Last updated: August 12, 2026

1. Our Commitment to Accessibility

Maya Dodson is committed to making mayadodson.com accessible to all visitors, including people with disabilities. I strive to ensure that this Site meets the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA, developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which is the recognized technical standard used by US courts and regulators to assess web accessibility for private-sector websites.

2. Current Accessibility Status

I am actively working to ensure mayadodson.com conforms to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. My efforts include the following:

• Ensuring all images include descriptive alternative text so they are accessible to screen reader users.

• Using heading structure (H1, H2, H3) in a logical, sequential order to support navigation by assistive technology.

• Ensuring all form fields, including contact and inquiry forms, have visible labels and clear error messages.

• Maintaining sufficient color contrast between text and background to meet WCAG 2.1 AA contrast ratio minimums (at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text).

• Ensuring all interactive elements, including navigation links and buttons, are operable by keyboard without requiring a mouse.

• Avoiding content that flashes more than three times per second, which can trigger seizures.

• Writing link text that is descriptive and makes sense out of context, rather than using generic phrases like "click here."

• Ensuring all blog content and page text is readable and structured for clarity.

3. Known Limitations

This Site is built on the Squarespace platform. While Squarespace provides accessibility-focused templates and tools, some platform-level components (such as embedded widgets or template behaviors) may be outside my direct control. I work within the options Squarespace makes available to maximize accessibility, and I report accessibility issues related to the platform to Squarespace when I identify them.

If you encounter any content or feature on this Site that is not accessible to you, please let me know so I can work to address it or provide the information in an alternative format.

4. What WCAG 2.1 AA Means

WCAG 2.1 Level AA is a set of technical guidelines designed to make web content accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological disabilities. Meeting this standard means content is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust across a variety of devices and assistive technologies, including screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, and voice control software.

Note on current standards: WCAG 2.2 was published by the W3C in October 2023 and represents the current version of the guidelines. US courts and the DOJ currently reference WCAG 2.1 AA as the applicable legal benchmark for private-sector sites, but building toward WCAG 2.2 compliance is considered best practice for future-proofing your site. I aim to incorporate WCAG 2.2 improvements over time.

5. Legal Context for Private Websites

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title III applies to private businesses that operate places of public accommodation, which courts have increasingly extended to websites. US federal courts have consistently referenced WCAG 2.1 AA as the technical benchmark in ADA Title III website accessibility lawsuits. The DOJ's April 2024 final rule formally codified WCAG 2.1 AA for state and local government websites under ADA Title II; for private businesses, WCAG 2.1 AA remains the practical and legal standard to meet.

This statement reflects my genuine, ongoing commitment to accessibility and should not be read as a legal certification of full conformance. If you experience barriers on this Site, please contact me directly.

6. Feedback and Contact

I welcome your feedback on the accessibility of mayadodson.com. If you experience any accessibility barriers, find that any content is not accessible to you, or need information provided in an alternative format, please contact me at: maya.dodson015@gmail.com. I aim to respond to accessibility feedback within five business days. I will work in good faith to understand the issue and provide a remedy or an accessible alternative.

7. Assessment Approach

To assess and improve accessibility on this Site, I take the following approaches:

• Self-evaluation against the WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria when creating or updating content.

• Testing page functionality with keyboard-only navigation to verify all interactive elements are accessible without a mouse.

• Using browser-based accessibility checking tools to identify and remediate common issues when content is published or updated.

• Reviewing Squarespace's accessibility documentation and applying recommended settings within the platform.