Accessibility statement

Our goal

Fertile Ground Conservancy is a small, volunteer-run nonprofit. We help people protect the living world, and that work should be open to everyone. Our website is often the first way people reach us, so we design it to work for as many people as possible, without anyone needing to ask.

We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA, and Level AAA where we can. These are the international standard for accessible websites. An outside expert has not reviewed our site, and some parts don't meet the standard yet (see Known problems). So we describe the site as partially conforming.

Adjust the site for you

Every page has a Display settings button at the top. You can choose:

• Text size: standard, large, or largest
• Contrast: standard or high contrast
• Light or dark: match your device, or choose one
• Spacing: extra space between letters, words, and lines
• Motion: turn off all animation

Your choices are saved on your device, so you only need to set them once. Settings from your device, such as dark mode, reduced motion, high contrast, and Windows contrast themes, also work automatically.

You can also zoom any page up to 400% without losing content. Hold Control (Command on a Mac) and press the plus key.

What we've built in

Easy to read

• Plain language, short sentences, and an "In short" summary near the top of key pages
• Explanations for terms like "fiscal sponsor" and "501(c)(3)"
• The Atkinson Hyperlegible typeface, designed by the Braille Institute so similar letters are easy to tell apart
• Large text, left-aligned, with lines kept to a comfortable length
• A cream background and soft black text to reduce glare

Easy to see

• Text contrast of at least 7 to 1 almost everywhere, which meets the highest WCAG level
• Color is never the only way we show something. For example, project status uses a word and a shape as well as a color.
• Colors checked to stay distinct for people with the most common types of color blindness
• Text descriptions for every meaningful image

Easy to use

• Everything works with a keyboard, with a thick, high-contrast outline showing where you are
• A "Skip to main content" link at the top of each page
• Buttons and links at least 44 pixels in size, so they are easy to tap or click
• The same menu, in the same place, on every page
• Headings, labels, and landmarks so screen reader users can move around quickly

Forgiving forms

• Every question is clearly marked as required or optional
• If something is missing, the form lists every problem at the top and next to each question, and says how to fix it
• We say how long each form takes before you start
• You can always email, mail, or call instead of using a form

Works in more places

• No time limits, pop-ups, or auto-playing media
• Pages work without JavaScript. Only the display settings and copy buttons need it.
• Small pages and images, so the site loads on slow connections and older devices
• Pages print cleanly, with web addresses shown for links

Known problems

These parts of the site don't fully meet our goal yet. We're working on them.

Other formats

Ask us for any information on this site in another format. We can provide:

• Large print
• Plain text by email
• A printed letter by mail
• A phone or video call to talk it through

If you need another language, ask and we'll see what we can do. Our fiscal sponsorship application can also be completed by email or on a call instead of the online form.

Tell us about a problem

If you have trouble using any part of this site, please tell us. You don't need to use technical words. It helps to know:

• Which page you were on
• What you were trying to do
• What happened instead
• What device, browser, or assistive technology you use, if you know

We aim to reply within one week. We're volunteers, so it may sometimes take a little longer, but accessibility problems go to the front of the line.

How we check the site

Before we publish changes, we:

• Use every page with a keyboard only
• Check pages zoomed to 200% and 400%, and on a phone
• Test color contrast and run automated accessibility checkers
• Try key pages with a screen reader

We also welcome feedback from people who use assistive technology every day. You know best what works.

About this statement

We wrote this statement on October 12, 2026. We review it at least once a year and whenever we make a major change to the site.