Accessibility Statement & Digital Accessibility Policy
I want Paper Boat Media to be useful to people, not merely technically available to them. That means designing and maintaining this website with people who use screen readers, keyboards, magnification, voice control, captions, reduced motion, alternative input devices and other assistive technologies in mind.
Accessibility is an ongoing practice. Websites change, standards evolve, third-party tools update and new content gets published. I would rather give people a clear way to report a barrier and fix it than pretend a website can be declared permanently perfect.
Effective date: August 26, 2026 · Last updated: August 26, 2026
WCAG 2.2 Level AA is the target, not a marketing badge.
The World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are the most widely used technical reference for accessible web content. W3C recommends using the current WCAG 2.2 standard when developing or updating accessibility policies.
I use WCAG 2.2 Level AA as a practical benchmark for Paper Boat Media. That does not mean I am making a blanket certification that every URL, embedded tool, historic document or third-party service passes every success criterion at all times.
How I approach accessibility
Accessibility is part of good communication.
Paper Boat Media provides consulting, strategy, research, educational and informational content through this website. I want that information to be available to as many people as reasonably possible, including people with visual, auditory, mobility, speech, cognitive, neurological and other disabilities.
I consider accessibility when I design new pages, revise old ones, structure navigation, publish long-form material, select third-party tools and troubleshoot usability issues.
I also recognize that accessibility needs are not identical. A feature that is useful to one person may not solve the barrier another person encounters. Direct feedback therefore remains important even when a page performs well in automated testing.
The primary technical reference is WCAG 2.2.
My working goal is to support the Level A and Level AA success criteria of WCAG 2.2 where they apply to this website.
WCAG addresses accessibility for people with blindness and low vision, deafness and hearing loss, limited movement, speech disabilities, photosensitivity, some cognitive and learning disabilities and combinations of disabilities. It also frequently improves usability for people without disabilities.
I also consider guidance from the U.S. Department of Justice concerning web accessibility and the Americans with Disabilities Act. DOJ identifies common barriers such as missing alternative text, insufficient captions, inaccessible forms and mouse-only navigation, and notes that technical standards such as WCAG provide useful guidance for businesses.
What I try to make work in the real interface
Important navigation, links and interactive controls should be usable without requiring a mouse or trackpad.
Keyboard users should be able to identify which interactive element currently has focus.
Pages should use meaningful heading levels and semantic organization that help people scan visually or navigate with assistive technology.
Text, controls and meaningful interface elements should maintain sufficient contrast against their backgrounds.
Content should remain usable when visitors enlarge text or zoom the browser rather than forcing a fixed desktop-sized layout.
Meaningful images should have useful text alternatives when the image communicates information that is not otherwise available.
Links should be understandable in context and should not depend entirely on color to communicate that they are interactive.
Forms should use understandable labels, instructions and error messages where forms are present.
Where practical, interfaces should respect a visitor's reduced-motion preference and avoid unnecessary movement that interferes with use.
Interactive controls should be large and separated enough to reduce accidental activation on touch devices.
Content should remain understandable across common screen sizes without requiring users to decipher overlapping or clipped text.
Technical depth does not require unnecessary confusion. Labels, instructions and important calls to action should be reasonably clear.
A passing automated scan does not prove a page is accessible.
I use a combination of technical review, browser testing, responsive review and automated accessibility tools where useful. I also inspect issues that automated tools do not understand well, including reading order, interaction logic, keyboard behavior, content clarity and whether a page is actually usable.
The U.S. Department of Justice specifically cautions that automated checkers and overlays should be used carefully: a clean automated report does not necessarily mean everything is accessible, and manual checking can reveal barriers automation misses.
Because Paper Boat Media is an evolving website, accessibility work includes both new-page standards and ongoing remediation of older content when an issue is found.
Some parts of the experience depend on technology I do not fully control.
This website may use or link to third-party services such as analytics platforms, embedded media, social networks, maps, scheduling or communication tools, downloadable documents, external research sources and other websites.
I cannot guarantee the accessibility of every external platform or third-party component. When a third-party feature creates an accessibility barrier in an important path, I will consider reasonable alternatives, replacement technology or another way to provide the underlying information or service.
Accessibility applies to content formats, not just page templates.
Images
Images that convey meaningful information should include useful alternative text or equivalent information in surrounding content. Decorative images may appropriately use empty alternative text so they are not unnecessarily announced.
Video and audio
When video or audio is necessary to understand important information, captions, transcripts or another accessible alternative should be considered as appropriate to the content.
PDFs and downloads
Some older or third-party PDF documents may not be fully accessible. If you need information from a document in another format, contact me and I will make a reasonable effort to provide an accessible alternative.
Tables and complex information
Tables should be used for genuine tabular information, not merely visual layout, and complex information should remain understandable when viewed on smaller screens or with assistive technology.
I would rather disclose the likely trouble spots than pretend none exist.
Despite ongoing work, some accessibility limitations may exist. Common areas requiring continued attention include:
- Older pages created before current accessibility practices were adopted.
- Legacy images with incomplete or weak alternative text.
- Older PDFs or documents that were not originally created as accessible files.
- Third-party widgets, embeds or external platforms outside my direct control.
- Complex navigation or interactive behavior introduced by WordPress, themes or plugins.
- Occasional color, focus, keyboard or responsive issues introduced by software updates.
- Content or interfaces that technically render but remain unnecessarily difficult to understand or operate.
If you encounter one of these issues, reporting the specific page and what prevented you from using it is genuinely useful.
If the website blocks you, the website should not become the end of the conversation.
If a disability-related barrier prevents you from accessing information, using a feature or completing an important action on this website, contact me. I will make a reasonable effort to provide the information or service through another accessible method while the underlying issue is evaluated.
An alternative could include providing the information in accessible text, sending a different document format, explaining information by phone, helping locate the correct resource or using another reasonable communication method appropriate to the request.
Specific reports are the easiest to act on.
If possible, include:
- The URL or page where you encountered the problem.
- A short description of what you were trying to do.
- What happened or what information was inaccessible.
- The browser, device or assistive technology involved, if you are comfortable providing it and believe it is relevant.
- The format or accommodation that would help you access the information.
You are not required to disclose a diagnosis or unnecessary personal medical information to report a website accessibility issue.
Accessibility obligations depend on the organization, service and applicable law.
The Americans with Disabilities Act and other federal, state, local and international requirements can apply differently depending on the facts. The U.S. Department of Justice has stated that businesses open to the public must provide equal access to the goods, services, privileges and activities they offer, including those offered through websites.
WCAG is a technical accessibility standard and an important working benchmark. This statement should not be interpreted as a representation that WCAG 2.2 is the legally mandated technical standard for every private organization in every jurisdiction or that Paper Boat Media has received a third-party accessibility certification.
This statement describes my current accessibility goals and practices. It is not legal advice.
Need help accessing something on Paper Boat Media?
Paper Boat Media
Dr. Robert Urban
DeLand, Florida, United States
Email: robert@paperboatmedia.com
Phone: 407-227-0741
Please identify the page or feature causing the problem and the information or action you need. I will make a reasonable effort to respond, provide an accessible alternative where possible and investigate the underlying barrier.
This Accessibility Statement may be updated as the site, accessibility standards and applicable guidance change.