Built to be used by everyone.
The San Diego List is a reading site, and a guide is worthless if you cannot read it. We target WCAG 2.1 Level AA across every page. This statement says plainly what we have done, what we know is still short of that bar, and how to reach a person if something blocks you.
Our standard
We measure this site against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 at Level AA, the benchmark commonly referenced under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Accessibility is checked as part of our release process, not as a one-off audit, and every new template is reviewed before it ships.
What is built in
- 01 — Keyboard
Every control — menus, filters, maps, the calendar, save and share — is reachable and operable with a keyboard alone, with a visible focus ring on each stop and a “Skip to content” link first in the tab order.
- 02 — Screen readers
Pages use real headings, landmarks, and lists. Every image carries an alt decision, every form field has a label, and status changes such as filtering or copying a link are announced.
- 03 — Contrast
Body text and interface colors are checked against a 4.5:1 minimum, and large display text against 3:1. Color is never the only way we signal meaning.
- 04 — Motion
Anything that moves respects your system “reduce motion” setting, and the rotating homepage feature has a pause control.
- 05 — Zoom and reflow
Layouts reflow to a single column and stay usable at 400% zoom. Wide comparison tables and the month calendar scroll inside their own frame rather than pushing the page sideways.
What we know is imperfect
The interactive street map
The street layer is supplied by a third party and its canvas rendering is not fully exposed to assistive technology. Every place shown on it is also listed as keyboard-reachable buttons directly beneath the map, with the same name, address, rating, and directions link.
Photography over text
Hero cards place white text over editorial photography behind a dark scrim. We measure this by sampling the rendered pixels behind every line rather than trusting the stylesheet, and the lowest reading across the current library is 5.8:1 against a 4.5:1 requirement. A future photograph brighter than anything we publish today could still reduce it, so tell us about any card that is hard to read.
Small supporting text
Labels, timestamps, and counters run to 11px, the smallest type on the site. They clear their contrast requirements, but they are small; browser zoom enlarges them without breaking the layout.
Report a barrier
Tell us what stopped you, and we will fix it.
Send the page address, what you were trying to do, and what got in the way. Naming your browser and any assistive technology helps, but it is not required — a sentence in your own words is enough. We aim to reply within five business days, and we will tell you what we are doing about it and when.
If something blocks you from reaching information you need, we will also send you that information directly in a format you can use while the fix is in progress.
Use “Accessibility” in the subject line so it reaches the right person quickly.