Hamilton Star is committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of technology or ability. We actively work to increase the accessibility and usability of our website and adhere to many of the available standards and guidelines.
Our objective is for all individuals, including those with disabilities, to be able to access the information and functionality available on our digital platforms. This commitment extends to all content published by our editorial team.
Hamilton Star strives to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to individuals with a wide range of disabilities. Conformance with these guidelines helps to make the web more usable for everyone.
While Hamilton Star endeavors to adhere to the WCAG 2.2 Level AA guidelines, it is not always possible to do so in all areas of the website when considering user interactions or dynamically updated content. Our editorial staff and developers consistently work to improve adherence.
Hamilton Star has undertaken a range of specific actions to enhance the accessibility of its website. These measures are foundational to our approach to digital publishing.
Semantic HTML Markup: Our website is built using clean, semantic HTML5. This provides a clear, logical structure for assistive technologies like screen readers to interpret and navigate content effectively.
The use of appropriate headings, paragraphs, lists, and other structural elements aids in comprehension and navigation for all users.
Alternative Text for Images: All relevant images on our website are provided with descriptive alternative text (alt text). This ensures that users who cannot see the images, including those using screen readers, can still understand the visual content and context.
Our journalists are instructed to provide concise and accurate alt text for all published images.
Keyboard Navigation: The entire website is designed to be fully navigable using only a keyboard. Users can move through content, interact with forms, and activate links and buttons without requiring a mouse.
Focus indicators are clearly visible, allowing users to track their position on the page.
Colour Contrast: We ensure that there is sufficient colour contrast between text and background elements across our website. This makes text easier to read for individuals with low vision or colour blindness.
Our design standards include specific contrast ratios to meet WCAG requirements.
Screen Reader Compatibility: Hamilton Star consistently tests its website with various screen readers to ensure compatibility and ease of use. This includes verifying logical reading order, clear announcement of elements, and accessible form interactions.
Our development team performs regular checks to maintain and improve screen reader experiences.
Resizable Text: Users can adjust text size through their browser settings without loss of content or functionality.
Consistent Layout and Navigation: We maintain a consistent and predictable layout and navigation structure across the website. This helps users learn how to interact with our content and find information more easily.
Despite our best efforts to ensure accessibility, some limitations may exist. Our editorial team produces a large volume of content, and ensuring perfect compliance across every single element can be an ongoing challenge, particularly with archived material.
For instance, some older embedded PDFs or multimedia content might not yet fully meet current accessibility standards. We are progressively working to remediate these where feasible.
Comments sections or embedded content from third-party platforms, such as social media feeds, may also present challenges outside our direct control. We select partners who also prioritise accessibility where possible.
Hamilton Star is committed to continuously improving the accessibility of its website. We welcome and encourage feedback from our readers.
If you encounter any accessibility barriers or have suggestions on how we can improve our website's accessibility, please do not hesitate to contact our legal department directly.
Please send an email detailing the specific issue, the web page address (URL) where the problem occurred, and any assistive technologies you may be using. Your input helps us make targeted improvements.
You can reach us at: legal@hamstar.co.nz.
Hamilton Star may include content from third-party providers on its website, such as embedded videos, advertising, or syndicated news feeds. While we aim to partner with providers who share our commitment to accessibility, we cannot guarantee the accessibility of all third-party content or external websites linked from our platform.
We encourage users to contact the respective third-party providers directly if they encounter accessibility issues with their specific content components.
Our Accessibility Statement and the accessibility features of our website undergo regular review. Hamilton Star's editorial and technical teams assess the website's compliance with WCAG 2.2 Level AA annually.
This review process includes both automated testing and manual evaluations, often involving users of assistive technologies. Our goal is to ensure continuous improvement and to address new accessibility challenges as web technologies evolve.
The last review of this statement and our website's accessibility features was completed in October 2023.
This publication is owned and operated by APG, an independent digital media company.