Accessibility Statement

Our Commitment

Wide Reads is committed to making classic literature guides usable for as many people as possible — including readers who use assistive technology, keyboard-only navigation, screen magnification, or audio instead of long on-screen reading.

We aim to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA over time. Accessibility is an ongoing effort, not a one-time checklist. We welcome reports when something on the Site does not work for you.

What We Optimize For

Wide Reads is built around a simple idea: the classics should be understandable without a literature degree. That mission shapes our accessibility work:

• Plain-language chapter guides alongside optional public-domain source text
• Audio summaries on many titles for listening on mobile or when reading on screen is difficult
• Responsive layouts that reflow on phones, tablets, and desktops
• Free access without paywalls on core reading content

Accessibility Features

Navigation and Structure

• Consistent site header and footer navigation across public pages
• Logical heading structure on chapter, book, and landing pages
• Breadcrumb trails on many book and chapter routes
• Descriptive page titles and metadata for search and assistive technology
• Primary navigation labeled for screen readers (aria-label on main nav)

Visual Design

• Light-first color palette with sufficient contrast for body text on reading pages
• Browser zoom and text resizing supported (viewport allows scaling up to 500%)
• Visible focus states on interactive controls such as buttons and form fields
• Responsive typography and spacing tuned for mobile reading

Content and Media

• Alternative text on key brand and book imagery where images convey meaning
• Chapter audio players with labeled play/pause controls and live time updates on supported pages
• Public-domain chapter text shown as a preview by default, with full text loaded only when you choose to read it
• Plain English summaries and analysis written for clarity, not academic density

Forms and Interactive Elements

• Labeled email fields on newsletter signup forms
• Accessible login and account forms with associated labels
• Cookie consent banner with dialog semantics and labeled actions (Accept all / Essential only)
• Cookie preferences reopenable from Cookie Settings in the footer

Keyboard and Assistive Technology

• Core navigation and reading flows operable by keyboard
• Semantic HTML landmarks such as header, nav, main, and footer on key templates
• ARIA labels on icon-only controls where visible text is not present
• Compatibility tested informally with recent versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge

Assistive Technology Support

We design and test with common assistive setups in mind, including:

• Screen readers (VoiceOver, NVDA, JAWS, TalkBack)
• Browser zoom and system display scaling
• Keyboard-only navigation
• Speech recognition software

Results can vary by browser, operating system, and assistive technology version. If something fails in your setup, please tell us — that detail helps us reproduce and fix it.

Known Limitations

We are honest about areas still improving:

• No skip-to-main-content link yet. We are evaluating adding one site-wide.
• Long chapter pages can be heavy to navigate by screen reader because of their length, even when structure is correct.
• Audio is not available on every book or chapter. Coverage is expanding title by title.
• Third-party services — including Google Analytics, Google AdSense (with your consent), Stripe checkout, and Supabase authentication — may introduce interfaces or content we do not fully control.
• Advertising units on eligible long-form pages are served by Google and may not meet the same bar as our editorial content.
• Some older or highly styled Paradox book layouts may have uneven heading or landmark coverage compared with the main classic library.
• We have not completed a formal third-party WCAG 2.1 AA audit or VPAT for the entire Site.

Customize Your Experience

Increase Text Size

• Windows: Ctrl + Plus (+) to zoom in, Ctrl + Minus (−) to zoom out
• Mac: Cmd + Plus (+) to zoom in, Cmd + Minus (−) to zoom out
• Use your browser View menu or accessibility settings for default text size

High Contrast and Display

• Windows: Settings → Accessibility → Contrast themes
• Mac: System Settings → Accessibility → Display → Increase contrast

Listen Instead of Reading

On chapter pages with narration, use the audio player to hear the summary. Playback speed controls are available in the player settings on supported pages.

Manage Cookies

Use Cookie Settings in the footer to limit non-essential analytics and advertising cookies. See our Cookie Policy for details.

Feedback and Assistance

If you encounter a barrier on Wide Reads — or need content in a different format — contact us:

Email: accessibility@widereads.com

Please include, when possible:

• The page URL
• Your device, browser, and operating system
• Any assistive technology you use
• A short description of what happened and what you expected

We aim to respond within five business days and will work with you on a reasonable accommodation or fix.

General site questions can also go to Contact or hello@widereads.com.

Legal Standards

We aim to align with applicable accessibility expectations, including:

• United States: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, where applicable
• United Kingdom: Equality Act 2010 and public-sector accessibility regulations, where applicable
• Canada: Accessible Canada Act and provincial standards such as AODA in Ontario, where applicable
• Australia: Disability Discrimination Act 1992, where applicable
• European Union: European Accessibility Act and Web Accessibility Directive principles, where applicable

This statement is for information. It is not legal advice, and it does not guarantee compliance with every jurisdiction or standard in all circumstances.

Continuous Improvement

We regularly:

• Review reader and educator feedback
• Fix accessibility issues reported on high-traffic chapter and landing pages
• Improve semantic markup, labels, and keyboard paths as we ship new features
• Update this statement when our practices or limitations change