Accessibility Statement

1. Our Commitment

SoilStack is 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 believe that gardening is for everyone, and our goal is to make garden planning tools accessible to all users regardless of ability.

2. Conformance Status

We aim to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards. These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities.

Conformance with these guidelines helps make the web more user-friendly for everyone, including people who use assistive technologies such as screen readers, magnifiers, and keyboard navigation.

3. Accessibility Features

SoilStack includes the following accessibility features:

Visual Design

• Color Contrast: Text and interactive elements meet WCAG AA contrast requirements (4.5:1 minimum for normal text, 3:1 for large text)
• Dark Mode: Full dark mode support reduces eye strain and helps users with light sensitivity
• Resizable Text: Text can be resized up to 200% without loss of content or functionality
• No Color-Only Information: We don't rely solely on color to convey information — icons and text labels accompany color indicators

Navigation & Interaction

• Keyboard Navigation: All interactive elements are accessible via keyboard
• Focus Indicators: Visible focus states help keyboard users track their position
• Skip Links: Skip navigation links allow users to jump to main content
• Consistent Navigation: Navigation structure remains consistent throughout the application

Content Structure

• Semantic HTML: Proper heading hierarchy and landmark regions for screen readers
• ARIA Labels: Descriptive labels for interactive elements and icons
• Form Labels: All form inputs have associated labels
• Error Identification: Form errors are clearly identified with text descriptions

Media & Images

• Alt Text: Images include descriptive alternative text
• Decorative Images: Decorative images are properly hidden from assistive technology
• Decorative Video: The homepage background video is purely decorative, contains no meaningful audio or content, and does not auto-play with sound

4. Known Limitations

While we strive for full accessibility, some areas may have limitations:

• Interactive Maps: The USDA zone map and dashboard garden map use third-party mapping technology (Leaflet.js) which may have limited screen reader support. Zone information is also available in text format through the onboarding flow and settings page.
• Weather Map Overlays: The dashboard features animated weather condition overlays (rain, snow, fog, etc.) rendered using HTML5 Canvas. These visual effects have limited screen reader support. All weather information conveyed by the overlays is also available in text format through the weather strip, forecast cards, and weather prompts displayed on the dashboard.
• PDF Exports: Exported garden plans and calendars may have limited accessibility features. We recommend using the web version for optimal accessibility.
• Older Browsers: Some accessibility features may not work correctly in browsers that don't support modern web standards.

We are actively working to address these limitations and improve accessibility throughout the application.

5. Feedback & Contact

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of SoilStack. Please let us know if you encounter accessibility barriers or have suggestions for improvement:

We try to respond to accessibility feedback within 5 business days. If you need information in an alternative format, please let us know and we will work with you to provide it.

6. Third-Party Content

SoilStack uses some third-party services and content that may have their own accessibility features and limitations:

• Google Fonts: Typography is loaded from Google Fonts, which supports system font fallbacks if blocked
• CARTO Map Tiles: Map imagery is provided by CARTO
• Leaflet.js: Interactive maps use the Leaflet library
• National Weather Service: Weather data is sourced from the NWS API and presented through our own accessible interface (text-based weather strip, forecast cards, and weather prompts)

We choose third-party tools with accessibility in mind, but we cannot guarantee their full compliance with accessibility standards. Where third-party components have accessibility limitations (such as interactive maps), we provide alternative text-based access to the same information.

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This statement was last reviewed on February 25, 2026. We review and update this statement regularly as we make improvements to the website.