Accessibility Statement for Local Gardener Services

This accessibility statement explains how Local Gardener and related local gardening services work to make our content usable for everyone in the local gardener area. We commit to following WCAG 2.1 AA standards where practical and continually improving accessibility so that residents, clients and community gardeners can access information about care, appointments and local gardening work without barriers. This statement outlines our approach to screen-reader support, keyboard navigation, and how to request additional accessibility help.

We design pages with clear structure and use meaningful headings to help assistive technologies. Key elements are labelled and ordered to support both sighted visitors and those using screen readers. Our content focuses on real-world tasks common to a neighborhood gardener or community gardening customer, making it easier to find and understand local gardening services, appointment options, and accessibility resources.

We test pages for compatibility with common screen readers and focus on semantic HTML, ARIA where appropriate, and consistent landmarks so that a screen-reader user can quickly navigate to the main content, navigation and contact sections. In addition to technical checks, we perform manual keyboard-only tests to ensure interactive controls and form elements are reachable and operable without a mouse.

Our site offers multiple ways to navigate: a keyboard-friendly tab order, skip-links to jump to primary content, and clearly labelled links and buttons. These steps help people who rely on keyboard navigation, switch devices or assistive tech. We use clear link text and provide descriptions for images and icons so that automated tools and human users can understand context and purpose.

We maintain a checklist aligned to WCAG 2.1 AA covering perceptibility, operability, understandability and robustness. This includes color contrast, focus indicators, resizable text, and alternatives for non-text content. Consistent layout and predictable behavior reduce cognitive load and support people with diverse needs in the local gardener community.

Our development and content teams employ a mix of automated testing and hands-on review. Where we use third-party tools or maps, we evaluate how those components behave with assistive tech and seek accessible alternatives when needed. We prioritize fixes that remove barriers to essential tasks such as requesting a visit, viewing service areas, or learning about sustainable gardening practices.

To help users quickly find accessibility features, we provide an overview of supported functions and how to use them. Common accessibility supports include:

• Semantic headings and landmarks for screen-reader navigation
• Keyboard operability for forms and interactive elements
• High-contrast text and visible focus indicators
• Alt text for images and descriptive captions where helpful

We strive to keep our statement accurate and up to date. If you encounter an accessibility barrier while using our local gardening service pages or resources relating to the local gardener area, please contact our accessibility team to request assistance, alternative formats or support for completing tasks. We respond to accessibility requests and aim to provide timely solutions, including providing content in more accessible forms when necessary.

We welcome suggestions and will continue to iterate on accessibility improvements. For transparency, we document known issues and expected timelines for fixes where possible. Accessibility is an ongoing commitment for the neighborhood gardener services we provide, and we appreciate your patience and input as we work toward a fully inclusive experience for everyone in the community.