Accessibility Statement
Last Updated: August 24, 2026
ClearCents is committed to making our website usable by as many people as possible, including people with disabilities. We're actively working to meet or exceed the standards set out in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA. This page explains what that standard means in practice, what we've specifically built to support it, where our current limitations are, and how to reach us if something isn't working the way it should.
What WCAG 2.1 Level AA Actually Means
WCAG is the internationally recognized standard for web accessibility, maintained by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). It's organized around four principles — content should be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust — and Level AA is the middle tier of conformance, sitting between the baseline (A) and the most stringent (AAA). Level AA is also the standard most commonly referenced in accessibility law and litigation in the United States, which is why we've targeted it specifically rather than the minimum baseline.
What We've Done
- Structured every page with clear, semantic HTML headings (a single H1 per page, with H2 and H3 used in proper nested order) so screen readers and other assistive technology can navigate content logically, jumping between sections rather than reading linearly through everything.
- Provided descriptive
alttext and ARIA labels for every original graphic, chart, and illustration on the site — our charts are built as inline SVG with a text description of what the chart actually shows, not just a decorative label. - Maintained sufficient color contrast between text and background throughout the site, targeting at least the 4.5:1 ratio WCAG AA requires for standard body text.
- Ensured the site is fully navigable by keyboard, not just by mouse or touch — every interactive element (navigation links, the search tool, calculator inputs, the cookie preference banner) can be reached and operated using Tab, Enter, and Escape alone.
- Used clear, plain-English link text rather than ambiguous phrases like "click here," since screen reader users often navigate by pulling up a list of links out of context, where vague link text becomes meaningless.
- Built our interactive calculators with properly labeled form fields that announce their purpose to assistive technology, rather than relying on placeholder text alone (a common accessibility failure, since placeholder text disappears once a field is focused).
- Designed the mobile navigation menu with correct ARIA attributes (
aria-expanded,aria-controls) so its open/closed state is properly announced, and it can be closed with the Escape key.
Browser and Assistive Technology Compatibility
The site is built with standard, semantic HTML and CSS rather than complex custom components, which generally maximizes compatibility across assistive technology rather than requiring testing against one narrow combination.
| Category | Approach |
|---|---|
| Screen readers | Built on standard semantic HTML elements and ARIA attributes, which are broadly supported across major screen readers rather than requiring a specific one |
| Browsers | Uses standard, widely-supported web technology — no features that require a specific browser to function correctly |
| Zoom and text resizing | Layouts use relative sizing where possible, so browser-level zoom and text-size adjustments don't break the page layout |
| Reduced motion | The site doesn't rely on animation to convey information; what limited motion exists is decorative, not required to understand content |
Known Limitations
We aim to be honest here rather than claim perfect compliance, which no real-world site achieves. Current known limitations include:
- Third-party ad content served through Google AdSense is not something we can control the accessibility of directly — see the section below.
- Some complex data tables in comparison articles may be harder to navigate with a screen reader than a simpler layout, though we structure table headers correctly to support this.
- PDF and spreadsheet downloads (like our budget template) may not be as fully accessible as the HTML pages themselves, since spreadsheet accessibility depends partly on the software used to open the file.
Ongoing Work
Accessibility is an ongoing effort, not a one-time project. As we add new content, tools, and features to ClearCents, we review them against accessibility best practices before publishing. Newer interactive features, like our site search, are built with keyboard operability and screen reader announcements in mind from the start, rather than retrofitted afterward. If you encounter a page or feature that doesn't work well with your assistive technology, we want to know about it — see below.
Third-Party Content
Some content on our site — including embedded advertising served through Google AdSense — is provided by third parties we don't fully control. While we select reputable partners, we can't guarantee that all third-party content meets the same accessibility standards as our own. If a specific ad or embedded element is causing a genuine accessibility barrier, let us know the page and what you experienced, and we'll look into it, though our ability to directly fix third-party code is limited.
Legal Context
This statement is provided as a good-faith description of our accessibility efforts and isn't a legal determination of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or any other specific law. If you believe you've encountered a genuine barrier to accessing content on this site, we'd rather hear about it directly and fix it than have it become a legal matter — see the reporting section below.
Reporting an Accessibility Issue
If you experience difficulty accessing any part of ClearCents, please let us know. A useful report includes:
- The specific page URL where you encountered the issue
- A description of what happened (what you expected vs. what actually occurred)
- The assistive technology and browser you were using, if relevant (for example, a specific screen reader and browser combination)
Contact us at clearcentscontact@gmail.com or through our Contact page. We review every accessibility report and prioritize fixes for genuine barriers to using the site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ClearCents fully WCAG 2.1 AA compliant?
We're actively working toward and targeting that standard across the site, but we don't claim perfect, exhaustive compliance — no real website legitimately can. We treat this as an ongoing commitment, not a one-time checkbox, and we welcome reports of specific issues.
Can I adjust the text size on ClearCents?
Yes — the site uses relative sizing that respects your browser's zoom and text-size settings, so standard browser zoom (Ctrl/Cmd + or the browser's text-size menu) works as expected without breaking the layout.
Do the calculators work with screen readers?
Yes — every calculator's input fields have proper labels that assistive technology can announce, and results are presented in standard, readable text rather than only through visual-only elements like colors or icons.
What should I do if an ad is interfering with the page?
Let us know which page and what you experienced. Ad content comes from a third-party network we don't directly control, but we can review and, where possible, adjust how and where ads appear on a specific page.