Stage 01 · Research
We start by listening.
We learn who you serve, including supporters who rely on assistive technology, and set accessibility targets up front.
Nonprofit website accessibilityAccessibility is where
Accessibility is where
we start, not stop.
Building for everyone is a core part of our mission. An accessible nonprofit website widens your reach, protects your organization, and almost always improves the experience for every supporter, not just those using assistive technology.
Our commitment
Elevation designs and builds accessible nonprofit websites to WCAG 2.2 AA as a baseline, and treats accessibility as a starting point for every project, from research and design through development and ongoing maintenance, so the people you serve can all access your mission.
What we stand for
Access is not a feature. It is the whole point of being online.
A nonprofit’s website is often the front door to its programs, its services, and its case for support. If that door is hard to open, the mission stops at the threshold. We build so it never does.
01
Equity over compliance
We don’t chase a checkbox. WCAG is the floor; the goal is a site that genuinely works for people with vision, hearing, motor, and cognitive differences.
02
Designed in, never bolted on
Contrast, focus order, semantics, and keyboard paths are decisions we make in the wireframe — not patches applied the week before launch.
03
Accessible and beautiful
Inclusive design and ambitious design are the same discipline. We refuse the false trade-off between meeting standards and looking exceptional.
04
Tested with people in mind
Automated tools catch a fraction of issues. We pair them with manual review and keyboard runs that reflect how people actually browse.
What we do
Accessibility, woven through every engagement
From the first research call to the maintenance plan that keeps your site healthy, accessibility is part of the work — not a line item.
WCAG 2.2 AA baseline
Every site we design and build targets WCAG 2.2 AA as standard, and we can scope to stricter conformance where your audiences or obligations call for it.
Accessible from the first wireframe
Color contrast, focus states, semantic structure, and keyboard access are designed in early, the cheapest and most reliable place to get them right.
Tested with real tools
We combine automated scanning with manual review and keyboard-only navigation across the platforms people actually use.
Accessible content & editor training
Heading order, alt text, link clarity, and plain language are built into how we write. We also train your team to keep new content accessible.
Accessible forms & donations
Donation flows, sign-ups, and contact forms get labeled fields, clear errors, and full keyboard operability so giving is never blocked.
Ongoing upkeep
Sites drift as content changes. Our partnership and maintenance plans keep accessibility monitored and maintained well past launch.
Our process
Five stages, one standard
Scroll: each stage stacks on the last ↓
Stage 02 · Design
Designed to be usable.
Contrast, type scale, focus order, and touch targets are checked in the design files before a line of code is written.
Stage 03 · Build
Built the right way.
Semantic HTML, ARIA where needed, and full keyboard support are engineered in, with reduced-motion preferences respected.
Stage 04 · Test
Tested with real people in mind.
Automated scans plus manual review and keyboard passes against the WCAG success criteria, with issues logged and fixed.
Stage 05 · Maintain
Kept accessible over time.
Periodic re-checks and editor guidance keep the site conformant as content and features evolve.
Standards & certifications
The standard we build to
We build beyond what the ADA requires, to the WCAG 2.2 AA standard, and follow the W3C’s body of knowledge in how we work.
ADA Compliance
Our baseline standard
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, version 2.2 at Level AA, to stay ahead of the evolution of the ADA.
WCAG 2.2
The current guidelines
The latest guidelines add criteria for focus appearance, dragging, and target size, all part of the 2.2 AA standard every project ships with.
Section 504
Federal context
Section 504 applies to organizations receiving federal funding, and it references the same WCAG success criteria our work already builds to.
ADA Title III
Risk reduction
Courts increasingly read the Americans with Disabilities Act to cover websites. Conforming to WCAG is the practical way to reduce that exposure.
EN 301 549
International reach
For nonprofits with audiences abroad: the European accessibility standard builds on WCAG, the same guidelines our WCAG 2.2 AA work follows.
WAI-aligned
How we practice
Our team is CPACC certified through the IAAP and works from the official W3C body of knowledge, keeping skills current as standards evolve.
Meet our accessibility lead
Erin Mastrantonio
Chief Operating Officer & Accessibility Lead
“Accessibility isn’t just about compliance. It’s about visibility, inclusivity, and doing the right thing.”
As COO, Erin makes sure accessibility is built into how every Elevation engagement actually runs — from the user personas we create in Discovery to the manual accessibility passes before launch. She keeps our process aligned with the W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) and current WCAG guidance. She works directly with nonprofit teams to make accessibility practical: training content editors, untangling donation and sign-up flows, and turning audit findings into fixes that hold up as a site grows.
WCAG 2.2 AAWAI-aligned practiceCPACC certifiedA11y content training
How we test
The tools in our kit
No single tool finds everything, so we layer automated scanners with the assistive technologies real visitors use.
axe DevToolsWAVELighthouseFigma’s Color Contrast CheckerVispero Colour Contrast AnalyserApple Voice ControlKeyboard-onlyContrast analyzers
Why it matters
Accessibility is reach
1 in 4U.S. adults live with a disability that can affect how they use the web.
96%of all websites have detectable WCAG failures, averaging 56 errors per page.
100%of the sites we launch are built to meet WCAG 2.2 AA.
Learn more
Webinars, guides & checklists
Practical accessibility resources for nonprofit teams, whether you work with us or not.
Found a barrier?
If you encounter an accessibility issue on a site we built or on this site, email accessibility@elevationweb.org and we’ll work to resolve it promptly. You can also read our accessibility statement.
Want a nonprofit site everyone can use?
Accessibility is included in everything we build. Book a call and we’ll start with where you are today.