any difficulty accessing content, notice an accessibility barrier, or have suggestions for improvement, please contact us.

When reporting an accessibility issue, it is helpful to include:

• The URL of the page where you encountered the issue
• A description of the problem and what you expected to happen
• The assistive technology or browser you were using (if applicable)

We take all feedback seriously and will respond within 5 business days.