Accessibility Statement
Effective Date: July 25, 2026 · Last Updated: July 25, 2026
1. Our commitment
eType Services, LLC ("eType," "we," "us," "our") is committed to making the web accessible to people of all abilities. We believe every reader deserves equal access to local news, community information, and the services offered on our sites, regardless of disability or assistive technology used.
We treat accessibility as an ongoing responsibility, not a one-time fix. This statement describes what we do today, what we know we can improve, and how you can get help if you encounter a barrier.
2. Sites this statement covers
This Accessibility Statement applies to:
- Our marketing website at etypeservices.com (the "Marketing Site").
- The community newspaper websites, e-Editions, mobile apps, and newsletters we operate on behalf of our publisher customers (collectively, the "Publisher Sites") — approximately two hundred local and community newspaper websites. Each Publisher Site's own publisher may post a supplemental accessibility statement; this statement covers our operational role.
3. Standards we follow
We aim to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, Level AA, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These guidelines define how to make web content more perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for people with a wide range of disabilities, including but not limited to:
- Visual impairments (low vision, blindness, color blindness)
- Hearing impairments
- Motor and mobility impairments
- Cognitive and learning differences
Where a specific feature is under active work and does not yet meet WCAG 2.2 AA, we identify that in §6 (Known limitations) and work to close the gap.
4. Assistive technology support
Our sites are designed and tested to work with common assistive technologies, including:
- Screen readers: JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver (macOS/iOS), TalkBack (Android), and Narrator (Windows)
- Keyboard-only navigation — every interactive element on our sites can be reached and operated using only the keyboard
- Browser zoom and text resizing up to 200% without loss of content or functionality
- High-contrast modes in operating systems and browsers
- Voice recognition software (Dragon NaturallySpeaking, macOS Voice Control)
- Reader-mode extensions and simplified-view browser features
We use recent versions of major browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) as our primary testing environment. Older or unusual browsers may have limited accessibility.
5. Accessibility features
Features built into our sites to support accessibility include:
- Semantic HTML structure — proper heading hierarchy, landmark regions, and list markup so screen readers can navigate content efficiently.
- Alternative text for images where images convey information. Decorative images are marked so assistive technology skips them.
- Sufficient color contrast between text and background to meet WCAG AA contrast ratios (4.5:1 for body text, 3:1 for large text).
- Descriptive link text — link labels describe where they go, not just "click here."
- Skip-to-content links at the top of each page so keyboard users can jump past navigation to the main article.
- Form field labels and error messages associated with inputs so screen readers announce them correctly.
- Focus indicators that are visible when navigating by keyboard.
- Responsive layout that reflows content for mobile devices, tablets, and desktop.
- An Accessibility widget (where deployed on a Publisher Site) offering per-user adjustments such as larger fonts, high contrast, and simplified layouts.
6. Known limitations
Despite our best efforts, some content on our sites may not yet be fully accessible. We're aware of the following categories of limitations and are actively working on them:
- Third-party embedded content — advertisements, videos (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo), social media widgets, and weather widgets are provided by outside services and their accessibility is controlled by those providers. Where we can, we choose accessible alternatives; where we can't, we work to describe or offer alternatives.
- User-submitted content — obituary submissions, letters to the editor, community photos, and classifieds may not include alternative text or transcripts. Our editorial teams add descriptions where possible, but they aren't guaranteed for every submission.
- Scanned or image-based PDFs — historical archive PDFs and some e-Edition pages are image-based scans and may not be fully readable by screen readers. Newer publications increasingly include text layers, and we are working to improve archive accessibility over time.
- Older archived articles — content published prior to our accessibility improvements may not meet current WCAG 2.2 AA standards. If you need help with archived material, contact us (§8) and we will assist.
- Interactive advertising — where advertising placements include interactive elements, those elements' accessibility depends on the advertiser and ad network.
7. Requesting an accessible alternative
If you can't access a specific piece of content in its published form — for example, an image without an accurate description, a PDF that a screen reader cannot parse, or a video without captions — contact us (§8) and we will provide an accessible alternative at no cost. Typical alternatives we can produce include:
- Text transcripts of audio or video content
- Text-only versions of image-heavy pages
- Machine-readable copies of scanned documents
- Verbal descriptions of images or graphics
- Assistance completing an online form by phone or email
8. Reporting an accessibility barrier
If you encounter an accessibility barrier on any of our sites, please let us know. The more detail you can share, the faster we can fix the issue.
Helpful information to include:
- The URL of the page or the name of the site (e.g., bristownews.com)
- A description of the issue and what you were trying to do
- The assistive technology, browser, and device you were using (if you know)
- Your name and how we can reach you (email or phone)
9. Our response commitment
We will acknowledge your report within five business days of receipt. Where a fix or accessible alternative is straightforward, we aim to resolve it within 15 business days. For issues that require deeper work — for example, remediating third-party content or an archive PDF — we will provide a target date and keep you informed of progress.
If you need urgent access to specific information (for example, to complete a time-sensitive form), tell us in your first message and we will treat the request as a priority.
10. Ongoing improvements
Accessibility is a moving target — new content is published continuously, standards evolve, and assistive technologies change. We take the following ongoing steps:
- Automated accessibility scanning of new templates and major page changes, using tools such as axe, Lighthouse, and WAVE.
- Manual review of key pages using keyboard-only navigation and screen readers.
- Design system review so components used across sites (headings, buttons, forms) are built accessibly by default.
- Training for staff who create or curate content on writing effective alternative text, structuring content with proper headings, and choosing accessible color combinations.
- Vendor evaluation — when we select third-party components (advertising, video, analytics), we consider each vendor's accessibility posture and ask for improvements where warranted.
11. Applicable law
This statement is intended to demonstrate our good-faith effort to comply with:
- Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (42 U.S.C. §§12181 et seq.) as applied to websites and other places of public accommodation;
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act where our sites are used in federally funded programs;
- Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act for content used by federal agencies or their contractors, as a reference standard;
- State civil rights laws that address accessibility of goods and services, including but not limited to California's Unruh Civil Rights Act, the New York State Human Rights Law, and comparable statutes in other states.
This statement is not a legal admission of non-compliance with any specific law. It reflects our current understanding and practice.
