Our Commitment to an Accessible Site — WCAG 2.1 AA & the ADA
How we build for accessibility, the U.S. standards we target (WCAG 2.1 Level AA, ADA Title III, Section 508), the assistive technologies we test with, the built-in features on every page and every calculator, the calculator-specific accessibility work, our known limitations, and exactly how to report a barrier and escalate.
What is on this page
1. Our Commitment
paycheck-calculators.org/ is committed to being usable by the widest possible audience, regardless of ability or technology. Working out a take-home, an overtime check, or a state-tax estimate should be something everyone can do — including people who use screen readers, keyboard navigation, screen magnification, or voice control. Accessibility is part of how we build, not an afterthought.
2. Standards We Target
We design and build to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Its four principles are that content must be:
- Perceivable — text alternatives, sufficient color contrast, adaptable layout
- Operable — full keyboard access, no keyboard traps, enough time, no seizure-inducing flashing
- Understandable — readable text, predictable behavior, input assistance
- Robust — valid, semantic markup that works with assistive technologies
3. U.S. Legal Framework
| Law | What it covers |
|---|---|
| ADA Title III (42 U.S.C. §12181 et seq.) | Prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by places of public accommodation; widely applied by courts and the DOJ to commercial websites |
| Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. §794d) | Requires federal agencies’ electronic and information technology to be accessible; references WCAG and informs best practice for all sites |
| DOJ guidance | U.S. Department of Justice guidance on web accessibility under the ADA — ada.gov |
| State laws | California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act and the New York State Human Rights Law, among others, also address digital access |
We voluntarily target WCAG 2.1 AA and reference Section 508 as best practice. We are not a federal agency, and this statement is our good-faith commitment, not a representation of legal compliance certification.
4. Built-In Accessibility Features
- Mobile-first responsive design down to a 320px viewport, reflowing without horizontal scrolling
- Body text of 17px or larger with generous line spacing
- System fonts that respect your device and browser font-size settings
- Semantic HTML — proper headings, lists, landmarks, and form labels for screen-reader navigation
- Color-contrast ratios meeting WCAG AA (4.5:1 normal text, 3:1 large text)
- Visible keyboard focus indicators on every interactive element, including calculator inputs
- Full keyboard operability — no mouse required, no keyboard traps
- Descriptive link text — agency links make sense out of context
- Touch targets sized for easier tapping on mobile
- Respect for “prefers-reduced-motion”
- No autoplay audio or video, and no flashing content
- Information not conveyed by color alone — calculator results are also labelled in text
5. Assistive Technology Compatibility
- Screen readers — NVDA and JAWS (Windows), VoiceOver (macOS and iOS), TalkBack (Android), and Narrator (Windows)
- Screen magnification — ZoomText and built-in OS magnifiers
- Voice control — Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Voice Control (Apple), and Voice Access (Android)
- Browser zoom up to 200% without loss of content or functionality
- Keyboard-only navigation across all browsers, end-to-end on every calculator
6. Calculator-Specific Accessibility
Paycheck-calculator forms are easy to get wrong for assistive technology. Ours are built with these standards:
- Every input has a visible, programmatically-associated label — salary, hours, state, pay frequency, W-4 fields
- Numeric inputs use the right input type so mobile devices show a numeric keypad and screen readers announce them as numbers
- Keyboard operability throughout — Tab order is logical, Enter submits where appropriate, and no input is mouse-only
- Screen-reader-friendly result announcements — live regions update the screen reader when results recalculate, so blind users hear the new take-home figure rather than missing it silently
- Errors are announced — if you type a non-numeric value, the calculator labels the problem in text, not just by turning a border red
- Mobile-first sizing — tap targets are large enough on a phone, and the layout reflows without horizontal scrolling at 320px
- “Rates current as of” date is in a real heading so screen-reader users can navigate to it directly
- State selector is a properly-labelled native form control so it works with voice control and screen readers without quirks
7. Known Limitations
- Third-party advertising — ad content served by partners may not always meet WCAG 2.1 AA; we cannot fully control third-party ad markup
- Embedded analytics — vendor scripts may add elements we do not fully control
- Linked external agency sites — IRS, SSA, DOL, BLS, and state-agency sites have their own accessibility levels that we do not control
- Older archived pages — we are progressively bringing all legacy content up to the current standard
If any of these limitations blocks you, contact us and we will provide the information in an accessible alternative format — for example, walking the calculator inputs and reading you the result by email.
8. How to Report an Accessibility Barrier
If you encounter any barrier using paycheck-calculators.org/, please tell us. Email info@paycheck-calculators.org with the subject “Accessibility issue” and include:
- The page or calculator URL where you hit the barrier
- A description of the problem and what you were trying to do
- The assistive technology you were using (e.g., NVDA, VoiceOver) and its version
- Your browser and operating system
- How you would like us to send any information you need in the meantime
You do not need to send your real paycheck figures to report a problem — the URL plus a description of the barrier is enough.
9. Our Response Commitment
| Stage | Target |
|---|---|
| Acknowledge your report | 1 business day |
| Provide the requested information in an accessible alternative format | 1-3 business days |
| Fix straightforward barriers | 1-3 business days |
| Resolve complex barriers (with interim workaround offered) | As quickly as practicable, with progress updates |
10. Escalation
| Body | Contact |
|---|---|
| U.S. Department of Justice (ADA) | ada.gov — file an ADA complaint |
| Your state Attorney General | Via the National Association of Attorneys General directory at naag.org |
| Your state human-rights / civil-rights commission | Many states (e.g., California, New York) operate a commission that handles disability-access complaints |
11. Ongoing Review
We review accessibility on a quarterly cycle alongside our rate-update cycle, using a combination of automated testing tools and manual checks with keyboard navigation and screen readers. The “Last reviewed” date at the top of this statement reflects the most recent review.
12. Contact
For any accessibility question, barrier report, or request for content in an alternative format, email info@paycheck-calculators.org with the subject “Accessibility issue”. We acknowledge within 1 business day.
Hit an Accessibility Barrier?
Email info@paycheck-calculators.org with the subject “Accessibility issue”. We acknowledge within 1 business day and provide the content you need in an accessible format within 1-3 business days.
♿ info@paycheck-calculators.org