Our Commitment to Accessibility
At Directing Mastery Academy, located in the heart of Atlanta’s vibrant film community at 33 Piedmont Ave NE,
Atlanta, GA 30303, we are dedicated to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience,
regardless of technology or ability. We are actively working to increase the accessibility and usability of
our website and in doing so adhere to many available standards and guidelines.
We strive to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA. These guidelines
outline four main principles that state that web content should be:
- 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 that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety
of user agents, including assistive technologies.
Accessibility Features Implemented
To ensure our website is accessible, we have implemented the following features:
- Semantic HTML: We use semantic HTML5 elements to structure our content, making it easier
for assistive technologies to understand the purpose of each element on the page. For example, we correctly
use <header>, <nav>, <main>, <article>, <aside>, and <footer> tags.
- Alternative Text for Images: All images on our website have descriptive alternative text
(alt text) that conveys the meaning and context of the image to users who cannot see them. This helps users
who rely on screen readers to understand the content. We ensure that our alt text is concise, informative,
and relevant to the surrounding content. For example, the alt text for the academy's logo is "Directing
Mastery Academy Logo, depicting a film reel with a director's clapboard."
- Keyboard Navigation: Our website is fully navigable using a keyboard. Users can easily
access all interactive elements, such as links, buttons, and form fields, using the Tab key. Focus indicators
are clearly visible to show users which element is currently selected. We avoid using keyboard traps, ensuring
that users can always navigate away from any element using the keyboard.
- Sufficient Color Contrast: We have carefully chosen color combinations to ensure that there
is sufficient contrast between text and background colors. This makes our content easier to read for users
with low vision or color blindness. We use tools to verify that our color contrast ratios meet WCAG 2.1 Level
AA standards.
- Resizable Text: Users can easily increase or decrease the text size on our website without
losing content or functionality. Our website is designed to be responsive, so the layout adapts automatically
to different screen sizes and text sizes. We recommend using browser zoom features to adjust text size.
- Clear and Consistent Navigation: Our website has a clear and consistent navigation structure
that helps users find the information they need quickly and easily. We use a consistent menu structure and
provide breadcrumbs on each page to show users their current location within the website.
- Form Labels and Instructions: All form fields have clear and descriptive labels that
indicate the type of information required. We also provide instructions and error messages to help users
complete forms successfully. We use ARIA attributes to associate labels with form fields programmatically,
improving accessibility for screen reader users.
- Video Captions and Transcripts: All videos on our website include captions and transcripts,
making them accessible to users who are deaf or hard of hearing. Our captions are synchronized with the audio
and accurately reflect the content of the video. Our transcripts provide a text-based alternative to the
video content.
- ARIA Attributes: We use ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes to provide
additional information to assistive technologies about the roles, states, and properties of interactive
elements on our website. This helps screen reader users understand how to interact with complex widgets and
components.
- Regular Accessibility Audits: We conduct regular accessibility audits of our website to
identify and address any accessibility issues. We use automated testing tools and manual reviews to ensure
that our website meets WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. Our audits are conducted by accessibility experts, such
as Elena Rodriguez, who has 15 years of experience in digital accessibility.
- Responsive Design: Our website is designed to be responsive, meaning that it adapts to
different screen sizes and devices. This ensures that our content is accessible on desktops, laptops, tablets,
and smartphones. We test our website on a variety of devices and browsers to ensure compatibility.
Our website also features a dark theme option, which can be toggled using the
icon in the navigation bar. The dark theme provides a high-contrast visual experience that may be beneficial
for users with certain visual impairments or those who prefer a darker interface.
Ongoing Efforts
We are committed to continuously improving the accessibility of our website. We regularly review our website
and update it to address any accessibility issues that may arise. We also provide training to our staff on
accessibility best practices.
Our next scheduled accessibility audit is planned for March 15, 2026, and will be conducted by Accessible
Solutions Group, a leading accessibility consulting firm based in Atlanta.