Introduction
The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG): San Diego Forward website has been developed in compliance with California Government Code 11135, located in Section D of the California Government Code. Code 11135 requires that all electronic and information technology developed or purchased by the State of California Government is accessible to people with disabilities. There are various types of physical disabilities that impact user interaction on the web. Vision loss, hearing loss, limited manual dexterity and cognitive disabilities are examples, with each having different means by which to access electronic information effectively. Our goal is to provide a good web experience for all visitors.
Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web, and that they can contribute to the Web. Web accessibility also benefits others, including older people with changing abilities due to aging.
We are constantly updating our content and striving to make it accessible. If you have any questions or suggestions or are having difficulty accessing our website, please contact us in writing via our Webmaster.
Understanding that government has a responsibility to provide service to all citizens and businesses in its jurisdiction, San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) will make reasonable efforts to accommodate all users by following the W3C recommendations. This policy describes these accessibility standards and may be updated periodically.
Design Standards
Straightforward Design - This website uses simple information architecture, organized navigation and reliable headings throughout. By utilizing headings, lists and consistent structure, we are able to achieve an esthetic and engaging site that encourages participation by all.
Color – We ensure that foreground and background color combinations provide sufficient contrast when viewed by someone having color deficits or when viewed on a black and white screen. Color alone is never used as a communication device.
Text-Only Site Map – We provide a text-only site map as an index to our site. Text-only site maps work well with screen readers.
Keyboard Commands - Navigate through our web pages without the use of a mouse. (Note: Some commands may not work with every Internet browser version.)
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Select...
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Increase text size
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Ctrl + +
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Decrease text size
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Ctrl - -
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Move forward from link to link
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Tab
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Move backward from link to link
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Shift + Tab
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Move from box to box
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Tab
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Go to top of page
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Ctrl + Home
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Go to bottom of page
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Ctrl + End
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Close window
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Ctrl + W
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Go back a page
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Alt + Left Arrow
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Go forward a page
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Alt + Right Arrow
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Go to search box
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Alt + S
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More Keyboard Shortcuts:
Style Sheets - Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) centralize the style information for the website. Using CSS allows for greater flexibility when a style change is needed to accommodate a specific disability. It also keeps the code clean and is faster to download.
Navigation – Our site includes both textual as well as graphical navigation aids.
Dynamic Content – We ensure that dynamic content is accessible or we provide an alternative presentation or page.
Browser Portability – We test our website with a variety of web technologies including, but not limited to, graphical browsers with the images turned off, browsers with Javascript disabled and a text-based browser that can be used with a assistive technology. We avoid the use of HTML tags or extensions that are supported by only one browser.
Layout - The design was built to accommodate the vast majority of visitors. Our website is best viewed at 1024 x 768 resolution, per W3C.org, “a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 is predominant in the US”, however the site is navigable using screens that utilize other resolutions.
Multimedia - When available, the transcripts of audio and video description are linked with the file.
Hypertext Links - Text is specifically chosen to make sense when read out of context, so all users know where they are going when they select a link. Hyperlinks to downloadable files include a text description that includes the file size and file type.
Scripts and AJAX - Alternative methods for searching or alternative content are provided in case active features are inaccessible or unsupported by a user’s browser.
Validate - Our design work is checked using tools, checklists and guidelines at http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG.
Contact
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact SANDAG ADA Coordinator, the Director of Diversity and Equity, (619) 699-1900 or (619) 699-1904 (TTY).