Accessibility Statement

1. Our Commitment to Accessibility

Global Opportunity Foundation Inc. is committed to ensuring that its website, member portal, programs, and services are accessible to and usable by all individuals, including those with disabilities. We believe that access to opportunity must not be limited by ability, and that providing equal access to information and services is integral to our charitable mission.

We design, develop, test, and maintain our digital properties with the goal of providing an inclusive experience for all users. We work continuously to identify and remediate accessibility barriers and to incorporate accessibility considerations into every stage of our work.

2. Conformance Standard

The Foundation strives to conform our website and digital services to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). WCAG 2.1 Level AA defines requirements for web designers and developers to improve accessibility for individuals with various disabilities, including visual, auditory, motor, speech, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological disabilities.

WCAG 2.1 is organized around four principles, often abbreviated as POUR:

• Perceivable: information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.
• Operable: user interface components and navigation must be operable.
• Understandable: information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable.
• Robust: content must be robust enough to be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.

Where applicable, we also strive to comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 794d), as amended.

3. Accessibility Features

Features intended to enhance accessibility include:

• Semantic HTML structure: proper use of headings, landmarks, and ARIA attributes to support assistive technology navigation
• Keyboard accessibility: all interactive elements can be operated with a keyboard alone
• Visible focus indicators: clear visual indication of the currently focused element
• Color contrast: text and interactive elements meet or exceed WCAG 2.1 AA color contrast ratios (4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text and graphical elements)
• Resizable text: content remains readable and usable when text is resized up to 200% without loss of functionality
• Responsive design: content adapts to a wide range of screen sizes, including mobile devices
• Alternative text: meaningful images include descriptive alt text for screen reader users
• Captions and transcripts: video content includes captions, and audio content includes transcripts where feasible
• Form labels: all form fields have associated programmatic labels
• Error identification: form errors are clearly identified and described
• Skip-to-content links: keyboard users can skip repetitive navigation
• Language identification: the primary language of each page is identified programmatically
• No keyboard traps: keyboard users are not trapped in any portion of the website
• Plain language: content is written in plain, accessible language wherever possible

4. Known Limitations and Active Remediation

We are working to identify and resolve any accessibility issues. As of the effective date of this statement, we are aware of the following limitations and are actively working to address them:

• Third-party content: some embedded content from third-party providers (such as videos, payment processors, and mapping services) may not fully conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. We are working with these vendors to improve accessibility.
• Legacy documents: some PDF documents, particularly those provided by external sources or scanned from print, may have limited accessibility. We are working to remediate or replace these documents.
• User-generated content: content submitted by users (such as story narratives, photos, and comments) may not always meet accessibility standards. We provide guidance to contributors and edit submissions where possible.

If you encounter any of these limitations or other accessibility barriers, please contact us using the methods described in Section 9 below. We will work to provide the information in an accessible format and to remediate the underlying issue.

5. Testing and Evaluation

We use a combination of methods to evaluate the accessibility of our website:

• Automated testing using tools such as axe, WAVE, Lighthouse, and Pa11y as part of our development workflow
• Manual testing by trained personnel using assistive technologies (screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, screen magnification)
• Third-party accessibility audits conducted at least annually by qualified accessibility consultants
• User testing with individuals who use assistive technologies
• Ongoing monitoring through accessibility scanning tools and user feedback

We address identified accessibility issues based on severity and impact, prioritizing those that prevent users from accessing essential functionality.

6. Technical Specifications

Accessibility of the website relies on the following technologies to work with the particular combination of web browser and any assistive technologies or plugins installed on your computer:

• HTML5
• WAI-ARIA (Web Accessibility Initiative, Accessible Rich Internet Applications)
• CSS
• JavaScript

These technologies are relied upon for conformance with the accessibility standards used.

7. Compatible Assistive Technologies

Our website is designed to be compatible with the following assistive technologies:

• Screen readers: JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, TalkBack, and Narrator
• Screen magnification: ZoomText, browser zoom
• Speech recognition: Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Voice Control
• Keyboard-only navigation
• Switch input devices
• High contrast and dark mode browser and operating system settings

We test using current and prior major versions of major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.

8. Requesting Accommodations

If you require reasonable accommodation to access our programs, services, or website, please contact us. Accommodations we can provide include, without limitation:

• Alternative formats of documents (large print, Braille, audio recording, plain text)
• Sign language interpretation for events and meetings (American Sign Language and other languages where feasible)
• Captioning and live transcription for events
• Assistive listening devices
• Adjustment of program schedules, requirements, or formats to accommodate disability-related needs
• Alternative methods for completing applications
• One-on-one support for navigating the website or member portal

To request an accommodation, contact us at accessibility@globalopportunityfoundation.org or by mail at Accessibility Coordinator, Global Opportunity Foundation Inc., 50 N Laura Street, Suite 2500, Jacksonville, Florida 32202. Please provide your contact information, a description of the accommodation requested, and any deadline by which the accommodation is needed. We will respond within seven (7) business days and will work with you to provide an appropriate accommodation.

9. Feedback and Reporting Accessibility Issues

We welcome feedback on the accessibility of our website, programs, and services. If you encounter accessibility barriers, please let us know.

When reporting an issue, please include:

• The page or service where the issue occurred (URL if possible)
• A description of the barrier and how it affects you
• Your contact information (if you would like a response)
• Any assistive technology, browser, and operating system you were using

We will acknowledge your report within seven (7) business days and provide a target resolution timeline. We aim to resolve straightforward accessibility issues within thirty (30) days; complex issues may require longer remediation timelines, which we will communicate to you.

10. Legal Compliance and Enforcement

This Accessibility Statement is provided in connection with the following laws, where applicable:

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Title III of the ADA requires public accommodations to provide effective communication and equal access to goods and services. While the Foundation is a private nonprofit, we voluntarily strive to comply with ADA principles for our digital services.
• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act: applies to federal agencies and federally-funded programs. The Foundation strives to apply Section 508 standards as a best practice.
• European Accessibility Act (EAA): Directive (EU) 2019/882, governing accessibility of products and services in the European Union.
• EN 301 549: European harmonized standard for accessibility of ICT products and services.
• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA): applicable to Ontario, Canada.
• Accessible Canada Act: applicable to certain Canadian organizations.

11. Contact