Accessibility Statement.
Uplift Incorporated is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone and applying the relevant accessibility standards.
Our commitment.
Uplift Incorporated believes that the families we serve deserve access to our work regardless of ability, device, or circumstance. We design and build upliftincorporated.org to be usable by the broadest possible audience — including people who use screen readers, keyboard navigation, voice control, magnification, captions, or other assistive technologies.
This commitment is structural. Accessibility is considered at the design stage and verified at every release. It is not an afterthought, an audit, or a compliance exercise. It is part of how we treat the people we exist to serve.
Standards we apply.
Our work aligns with the following standards and guidelines:
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define requirements that make web content more accessible. We conform to Level AA, which is the standard expected of public-facing nonprofit websites under both U.S. Department of Justice ADA guidance and most state law.
What we have built in.
The following accessibility features are implemented across the site:
Skip to main content
A focusable skip link on every page lets keyboard and screen reader users bypass the navigation and jump directly to the main content.
Full keyboard navigation
Every interactive element — links, buttons, forms, video controls, board bio flip-tiles — is reachable and operable using only the keyboard.
Visible focus indicators
A 3-pixel gold focus ring with offset appears on any element receiving keyboard focus. Focus styles are never removed or hidden.
Semantic HTML structure
Pages use <nav>, <main>, <article>, <section>, and a single <h1> per page. Headings flow in logical order without skipping levels.
Alternative text for images
Every image conveying meaning has descriptive alt text. Decorative images use empty alt="" so screen readers can skip them.
Form labels and error states
Every form field has a programmatically associated label. Error messages are announced to assistive technology and visually adjacent to the relevant field.
Color contrast meets AAA where possible
Body text exceeds WCAG AA (4.5:1) and headings exceed AAA (7:1) against their backgrounds. Color is never the only signal for an interactive state.
Reduced motion respected
If a visitor's operating system requests prefers-reduced-motion: reduce, scroll-driven animations, the hero word rotator, and parallax effects are disabled.
Touch targets sized for thumbs
All buttons and tap-targets meet the iOS Human Interface Guidelines 44-by-44 pixel minimum. Spacing between targets prevents misclicks.
Native video controls
Testimonial videos use the browser's native controls. Nothing autoplays. Posters load lazily so the page is fast and predictable.
Language attribute set
Every page declares <html lang="en"> so screen readers select the correct pronunciation rules.
Responsive at every breakpoint
The site is tested down to 320-pixel viewports. Content reflows, never requiring horizontal scroll. Text remains readable at 200% browser zoom.
Known limitations and roadmap.
We are honest about where we have work to do. The following are known limitations we are actively addressing:
- Video captions. Our student testimonial videos do not currently include closed captions. We are sourcing professional transcription and plan to add WebVTT caption tracks during the next content refresh.
- Third-party embed (Google Maps). The map on the contact page is an embedded Google Maps iframe. Its keyboard accessibility and screen reader behavior follow Google's implementation, which we cannot directly modify.
- PDF documents. Future downloadable documents (annual reports, financial summaries) will be released as accessible-tagged PDFs with full reading order and alt text on images.
We plan to publish updated accessibility audit results twice per year and to add WebVTT video captions to all testimonial content in our next content cycle.
How we test.
This site has been evaluated using a combination of automated tools, manual review, and assistive technology testing:
- Automated checks: axe DevTools, Lighthouse Accessibility audit, and HTML5 validator on every page
- Keyboard-only navigation: manually verified every page can be traversed and operated without a mouse
- Screen reader spot checks: tested with VoiceOver (macOS / iOS) and NVDA (Windows)
- Color contrast: all foreground/background pairings verified against WCAG calculators
- 200% browser zoom: all pages remain usable and readable at 200% zoom without horizontal scroll
- Reduced-motion: verified all animations disable when the operating system requests reduced motion
Tell us if something does not work.
If you encounter any barrier on this site — anything that prevents you from completing what you came here to do — we want to know. Reports from real users are how we improve, and we treat every report as a priority.
Report an accessibility barrier
Please describe the issue and the page where you encountered it. If you can include the assistive technology and browser you were using, that helps us reproduce the problem. We will respond within five business days.
Email Us About Accessibility →Alternative ways to reach us: You can also reach Uplift Incorporated through our contact form or by mail at PO Box 1385, Canton, MS 39046. We aim to respond to all accessibility feedback within five business days.
Formal complaints.
Uplift Incorporated takes accessibility seriously. If you have raised an accessibility concern with us and feel it has not been adequately addressed, you have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice under the Americans with Disabilities Act. You can find more information at ada.gov.
For state-level complaints, residents of Mississippi may contact the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services.
Built for everyone we serve.
The work we do is for every young person in Madison County. The website that explains it should be too.