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Accessibility

A note from Kelly

Accessibility has been part of my practice for more than twenty years. The work-based learning books we publish as Livable Wage Jobs 501(c)(3) reflect that same near-obsessive attention to how people access and use information. Our publishing approach includes Word and PDF versions so readers can choose the format that works best for them.

When I hire apprentices, I seek out platforms that reach candidates other companies may overlook. That includes neurodivergent candidates and people with vision, hearing, or mobility differences. I continue learning from the people we work with and from the tools they use. Plain design, strong contrast, keyboard access, and clear document structure all belong to the same practice: paying attention to what people need to participate.

Kelly Cooper, President & Educator

Our commitment

Livable Wage Jobs is committed to improving accessibility across our website, apprenticeship information, work-based learning resources, and open source publications. Access to useful information and career preparation should not depend on how you read, hear, type, or navigate. We welcome feedback from learners, apprentices, employers, educators, and others who use our resources.

The standard we are working toward

We are working toward the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These guidelines organize accessibility around four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.

  • Perceivable: Present information in ways people can access, including text alternatives, appropriate contrast, and captions or transcripts where needed.
  • Operable: Support keyboard navigation, visible focus, adequate time, and controls that people can use without becoming trapped.
  • Understandable: Use clear language, predictable navigation, meaningful labels, and helpful instructions and error messages.
  • Robust: Use structured content that supports browsers and assistive technologies.

Website design and navigation

Our design priorities are plain presentation, readable content, and dependable navigation. The following practices guide our website work and provide specific points to check as pages are added or changed.

  • Structure: Use meaningful headings, lists, and page landmarks so people can understand and navigate the content.
  • Readability and contrast: Use legible type, comfortable spacing, and strong text contrast. Our targets are at least 4.5:1 for standard text and 3:1 for large text, with information conveyed through more than color alone.
  • Keyboard access: Make links, buttons, and form controls reachable and usable with a keyboard, with visible focus and a logical navigation order.
  • Links and forms: Use descriptive link text, clear labels, and understandable instructions. Explain errors and how to correct them.
  • Resizing and layout: Support enlarged text and zoom without losing information or access to controls, and check layouts at different screen sizes.
  • Images and motion: Provide text alternatives for meaningful images and identify decorative images appropriately. Avoid flashing content and unnecessary automatic movement, and respect reduced-motion preferences.

Books, documents, and learning materials

Our publishing standard is to provide both editable Word (.docx) and PDF versions of the documents we release. Offering adaptable formats gives readers more options for changing presentation and using assistive technology.[2]

Please choose the format that works best with your screen reader, refreshable braille display, magnification software, or other tools. If a version is missing or does not work for you, contact us so we can help.

  • Document structure: Use actual heading styles, meaningful links, properly structured lists and tables, and an appropriate reading order. Include text alternatives where needed.
  • PDF review: Check tags, reading order, selectable text, navigation, and other accessibility features. A PDF label or a successful export alone does not establish accessibility.
  • Audio and video: Plan for human-reviewed captions, transcripts, and descriptions of essential visual information when producing multimedia learning content.

Participation in learning and apprenticeships

If you need a different format, an accessible way to use a learning activity, or help accessing apprenticeship information, please tell us what would work for you. We can discuss the barrier and possible approaches with you and, where appropriate, coordinate with learning or employer partners. You do not need to share a diagnosis to report a website or document problem.

Review and ongoing improvement

Accessibility needs attention as content, tools, and user needs change. We are working toward conformance and do not claim that every page, document, or connected service fully meets every WCAG 2.1 AA success criterion.

Our review plan includes automated checks alongside manual keyboard, zoom, and assistive-technology testing. Tools such as axe, WAVE, and browser accessibility audits can support that process; direct testing and feedback from people using our resources remain important.

Review priorities include screen reader navigation, visible keyboard focus, form instructions, document reading order, and access across different browsers and devices. We aim to include combinations such as VoiceOver with Safari, NVDA with a supported Windows browser, and TalkBack on Android, and to seek qualified accessibility review as the site and resources develop.

Third-party platforms and linked resources

Some resources may be hosted on publishing platforms, learning systems, or other websites that we do not control. If a linked service creates a barrier, please let us know. We will work with the provider where possible and help identify another way to access the information or complete the task.

Report a barrier or request another format.

If you cannot access a page, document, learning resource, or apprenticeship-related activity, please get in touch with us. We treat accessibility requests as a priority.

  • Livable Wage Jobs 501(c)(3)
  • KellyCooper@LivableWageJobs.org
  • Phone: 559-670-0352

When possible, tell us:

  • The resource: Which page, document, or activity you were trying to use.
  • The barrier: What happened and what you expected to happen.
  • Your setup: Your device, browser, and assistive technology, if you know.
  • Your preference: A format or way of communicating that would work better for you.

You can contact us even if you do not know the technical details. We will acknowledge your report within two business days and provide a next step or timeline. If resolving the problem will take longer, we will work with you on an alternative way to access the information or complete the task.

Keep the conversation open.

If our first response does not resolve the barrier, please tell us what remains difficult so we can continue working with you. Accessibility is part of how we develop our work, and your experience helps us understand what needs to improve.

W3C, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/

W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, Making Events Accessible: accessible materials and adaptable document formats. https://www.w3.org/WAI/teach-advocate/accessible-presentations/