Saddle Creek Apps

Policy Statement

This policy outlines Saddle Creek Apps' established guidelines for accessible development, along with a detailed checklist of design considerations and helpful references. We've created this comprehensive resource to serve as a quick reference for design issues and to help users gain a broader understanding of accessibility topics.

Saddle Creek Apps has adopted Section 508 and W3C Web Accessibility Initiative standards (WCAG 2.1) as our benchmark to meet the objectives of our universal accessibility policy. These standards represent the foundation of our commitment to providing accessible digital content for all users.

We embrace these standards and continually evaluate our applications, increasing opportunities for all individuals to access information over the internet. Our accessibility design standards are integrated throughout our development process and will continue to evolve as new technologies and opportunities emerge.

Our Commitment to Inclusivity

At Saddle Creek Apps, inclusivity isn't just a checkbox—it's embedded in our development DNA. We believe that digital experiences should be accessible to everyone, which is why we design with the full spectrum of human ability in mind from the very beginning of each project.

Our development team is trained in accessible design practices and stays current with evolving standards. We regularly test our applications with various assistive technologies, including screen readers, keyboard navigation, and alternative input devices to ensure a seamless experience for all users.

By embracing inclusive design principles, we not only meet accessibility requirements—we create superior products that work better for everyone. The same features that make applications accessible to users with disabilities often improve usability for all users, especially in challenging contexts like mobile environments, low bandwidth situations, or stressful circumstances.

The Importance of ADA Compliance

Beyond being ethically right, ADA compliance is legally necessary and commercially smart. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires digital content to be accessible to people with disabilities, and ignoring these requirements can lead to legal challenges.

More importantly, accessible design opens your products to approximately 61 million Americans (26% of the adult population) living with disabilities. This represents not just compliance, but a significant market opportunity and a chance to make a positive impact.

Our Commitment to Accessibility

Saddle Creek Apps is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We continually improve the user experience for everyone and apply relevant accessibility standards to make our websites and applications accessible to all users, regardless of ability.

We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and we are dedicated to providing solutions that are accessible to the broadest possible audience, regardless of ability.

Compliance Status

To fulfill our commitment, we adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, and neurological disabilities.

Our applications utilize various technologies that are designed to make them as accessible as possible at all times. We employ accessible interfaces that allow persons with specific disabilities to adjust the UI (user interface) and design it to meet their individual needs.

Additionally, when appropriate, our solutions can employ AI-based applications that optimize accessibility levels continuously. These technologies can help remediate HTML, adapt functionality for screen-readers used by blind users, and enhance keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.

Nebraska Accessibility Requirements

The Nebraska IT Commission Accessibility Policy requires that information and communication technology (ICT) developed, maintained, or used by state agencies shall conform to Revised 508 Standards, with compliance with WCAG 2.1 strongly recommended.

Furthermore, Nebraska law ensures that all persons within the state are entitled to full and equal enjoyment of any place of public accommodation without discrimination or segregation on the grounds of disability, among other protected characteristics.

As a Nebraska-based development studio committed to local and national accessibility standards, we hold ourselves to these requirements and continuously work to improve accessibility beyond minimum compliance.

Screen-Reader and Keyboard Navigation

Our applications implement ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) alongside various behavioral changes to ensure blind users visiting with screen-readers can read, comprehend, and enjoy the application's functions.

We design our solutions to work seamlessly with screen readers and other assistive technologies. Here's how our development process addresses key screen-reader requirements:

Screen-reader optimization

Our development process ensures screen-readers receive meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes, including:

Accurate form labels
Descriptions for actionable icons
Validation guidance for form inputs
Proper element roles for buttons, menus, dialogs, and more
Meaningful alternative text for images

Keyboard navigation optimization

We design our applications to be fully operable via keyboard, including:

Tab and Shift+Tab navigation through all elements
Arrow key operation for dropdown menus
Escape key functionality for closing elements
Enter key activation for buttons and links
Logical navigation flow that matches visual layout
Visible focus indicators at all times

Accessibility Considerations in Our Development

Saddle Creek Apps has implemented a comprehensive set of design considerations to ensure maximum accessibility. The following summarizes the design practices we follow when creating and maintaining our applications:

Universal Design

Consistent layout and navigation patterns
Clean backgrounds for text readability
Multiple navigation options (text and graphics)
Fully spelled out dates and units
Cross-browser and device testing
Clear file type indications for downloads

Text-Based Design

Proper punctuation and structure
Content organization for screen reader clarity
Meaningful link text (no "click here")
Descriptive headers and list identifiers
HTML alternatives for specialized formats
Clear content hierarchy with proper headings

Graphics and Images

Optimized image colors and file sizes
High contrast between text and backgrounds
Descriptive ALT text for all images
Detailed descriptions for complex graphics
SVG usage where appropriate for scalability
Non-decorative images convey meaningful information

Audio/Video Features

Text transcriptions for all video content
Captions for multimedia presentations
Descriptive text for speakers and events
Written summaries of audio information
File format and size information for downloads
User controls for audio/video playback

Technical Standards

Flicker-free design (2-55 Hz safe range)
Skip navigation links for keyboard users
Accessible data tables with proper headers
Progressive enhancement approach
Graceful degradation when JavaScript is disabled
Semantic HTML structure throughout

Responsive Design

Mobile-first approach to ensure versatility
Touch-friendly targets for all interactive elements
Reflow of content without horizontal scrolling
Viewport meta tags for proper scaling
Text resizing without loss of functionality
Orientation support (portrait/landscape)

Our Inclusive Design Process

Planning

Accessibility is integrated from the start of every project. Our planning process includes:

Accessibility objectives in project requirements
User research including people with disabilities
Identifying relevant WCAG success criteria
Planning for testing with assistive technologies

Development

Our developers follow established accessibility patterns:

Semantic HTML as the foundation
ARIA attributes when native HTML is insufficient
Keyboard event handlers for all interactions
Color contrast checking during implementation
Automated testing tools integration

Testing

Rigorous testing ensures accessibility in practice:

Automated accessibility scanners
Manual keyboard navigation testing
Screen reader testing (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver)
Testing at various zoom levels (up to 400%)
User testing with individuals with disabilities

Notes and Feedback

Despite our best efforts to allow anybody to adjust to their needs, there may still be content that is not fully accessible. We are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating, and improving options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies.

If you wish to contact Saddle Creek Apps regarding accessibility issues or have suggestions for improvement, please use our contact form or email us directly.

Contact Us About Accessibility

Accessibility Resources

For those interested in learning more about web accessibility, we recommend these valuable resources:

Accessibility Statement