Website Accessibility

At Rhode Island Eye Institute, we want every patient and visitor to be able to use our website comfortably, no matter what device, browser, or assistive technology they rely on. That commitment carries across all of our locations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and it shapes how we build and maintain rieyeinstitute.com.

The Standards We Follow

Our website is built toward the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). We target Level AA conformance as our baseline, and we incorporate Level AAA criteria wherever it is practical for the type of content on the page.

How We Support Assistive Technology

Structure and Code

• Screen reader compatibility: Pages are structured so that visitors using screen readers can move through content in a logical order, hear accurate headings, and understand the role of each element.
• Standards-compliant code: The site is written in HTML and CSS that follow current W3C specifications, which helps it render consistently across today's browsers and the browsers of the future.
• ARIA landmarks: Key regions of each page, such as the main content, navigation, and footer, are labeled with ARIA landmarks so assistive technology users can jump directly to the section they need.
• Semantic headings and lists: We use heading levels (h1 through h6) and list elements in a consistent order so assistive technology can present the structure of a page accurately.
• Well-formed markup: Elements use proper opening and closing tags, are nested correctly, and avoid duplicate attributes or IDs, which improves reliability for assistive tools.
• Declared page language: The language of each page is set in the code so screen readers pronounce content with the correct rules.

Content and Media

• Text alternatives for images: Photographs, icons, and diagrams that carry meaning include descriptive text so screen readers can convey the same information. Purely decorative images are flagged so they can be skipped.
• Live text over image text: We avoid embedding important information inside images. Keeping text as real text lets it be read aloud, translated, or restyled.
• Resizable text: Text can be enlarged up to 200 percent through standard browser controls without breaking the layout or hiding content.
• CSS for presentation: Visual styling is controlled through CSS, which allows visitors to override fonts, colors, and spacing through their own browser or assistive settings when needed.
• No aggressive flashing: Pages avoid content that flashes more than three times per second, which helps protect visitors with photosensitive conditions.
• Descriptive page titles: Each page has a title that reflects its topic, which helps visitors orient themselves in browser tabs, search results, and screen reader announcements.

Navigation and Interaction

• Skip to main content link: Every page includes a link that lets keyboard and screen reader users bypass the header and navigation and move straight into the primary content.
• Full keyboard access: The site can be navigated using a keyboard or other input device, without requiring a mouse or specific keystroke timing.
• Visible focus: Buttons, links, and interactive components show a clear focus state when a keyboard user reaches them.
• Predictable interactions: Focusing on an element does not automatically trigger a page change or unexpected movement.
• Consistent navigation: The main menu appears in the same place across pages so visitors can rely on familiar patterns site-wide.
• Multiple ways to find content: Visitors can reach pages through the main navigation, breadcrumbs, internal links, and a sitemap.

Forms and Documents

• Accessible forms: Our contact and request forms use proper label markup so each field is announced clearly, and any errors are reported in text rather than through color alone.
• Clear form error messages: When a form field is filled in incorrectly, the affected field is identified and the issue is explained in plain text.
• PDF documents: Some materials on the site are provided as PDFs. A free PDF reader, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, is needed to open them. If a PDF is difficult to access, please contact us and we will work to provide the information in another format.

Where We Fall Short

We aim for a high standard, and full conformance is not always possible on every page or for every piece of media. Older documents, embedded third-party tools, and some interactive content may not yet meet our target. When we identify a gap, we add it to our list of items to correct during the next round of updates.

Ongoing Improvements

Accessibility is an ongoing effort rather than a one-time project. As we add new pages, update service information, and introduce new providers on rieyeinstitute.com, we review that content against current WCAG criteria and revisit older pages during routine edits.