Accessibility Policy

Our Commitment

HGW Architecture is committed to making our website and communications usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. As architects, we design spaces that welcome all people, and we hold our digital presence to the same standard. We treat accessibility as ongoing work, not a one-time project.

This policy applies to hgwarchitecture.com, including its pages, project galleries, contact form, and any documents we publish there.

Standards and Conformance Status

We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA. These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible to people with visual, auditory, motor, cognitive, and speech disabilities. Our approach also reflects the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act.

We consider hgwarchitecture.com partially conformant with WCAG 2.2 Level AA. This means some content does not yet fully meet the standard. We are actively working to close those gaps.

How We Support Accessibility

We build and maintain our website with these practices:

  • Clear structure: headings, landmarks, and lists that screen readers can navigate.
  • Keyboard access: menus, links, galleries, and forms work without a mouse, with a visible focus indicator.
  • Text alternatives: descriptive alt text for meaningful project photography and graphics.
  • Color and contrast: text and controls meet WCAG contrast ratios, and color is never the only way information is shown.
  • Accessible forms: labeled fields, clear instructions, and error messages that explain how to fix a problem.
  • Readable layouts: pages reflow on small screens and support zoom up to 200% without loss of content.
  • Motion control: animations and slideshows can be paused and respect the reduced-motion setting on your device.
  • Consistent navigation: menus and controls appear in the same place across pages.

We check our work with automated scans, keyboard-only testing, screen reader testing, and zoom and contrast checks. We review new pages before they go live and review the full site at least once a year.

Accessibility Toolbar

Our site offers an optional accessibility toolbar from EqualWeb, found on the left side of each page. It lets you adjust text size, contrast, spacing, and animation to suit your needs. The toolbar supplements the accessibility built into our site; it does not replace it.

Compatibility

Our website is designed to work with current versions of major browsers, including Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge, on desktop and mobile devices. It is designed to be compatible with common assistive technologies, such as screen readers (JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack), screen magnifiers, and speech recognition software. Older browsers and assistive technologies may not display all content as intended.

Known Limitations and Third-Party Content

Despite our efforts, some content may not yet be fully accessible. This can include older project images without complete descriptions, PDF documents published before this policy, and embedded maps or videos.

Some features on our site come from third parties, such as social media links, embedded media, and form and analytics services. We choose providers with accessibility in mind. When a third-party feature creates a barrier, we will work with the provider to fix it or offer an accessible alternative.

Feedback and Alternative Formats

If you have trouble using any part of our website, please let us know. Tell us the page address, what you were trying to do, and the browser or assistive technology you were using.

  • Phone: 619-523-8485
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Contact form: use the Contact link in the top right menu or footer link of any page
  • Mail: HGW Architecture, 1955 Bacon Street, San Diego, CA 92107

We also welcome calls through the California Relay Service (dial 711).

We aim to respond to accessibility feedback within 2 business days. We aim to resolve the issue, or share a plan to resolve it, within 10 business days.

If you need information from our website in another format, such as large print, an accessible document, or a phone conversation, contact us. We will provide it at no additional cost.

Policy Review

Accessibility is a shared responsibility across our team. We review this policy at least once a year and update it as our website, technology, and standards change.

This policy was last updated on October 8, 2026.

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