1. Our Commitment
We aim to design and maintain this Site in line with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA, as a reasonable and achievable standard for an editorial publication of our size. This includes attention to semantic HTML structure, color contrast, keyboard navigation, and descriptive text alternatives for images.
We treat accessibility as an ongoing editorial and technical responsibility rather than a one-time compliance exercise, reviewing new pages against these guidelines before they are published and periodically re-checking existing pages as part of routine maintenance. WCAG 2.1 Level AA was selected as our target because it represents a widely recognized, internationally applied benchmark that balances meaningful accessibility improvements with what is practically achievable for a small independent editorial team without a dedicated engineering department. Our approach draws on the four core WCAG principles — that content should be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust — and we apply these principles not only to the visual design of the Site but also to how our articles themselves are written, favoring clear sentence structure and defined terms over dense jargon. This commitment extends to all pages of the Site, including our Journal articles, pillar pages, and legal pages such as this one, rather than being limited to the homepage alone.
2. Measures We Have Taken
- Semantic HTML landmarks (header, nav, main, footer) throughout the Site to support screen reader navigation;
- A visible "skip to main content" link on every page for keyboard users;
- Descriptive alternative text for all informational images;
- A color palette selected to maintain sufficient contrast between text and background in line with WCAG AA guidance;
- Resizable text that does not break layout when browser zoom is increased;
- Keyboard-operable navigation menus, including the mobile dropdown menu.
In more detail, our heading structure follows a single logical hierarchy per page, with one <h1> per page followed by nested <h2> and <h3> elements, so that screen reader users navigating by heading can understand the structure of an article without reading it in full first. Interactive elements, including the mobile burger menu and dropdown navigation panels, are implemented with visible focus states and can be operated using the Tab and Enter keys alone, without requiring a mouse or touchscreen. Our color palette, including the deep blue-green accent used for links and buttons against our cream background, has been checked for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text, consistent with WCAG AA requirements for body copy. Form fields on our Contact page include visible, programmatically associated labels rather than placeholder text alone, so that screen reader users and users with cognitive disabilities can understand what information is expected in each field even if the field is cleared or refocused.
3. Known Limitations
While we aim for full conformance, some older article pages or embedded third-party advertising content may not yet meet every WCAG 2.1 AA criterion. We are working to identify and address these gaps on an ongoing basis as part of regular site maintenance.
Where we are aware of a specific limitation, we prioritize fixing it based on how many readers it likely affects and how severe the resulting barrier is; for example, a missing text alternative on a frequently viewed image would typically be prioritized above a minor contrast issue on a rarely visited archive page. Our Journal articles published before early 2026 are being reviewed on a rolling basis to confirm that embedded images carry appropriate alternative text and that any tables used for comparison, such as those in our pillar pages, include properly associated header cells. We do not currently offer a dedicated audio description or sign-language version of visual content, as the Site does not host video content requiring such accommodation; if this changes in the future, we will update this statement accordingly.
4. Third-Party Content
Advertising served by our third-party advertising network, described in our advertising disclosure, is outside our direct technical control and may not always meet the same accessibility standard as our own content. We select advertising partners with general accessibility practices in mind where feasible.
We select our current advertising network partly based on publicly available information about its general accessibility practices, but we cannot directly audit or modify the accessibility of individual advertisements it serves, since these are generated and rotated automatically rather than created by Glimmer. If a specific advertisement creates a significant barrier, for example through rapidly flashing content that could pose a risk to readers with photosensitive conditions, we ask that you report it using the process in Section 5 so that we can raise the specific advertisement or advertiser with our network and request its removal. Embedded third-party elements beyond advertising, such as any future embedded video players or social media widgets, would be evaluated against similar accessibility considerations before being added to the Site.
5. Reporting an Accessibility Barrier
If you encounter a barrier to accessing any content on this Site, please let us know via our contact form, selecting "Other" as the subject and describing the issue, including the page URL and the assistive technology or browser you were using. We aim to acknowledge accessibility reports within five business days and will work to address verified issues in a reasonable timeframe.
To help us investigate efficiently, please include as much of the following as you are able to provide: the full page address where the barrier occurred, the approximate date and time, a description of what you were trying to do, the browser and operating system you were using, and whether you were using any assistive technology such as a screen reader or screen magnifier. We review accessibility reports personally rather than through an automated ticketing system, given the size of our editorial team, and we will send a brief acknowledgment confirming receipt within the five-business-day window referenced above. Where a reported barrier would take longer than a few days to resolve, for example if it requires a broader template change across many article pages, we will provide you with a realistic estimate of when a fix can be expected rather than leaving the report unanswered.
6. Ongoing Review
This statement is reviewed periodically alongside routine site updates. The "Last updated" date above reflects the most recent review.
This review is generally conducted alongside any broader redesign of the Site's templates, so that accessibility considerations are addressed at the same time as visual or structural changes rather than treated as a separate afterthought. We also monitor updates to the WCAG guidelines themselves, including any movement toward WCAG 2.2 criteria, and will evaluate whether adopting additional criteria is appropriate for a site of our size and purpose. Readers who have previously reported an accessibility barrier are welcome to follow up with us directly if they wish to confirm whether a specific fix has been implemented since their report.