Accessibility
Last updated
Housing is one of the areas where an inaccessible website does real harm: someone who cannot use these pages cannot reach the same services as everyone else. This page states what standard this site aims at, what has actually been done, and what to do if you hit something that does not work.
The standard this site aims at
The target is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA, which is the benchmark courts and the Department of Justice use when assessing whether a site is accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
This is a statement of effort rather than a claim of perfection. Accessibility is a property of a site that has to be maintained as it changes, not a certificate that is earned once.
What has been done
Specifically, as of the date above, this site:
- Uses real headings, landmarks and lists, so a screen reader can move through a page by structure instead of reading it top to bottom.
- Puts a Skip to content link first in the tab order on every page.
- Can be operated entirely from the keyboard, with a focus outline that stays visible rather than being styled away.
- Meets the AA contrast ratios for body text, headings and buttons.
- Never uses colour alone to carry meaning — anything indicated by colour is also stated in words.
- Honours the reduce-motion setting in your operating system, and removes animation and smooth scrolling when it is on.
- Reflows to a single column on small screens and stays readable when text is enlarged to 200%.
- Marks decorative images so assistive technology skips them instead of announcing filenames.
What is still outstanding
Stating known gaps is more useful than claiming there are none. As of the date above:
- Testing has been done with keyboard navigation and automated checks. A full audit with screen reader users has not yet been carried out.
- Pages linked from this site — including the Texas Real Estate Commission's forms and other external resources — are outside our control, and we cannot guarantee their accessibility.
If something does not work, tell us
If any part of this site is difficult or impossible to use, please say so, using the contact details at the bottom of this page. It helps to include the page address, what you were trying to do, and the browser or assistive technology you were using — but a sentence saying something is broken is entirely enough to start with.
You will get a reply within five business days. If a fix will take longer than that, the reply will say so and give a realistic date.
Getting the same information another way
If a page will not work for you, you do not have to wait for it to be fixed to get what you came for. Anything published on this site can be read out or sent to you in another format, by phone or by email, at no cost. Just ask.
Questions about this page
Get in touch directly — whichever way is easiest for you.