Our Commitment
Settle is committed to ensuring that our platform is accessible to all users, including individuals with disabilities. We believe that everyone deserves equal access to Virginia real estate information, tools, and services. Accessibility is not an afterthought at Settle. It is built into every feature we design and every page we publish.
WCAG 2.1 AA Compliance
We strive to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These guidelines define how to make web content more accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological disabilities.
Our ongoing accessibility efforts include:
- Perceivable: All non-text content includes text alternatives. Content can be presented in different ways without losing information. Content is distinguishable with sufficient color contrast ratios (minimum 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text).
- Operable: All functionality is available via keyboard navigation. Users have sufficient time to read and interact with content. Content does not cause seizures or physical reactions. Users can easily navigate, find content, and determine where they are.
- Understandable: Text content is readable and understandable. Pages appear and operate in predictable ways. Users are helped to avoid and correct mistakes with clear form labels, error messages, and input validation.
- Robust: Content is compatible with current and future assistive technologies. Semantic HTML is used throughout the platform. ARIA attributes are implemented where standard HTML semantics are insufficient.
Specific Accommodations
The Settle platform includes the following accessibility features:
- Full keyboard navigation support across all pages, menus, forms, and interactive elements
- Skip-to-content links for efficient navigation past repeated elements
- Descriptive alt text on all images, including property photos and map imagery
- Properly labeled form controls with visible labels, error states, and instructions
- Focus indicators that are clearly visible on all interactive elements
- Semantic HTML structure with appropriate heading hierarchy, landmarks, and regions
- Responsive design that supports text resizing up to 200% without loss of content or functionality
- ARIA live regions for dynamic content updates, such as search results loading and form submission confirmations
- Color is never used as the sole means of conveying information
- All interactive maps include text-based alternatives for property location information
- Animations respect the reduced-motion user preference
Assistive Technology Compatibility
The Settle platform is designed to be compatible with common assistive technologies, including:
- Screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, TalkBack)
- Screen magnification software
- Speech recognition software (Dragon NaturallySpeaking)
- Keyboard-only navigation
- Switch access devices
We test regularly with these technologies across major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) and mobile platforms (iOS, Android) to ensure a consistent and accessible experience.
How to Request Help
If you encounter any accessibility barriers while using the Settle platform, or if you need information in an alternative format, we want to hear from you. We are committed to providing the information you need in a format that works for you.
Available accommodations include:
- Property information provided in alternative formats (large print, plain text, or audio description)
- Assistance with platform navigation via phone or email
- Agent consultations conducted through your preferred communication method, including TTY/TDD, video relay, and email
- Physical meeting accommodations at accessible office locations
Contact Us
We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of the Settle platform. Please let us know if you encounter accessibility barriers or have suggestions for improvement:
We aim to respond to all accessibility feedback within two business days and to resolve issues within ten business days.
Ongoing Efforts
Accessibility is an ongoing effort. We continuously review and improve the Settle platform to increase accessibility and usability for all of our users. This includes regular automated and manual accessibility audits, user testing with individuals who rely on assistive technologies, and training for our development and content teams.
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