Our Commitment to Accessibility
At Sterling Acting Academy, located in the heart of Los Angeles, we are dedicated to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of technology or ability. We are committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone and applying the relevant accessibility standards.
We strive to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 level AA, as these guidelines cover a wide range of recommendations for making web content more accessible. Following these guidelines makes content more accessible to a wider range of people with disabilities, including blindness and low vision, deafness and hearing loss, learning disabilities, cognitive limitations, limited movement, speech disabilities, photosensitivity, and combinations of these.
Accessibility Features Implemented
We have incorporated several features to enhance the accessibility of our website. These include:
- Keyboard Navigation: Our website is fully navigable using a keyboard, allowing users who cannot use a mouse to access all content and functionality.
- Screen Reader Compatibility: We have optimized our website to work seamlessly with screen reader software, such as JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver. Alt text has been provided for all meaningful images, and ARIA attributes have been used to enhance the semantic structure of the content.
- Color Contrast: We have carefully selected color palettes to ensure sufficient contrast between text and background colors, making our website easier to read for users with low vision or color blindness. The contrast ratios meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
- Adjustable Text Size: Users can easily adjust the text size on our website using their browser settings to suit their individual needs.
- Clear and Consistent Navigation: We have designed our website with a clear and consistent navigation structure, making it easy for users to find the information they are looking for.
- Forms Accessibility: All forms on our website are designed to be accessible, with clear labels, instructions, and error messages.
- Video Captions and Transcripts: All video content on our website includes captions and transcripts to make it accessible to users who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Skip Navigation Link: A skip navigation link is provided at the top of each page, allowing users to bypass the main navigation menu and jump directly to the main content.
Specific Accessibility Considerations
Keyboard Navigation
Our website is designed to be fully navigable using a keyboard. You can use the Tab key to move between interactive elements, such as links, buttons, and form fields. Shift+Tab can be used to navigate backwards. Focus indicators are clearly visible to show which element is currently selected. We have also ensured that the focus order is logical and intuitive.
Screen Reader Support
We have implemented several techniques to improve the screen reader experience on our website. These include:
- Providing alternative text (alt text) for all images that convey meaning. Decorative images have null alt attributes (alt="") to prevent screen readers from announcing them.
- Using semantic HTML elements (e.g., <header>, <nav>, <main>, <article>, <aside>, <footer>) to structure the content in a logical and hierarchical manner.
- Using ARIA attributes to provide additional information and context to screen reader users. For example, ARIA roles, states, and properties are used to identify interactive elements, indicate the status of controls, and describe relationships between elements.
- Ensuring that all interactive elements have accessible names and descriptions.
- Providing clear and concise headings to help users understand the structure of the content.
Color and Contrast
We have carefully chosen color combinations to ensure that there is sufficient contrast between text and background colors. This makes our website easier to read for users with low vision or color blindness. We have used tools such as the WebAIM Color Contrast Checker to verify that our color choices meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
Text Resizing
Users can easily resize the text on our website using their browser settings. Most modern browsers allow users to increase or decrease the text size by pressing Ctrl+"+" or Ctrl+"-" (or Cmd+"+" or Cmd+"-" on a Mac). We have designed our website to reflow gracefully when the text size is increased, so that content remains readable and usable.
Ongoing Efforts to Improve Accessibility
We are committed to continuously improving the accessibility of our website. We regularly review our website and test it with assistive technologies to identify and address any accessibility issues. We also provide training to our staff on accessibility best practices.
Specifically, we are working on the following:
- Auditing our website using automated accessibility testing tools.
- Conducting manual accessibility testing with users with disabilities.
- Updating our website content to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
- Developing an accessibility policy to guide our future efforts.
Feedback and Contact Information
We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of our website. If you encounter any accessibility barriers or have suggestions for how we can improve the accessibility of our website, please contact us at:
Sterling Acting Academy
Accessibility Team
1680 Vine Street, Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Phone: (323) 465-7890
Email: [email protected]
We will do our best to respond to your feedback in a timely manner.
Formal Complaints
If you are not satisfied with our response to your accessibility feedback, you may file a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Accessibility Conformance Status
The Sterling Acting Academy website is partially conformant with WCAG 2.1 level AA. Partially conformant means that some parts of the content do not fully conform to the accessibility standard.
Date of Statement
This accessibility statement was last updated on October 26, 2023.
Links to Other Pages
For more information about Sterling Acting Academy, please visit the following pages:
- Home - Learn about our academy and its mission.
- About Us - Discover our history, values, and instructors.
- Courses - Explore our range of acting classes and workshops.
- Contact Us - Get in touch with our team.
- Privacy Policy - Learn about our privacy practices.
- Terms & Conditions - Review our terms of use.
- Cookies Policy - Understand how we use cookies.