Accessibility Statement

Our goal

Everyone should be able to order a certified copy of a birth certificate on their own, whatever device they use and however they use it. BirthChek works to make the website, the online application, checkout and the order portal usable by people with disabilities, including people who rely on a screen reader, a keyboard, voice control or magnification.

The standard we use

We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA. We treat it as a working requirement for every new page and every change, not a one-time project.

What we have in place

• Pages are built from real headings, lists, landmarks and buttons, so assistive technology can describe them.
• Every form field has a visible label, help text sits next to the field it explains, and errors name the field and say how to fix it.
• Everything can be done with a keyboard alone, and the element that has focus is clearly outlined.
• The site is designed for phones first: buttons and links are large enough to tap, pages do not scroll sideways, and fields open the right keyboard.
• Text and controls use a fixed set of colors chosen for strong contrast against their background.
• Images that carry meaning have a text description; decorative ones are hidden from screen readers.
• Our automated tests include accessibility checks of the public pages, the application and the order portal, in a desktop browser and on a phone-sized screen. Automated checks cannot catch every problem, which is why your feedback matters.

Known limitations

• Choosing a state. The state search on the home page can be used by keyboard and screen reader, and every supported state is also listed as plain text links on the birth certificate page.
• Uploading documents. Some states require a photo of your ID. If taking or uploading a photo is difficult for you, contact us and we will work out another way with you.
• Older browsers. We test with current versions of Chrome and Safari, on computers and on phones. Very old browsers may not display everything correctly.

Content from other providers

Card details are entered in a payment form provided by our payment processor and shown inside our checkout. That form follows the processor's own accessibility program. If you cannot complete payment, contact us and we will help you finish your order.

Tell us about a barrier

If something on the site is hard or impossible to use, we want to know, and we will help you complete your order another way. Email support@birthchek.com or use our Support page. Tell us the page you were on, what you were trying to do and, if you like, the device and assistive technology you use. We reply within one business day.

Reviewing this statement

We review this statement whenever the site changes in a way that affects it, and at least once a year.