Accessibility Statement
1. Our commitment
David O’Connell, the editor of A Cup of Crime, wants this Site to be usable by everyone. Accessibility is treated as a design requirement rather than an afterthought: the Site is built with semantic HTML, keyboard navigability, legible type, and colour that carries meaning in more ways than one. That work is ongoing rather than finished, and this page is the honest record of where things stand.
2. Conformance target
The Site is designed and tested with reference to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA, the recognised international standard from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The aim is full conformance across every page. Some older or bespoke areas may not yet reach every Level AA criterion, and closing those gaps is part of the ongoing work described below.
3. What the Site does to be accessible
The following are built in, not bolted on:
- Keyboard navigation. Every link, button and control — the Top 5 picker, the rating stars, the share tools — can be reached and operated with the keyboard alone, and a visible focus indicator shows where you are.
- Screen-reader compatibility. Pages use proper heading structure, semantic elements and descriptive labels. Interactive controls carry clear names, so what a star or a share link does is announced in plain words.
- Alternative text. Images that carry meaning have descriptive alt text; decorative images are hidden from assistive technology.
- Colour and contrast. Text and background contrast is kept to WCAG AA levels, and colour is never the only signal — a rated star is lit and an unrated one is not, a “fair” verdict is highlighted and labelled, not just tinted green.
- Readable and resizable type. The serif display faces and body type are set to comfortable sizes, and the layout holds together when text is enlarged or the browser is zoomed to 200%.
- No reliance on motion. The Site’s decorations are still images and subtle grain; nothing autoplays, flashes or needs motion to be understood. Animated hovers are optional flourishes, not content.
- Links that say where they go. Link text describes its destination rather than demanding surrounding context.
4. Known limitations
A few areas fall short of the ideal and are being worked on:
- Third-party pages. Reviews link out to broadcasters, streaming services and retailers whose own accessibility is outside the Site’s control. If a linked service is hard to use, that is on them, and the Site would welcome the loop being closed.
- Legacy content. Older reviews are being reviewed and updated against the current standards over time.
- The book-style grain and ornament. The subtle film-grain overlay and decorative textures are aesthetic by design. They are static and low-contrast, but if they cause difficulty for a visitor, the Site will look at switching them off on request.
5. How to report an accessibility problem
If anything on the Site is hard to use, or you need an accommodation, please say so. A specific description — what you were trying to do, which page, and what assistive technology you were using — lets the problem be fixed far more quickly.
Contact for accessibility concerns:
David O’Connell
Email: admin@acupofcrime.com
Phone: (631) 956 4581
The aim is to acknowledge an accessibility report quickly and to address it. Reports are treated as bug reports with the Site’s name on them, and they feed straight into the next round of improvements.
6. How accessibility is assessed
Improvements are checked by two routes: automated tools that flag contrast, structure and label issues, and manual passes with keyboard-only navigation and screen readers. Reader feedback is the third and often the sharpest route, which is why the reporting channel above stays open.
7. Ongoing work
Keeping a site accessible is maintenance, not a one-off fix. The Site’s ongoing commitments are to review pages against WCAG 2.1 AA, fold accessibility into every new review and feature, and take reported barriers seriously as they come in.
8. Contact
For any accessibility question, concern or request, or to report a barrier:
David O’Connell
Email: admin@acupofcrime.com
Phone: (631) 956 4581
This statement is dated September 4, 2026 and is reviewed and updated as the Site’s accessibility work progresses.