Accessibility Statement

1. Our commitment

NorthStar Handyman Co. LLC is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for everyone, including people with disabilities. We believe a website that lets someone book a repair in two minutes should work for every Twin Cities resident — not just the ones who can comfortably use a mouse and read 14px text.

Accessibility is not a one-time project. We review this site regularly, respond to every accessibility report we receive, and make changes as we find issues. We do not rely on overlay widgets or third-party “AI accessibility” tools — we address issues in the actual code.

2. Conformance status

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility. WCAG has three conformance levels: A, AA, and AAA.

This website is designed to conform to WCAG 2.2 Level AA. We self-assess against Level AA criteria on an ongoing basis, and we aim to meet as many Level AAA criteria as are practical for a site of this size.

We do not claim perfect conformance. Some pages may not yet fully meet every AA criterion — section 4 below lists the known limitations honestly.

3. Measures we’ve taken

To support accessibility, we have implemented the following on this site:

• Semantic HTML. Pages use proper heading hierarchy, landmark regions, and semantic elements so screen readers can navigate efficiently.
• Keyboard accessibility. Every interactive element — links, buttons, form fields, modals, and the cookie banner — can be reached and operated with a keyboard alone.
• Focus indicators. Visible focus outlines are preserved on all interactive controls. We do not remove outlines for aesthetic reasons.
• Color contrast. Text and interactive elements meet WCAG AA contrast ratios (4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text and UI components).
• Text alternatives. All meaningful images have descriptive alt text. Decorative icons use ARIA attributes to hide them from screen readers.
• Form labels. Every form field has an associated visible label, not just placeholder text. Error messages are programmatically associated with their fields.
• Reduced motion. Animations respect the prefers-reduced-motion preference at the OS level.
• Zoom and reflow. Content remains usable at 200% zoom and reflows to 320px width without horizontal scrolling.
• Modal dialogs. Booking modals trap focus, close with Escape, and return focus to the element that opened them.
• Skip navigation. A skip-to-content link is available at the top of every page for keyboard and screen reader users.
• Language. The HTML lang attribute is set on every page so screen readers use the correct pronunciation.
• Accessible forms throughout. The booking, contact, and appointment forms work with screen readers, keyboard-only input, and voice control software.

4. Known limitations

Despite our efforts, some parts of the site may not yet be fully accessible. We list them here honestly so you know what to expect:

• Older PDFs. If we publish PDF documents in the future (invoices, warranty certificates), they may not be tagged for accessibility. We can provide alternate formats on request.
• Complex interactive content. The multi-step appointment form has been tested with screen readers, but some assistive technology combinations (older versions of JAWS, for example) may experience minor issues with step transitions. Please contact us if you hit one.
• Live chat. We do not currently offer live chat. All communication is by phone, text, or email — which we’ve found is more accessible for most customers anyway.

We are actively working to reduce these limitations and welcome reports of any accessibility barrier we may have missed.

5. Alternative ways to reach us

You should never have to use our website to hire us. If any part of the site is difficult for you to use, these alternatives are equally valid ways to book a job, ask a question, or get a quote:

• By phone. Call (612) 555-0184. A real person answers during business hours, and we can book an appointment over the phone in under two minutes.
• By text. Text the same number. Ideal if you prefer writing to talking. We can send photos back and forth and confirm a window entirely by text.
• By email. Email [email protected]. Best for detailed descriptions or attachments. We reply within one business hour, Monday through Saturday.
• In writing at the shop. Our address is 2740 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406. If you’d like to visit in person, call ahead and we’ll arrange a time.
• Large-print or alternate-format documents. Any information on this site — pricing, policies, service descriptions — is available in alternate formats on request. Call or email and tell us what format works best for you.

6. Feedback & reporting

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of this website. If you encounter an accessibility barrier, please let us know:

• By phone. (612) 555-0184
• By email. [email protected]
• By mail. NorthStar Handyman Co. LLC, Attn: Accessibility, 2740 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406

When reporting an issue, it helps if you include:

• The web address (URL) of the page with the barrier.
• A description of what you were trying to do.
• The assistive technology or browser you were using (if applicable).
• Your preferred format for a response.

We aim to acknowledge accessibility reports within two business days and to provide a full response within ten business days. If we cannot resolve the barrier immediately, we will explain what we are doing and provide an alternative way for you to get the same service in the meantime.

7. Assessment approach

NorthStar uses the following approaches to evaluate the accessibility of this website:

• Self-evaluation. Regular manual review of each page against WCAG 2.2 Level AA criteria.
• Automated testing. Periodic automated scans to catch common issues like missing alt text, color contrast problems, and form label errors.
• Keyboard-only testing. Every page and form is tested with keyboard-only navigation to ensure all functionality is reachable and operable.
• Screen reader testing. We test key user journeys (booking an appointment, contacting us, reading pricing) with common screen readers including NVDA and VoiceOver.
• Customer feedback. Real reports from real users are the highest-value input we get. We act on every report.

8. Updates to this statement

We review this statement at least twice a year and update it whenever we make material changes to the site’s accessibility. When we do, we revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page.

This accessibility statement was prepared using the W3C Accessibility Statement Generator and adapted for our specific circumstances.