Accessibility Statement

HEEM Consulting is committed to making our website and services accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. We strive to ensure that all users can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with our online content with ease. Our commitment to accessibility is an ongoing effort guided by established standards and real user feedback.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG): We are working towards compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 (or newer 2.2) Level AA standards. These guidelines are internationally recognized and outline best practices for making web content more accessible for people with a wide range of disabilities (including visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive disabilities). By aiming for Level AA, we address a broad array of criteria such as ensuring sufficient color contrast for text, providing text alternatives for non-text content (like images), making our site usable via keyboard only (for those who cannot use a mouse), and adding clear navigation and headings structure for screen readers.

Measures Taken:

• Accessible Design: We have designed our site layout, navigation, and color scheme with accessibility in mind. This includes using legible font sizes, high contrast between text and background, and a responsive design that works well with zooming or different screen sizes. Interactive elements (like forms and buttons) have labels and instructions to aid users of assistive tech.

• Alternative Text: We provide descriptive alternative text (alt attributes) for meaningful images and graphics on our site. This allows screen reader users to understand the content of images. Purely decorative images are either given empty alt attributes or implemented via CSS to be ignored by assistive technologies.

• Keyboard Navigation: Our website can be navigated using keyboard only. We ensure that focus indicators are visible (so you can see which link or button is selected when tabbing through) and that you can access all menus, forms, and features without a mouse. We avoid keyboard traps (situations where focus gets stuck).

• ARIA and Semantic HTML: We use semantic HTML elements (like <nav>, <main>, <h1> through <h6> for headings, lists, tables, etc.) so that the structure of the page is conveyed clearly to assistive devices. Where necessary, we leverage ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles and attributes to provide additional context or control to screen readers, such as labeling form controls or dynamic content updates.

• Video/Audio Content: If our site includes video content, we strive to provide captions or transcripts for the audio portions. For audio-only content (like a podcast), we provide transcripts. This ensures users who are deaf or hard of hearing (as well as those who prefer reading) can access the information. For any videos, we also consider audio descriptions if there is important visual information.

• Consistent Navigation: We maintain a consistent navigation structure across our site. Common sections like menus, footers, and search functions appear in the same order on pages, which helps users (especially those with cognitive impairments) predict and find information. Repetitive navigation links can be skipped using a “Skip to main content” link that is accessible for keyboard users at the top of each page. - Forms and Input Assistance: All form fields on our site have clear labels (either visible or associated programmatically). We provide instructions or examples for required formats (like date or phone number formats) and use validation messages that are descriptive. If a user encounters an error, it is explained in text, and the problematic field is identified so it can be corrected.

• Responsive and Flexible: We aim for our content to be usable whether you enlarge text, zoom in up to 200%, or use the site on various devices (desktop, tablet, mobile) and orientations. Content should reflow or adapt without cutting off or requiring horizontal scrolling (except in certain circumstances like data tables where some scrolling might be necessary).

• Timing: Our site generally does not use time-limited functions. If we ever introduce content that has a time limit (like an auto-rotating carousel or a timed form submission), we will ensure there are ways to control it (pause, stop, or extend the time). - Flash/Animation: We avoid content that flashes rapidly, which could trigger seizures or dizziness in susceptible users. If any media on our site were to have flashing content above threshold rates (more than 3 flashes per second), we would provide a warning and an option to view a static alternative.

Ongoing Efforts: Accessibility is not a one-time project; it’s an ongoing process. We have conducted an internal audit of our website’s accessibility and identified areas for improvement. We are actively working on remediating any issues found. This may include updating code, redesigning certain components, or adding additional accessibility features. We plan to perform periodic reviews (both through manual testing and using automated accessibility testing tools) to catch new issues as our site content or technology changes. We also keep abreast of updates to WCAG guidelines and legal requirements (like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) considerations for web content, Section 508 for federal work, etc., as applicable) to ensure compliance.

Third-Party Content: Our website may contain integrations or links to third-party platforms (for example, an embedded map or a third-party video player). While we strive to choose accessible options, we may not have full control over these. If you encounter difficulty with any third-party content on our site, please let us know, and we will relay the feedback or seek an alternative solution.

Feedback Welcomed: We understand that the real measure of accessibility is how well you, our users, can use the site. If you encounter any barrier or have suggestions for improvement, we sincerely want to hear from you. Please contact us at info@heemconsulting.com with the page or feature you were using, and the nature of the problem. We will investigate and respond promptly. Examples of feedback could be: “I can’t access the dropdown menu with my keyboard” or “Images on the Services page don’t have alt text – can you describe them?” or “The color of the text on the blue background is hard for me to read.” We appreciate the time taken to report issues as it helps us make the experience better for everyone.

Assistance: If you need assistance accessing any content on our site, or if you require any documents in an alternate format (such as large print, braille, or an audio recording), please reach out. We will do our best to provide the information in a way that works for you. For instance, if you have trouble with a PDF on our site, we can provide an HTML or text version.

Accessibility Goals: Our near-term goal is to address known issues and meet WCAG 2.1 AA compliance site-wide. Beyond compliance, we aim for usability – going above the minimum where we can. As a consulting firm that values inclusion and diversity, we see website accessibility as a reflection of our core values of respect and equal opportunity.

Legal Compliance: While specific legislation (like the ADA in the United States or the EN 301 549 standards in the EU) may or may not directly mandate certain private businesses, we choose to proactively ensure our site is accessible, both as good practice and in anticipation of evolving legal expectations. It is simply the right thing to do.

Date and Updates: This Accessibility Statement is effective as of the date at the top. We will update it as we make further improvements or if there are significant changes in our accessibility approach. For example, if we complete a major overhaul to improve accessibility or if we achieve a certification, we will note that here.

Thank you for visiting HEEM Consulting’s website. We are dedicated to providing all users with equal access to information and functionality. If you have any questions about this statement or need support, please contact us. Together, we can ensure that our digital presence is welcoming to everyone.

(Accessibility Statement last updated August 2025. We continuously work to improve – your feedback is appreciated!)