Accessibility Statement

At Alan Curtis Design, we believe that the internet should be a place where everyone, regardless of ability or circumstance, can access content, navigate pages, and engage meaningfully with digital experiences. Accessibility is not an afterthought—it’s a fundamental aspect of good design.

This statement outlines our ongoing commitment to accessibility, the actions we take to ensure inclusivity on our own website and in client projects, and the steps we’re taking to continuously improve.

1. Our Commitment to Accessibility and Legal Compliance

We are committed to making our website and the digital products we create accessible to all users. We aim to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 and 2.2 at the AA level, which are the globally recognized standards for web accessibility.

Our practices align with key legal frameworks, including:

• The Equality Act 2010 (UK): This law requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments to ensure their services are accessible to people with disabilities.

• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (USA): We aim to comply with the ADA’s requirements for digital accessibility.

• The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) (Canada): Our services are designed with the AODA’s standards in mind.

• The European Accessibility Act (EAA): We follow the EAA’s requirements for making digital products and services accessible across the EU.

2. Our Design and Development Process

For This Website

The Alan Curtis Design website has been created with accessibility as a core value. We have taken the following steps to support accessibility:

• Semantic HTML structure: All pages use proper headings, landmarks, and elements that allow screen readers and other assistive technologies to parse content correctly.

• Keyboard navigability: The site is fully usable via a keyboard without relying on a mouse or gestures.

• Readable typography and colour contrast: Font choices and spacing are selected for maximum clarity. We follow minimum WCAG 2.1 AA standards for colour contrast to ensure text is legible against its background.

• Alt text for images: Images are described with meaningful alternative text, or marked as decorative when appropriate.

• Responsive layout: The site is mobile-friendly and designed to work across a range of screen sizes and devices.

We regularly audit the site using tools such as WAVE, Lighthouse, and axe DevTools to identify and fix potential issues.

For Client Work

Accessibility is not just something we apply to our own site—it’s part of every design we create for clients. Whether we’re working on a brand identity, website, or digital product, we consider accessibility from day one.

• Consultation and education: We advise clients on the importance of inclusive design.

• WCAG-aligned design: We follow WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 guidelines to ensure designs meet industry standards.

• Design systems that scale: We create design systems that include accessible colour palettes, button styles, and typography rules.

• Use of accessibility checklists: Every web project is reviewed against a tailored checklist.

• Flexible content structures: Layouts are built to accommodate user needs such as zooming, reflow, and text resizing.

• Third-party integrations: We assess plugins or integrations for accessibility where possible and recommend better alternatives if needed.

3. Limitations and Work in Progress

Despite our commitment, no digital product is ever perfectly accessible, and this website is no exception. While we strive to meet accessibility guidelines and test our site regularly, there may be areas for improvement.

• Third-party tools or widgets: Elements such as embedded video players, forms, or social feeds may not always meet the same level of accessibility.

• Dynamic content: While we aim to make interactive features accessible, real-time updates or animations may cause unexpected issues for some users.

• PDFs and downloadable documents: We work to ensure documents are tagged and structured for screen reader use, but older PDFs may not yet meet full accessibility standards.

We are actively working to identify and fix these areas. Accessibility is an ongoing process, and we treat it as such—through continual learning, feedback, and refinement.

4. Our Use of AI and Data

When using AI tools in our design process, we are mindful of accessibility implications. We do not use AI to generate content without a thorough review and adjustment for accessibility standards (e.g., ensuring proper alt text, colour contrast, and logical content structure). Any data provided to AI tools is handled in line with our Privacy Policy.

5. Feedback and Support

If you encounter any issues while using this site—whether it’s a missing label, poor contrast, or something that doesn’t work well with your assistive technology—we want to know. Your feedback is valuable and helps us improve.

Please get in touch using the contact page or email John Wilson Design at hello@johnwilsondesign.co.uk. We will aim to respond within 3 working days and work to resolve the issue as soon as possible.