Accessibility Statement

Last updated: May 26, 2026

VTScout is committed to making vtscout.com usable for the widest possible audience, including readers with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive disabilities. We work toward conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at the AA level and continuously improve toward that goal.

What we do

Semantic markup — every article uses a single H1, hierarchical heading structure, descriptive link text, and ARIA labels where needed.
Keyboard navigation — all interactive elements (menus, share buttons, comment forms, the corrections form) are reachable and operable via keyboard alone.
Alt text — featured images carry descriptive alt text. New images get alt text either editorially or via an automated process that is reviewed for accuracy.
Color contrast — body text uses near-black on white at AA-compliant contrast. Accent colors (alpine green, maple red) are tested against AA thresholds.
Reduced motion — animated elements (reading progress bar, counters) respect prefers-reduced-motion.
AI-generated images are explicitly labeled both visually and with a screen-reader-readable role=note so users know when a hero image is illustrative rather than documentary.

Known limitations

We are honest about gaps. As of the last review:

Some legacy articles published before May 2026 may not have alt text on their featured images. We are working through the archive.
The interactive weather charts rely on color encoding; we plan to add text labels and patterns for users who can’t distinguish colors.
Embedded third-party content (YouTube, Twitter/X embeds) carries the accessibility of those services, which we cannot control.
The comments section reuses WordPress’s native form; some screen readers may have limited support for nested comment threads.

How we review

We perform manual accessibility checks on the home page, article templates, and key forms whenever the design changes. We use automated tools (axe-core, Lighthouse) on every deploy. Substantive design changes are reviewed against WCAG 2.1 AA before shipping.

Reporting an accessibility issue

If you encounter a barrier on vtscout.com, please email [email protected] with:

The URL where you encountered the issue.
A brief description of the problem.
The assistive technology you were using, if any (screen reader, keyboard-only, voice control, etc.).

We respond to accessibility reports within five business days and work to fix substantive issues promptly. If you would prefer not to use email, use the Contact page.

Standards we reference

WCAG 2.1 AA, Section 508 (where applicable), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title III practical guidance. VTScout is a place of public accommodation in this sense and aims to remove barriers as we identify them.