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Accessibility Statement

Effective Date: June 1, 2026 Last Updated: July 1, 2026

Our Commitment to Accessibility

At The Grounded Space, we believe that beautiful, thoughtfully designed spaces, and the digital experiences that represent them, should be welcoming to everyone. We are committed to ensuring that our website, thegroundedspacechi.com, is accessible to all visitors, including those with visual, auditory, cognitive, or motor disabilities.

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We continually work to improve the usability of our site and to align with recognized accessibility standards so that every visitor can explore our portfolio, learn about our services, and connect with our team with ease.

Standards We Follow

We aim to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. Conformance to WCAG 2.1 Level AA is our ongoing goal and a reflection of our commitment to inclusive design.

Accessibility Features on This Site

We have taken a number of steps to support accessibility across thegroundedspacechi.com, including:

  • Keyboard navigation: All interactive elements, including menus, buttons, and links, are accessible via keyboard without requiring a mouse.

  • Screen reader compatibility: Our content is structured with semantic HTML and descriptive text to support screen readers and other assistive technologies.

  • Text alternatives: Meaningful images include descriptive alternative text so that their content is conveyed to users who cannot see them.

  • Color contrast: We have designed our color palette to maintain sufficient contrast between text and background elements to support users with low vision or color blindness.

  • Resizable text: Our site supports browser-level text resizing without loss of content or functionality.

  • Consistent navigation: Page structures, menus, and headings are used consistently throughout the site to support orientation and ease of navigation.

  • Descriptive links: Links are written to be meaningful in context, helping users who navigate by link lists understand where each link leads.

  • No auto-playing media: We avoid content that flashes, moves, or plays automatically in ways that could cause distraction or harm.

Known Limitations

We are committed to transparency. While we strive for full WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, some content on our site may not yet fully meet all guidelines. These limitations may include:

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  • Portfolio imagery: As an interior design studio, our site is image-rich. While we provide alternative text for key images, some decorative or stylistic photographs may have limited descriptions.

  • Third-party content: Certain embedded tools, maps, or plugins provided by third-party platforms (such as Wix-native features) may have accessibility constraints outside of our direct control. We encourage those vendors to meet accessibility standards and advocate for improvements where possible.

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We are actively working to address these limitations as part of our ongoing accessibility improvement process.

 

Assistive Technologies Supported

 

Our website is designed to be compatible with commonly used assistive technologies, including:

  • Screen readers (such as JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver)

  • Magnification software

  • Voice recognition software (such as Dragon NaturallySpeaking)

  • Keyboard-only navigation

 

Feedback & Contact

 

We welcome your feedback. If you experience any difficulty accessing any part of thegroundedspacechi.com, or if you would like to request accessible versions of any content, please do not hesitate to contact us. We take all accessibility concerns seriously and will respond promptly.

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Email: connect@thegroundedspacechi.com

 

When you reach out, please describe the accessibility barrier you encountered and the assistive technology or browser you were using, if applicable. We aim to respond to all accessibility inquiries within 5 business days.

 

Formal Complaints

If you are not satisfied with our response to your accessibility concern, you may wish to contact the relevant national or regional authority responsible for web accessibility enforcement in your jurisdiction.

 

Ongoing Efforts

 

Accessibility is not a one-time effort, it is a continuous practice. We review and test our site regularly, and we engage in the following ongoing activities:

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  • Periodic internal reviews and audits of site content against WCAG 2.1 AA criteria

  • Review of new content and site updates prior to publication for accessibility compliance

  • Staff awareness of accessibility best practices as part of our content creation process

 

This statement was prepared by The Grounded Space Interior Design Studio and applies to the website located at thegroundedspacechi.com. It was effective as of June 1, 2026, and was last reviewed and updated on July 1, 2026.

A few notes on using this:

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  • The "Known Limitations" section is intentionally honest, regulators and users appreciate transparency over vague blanket claims. You can adjust the specifics as your site evolves.

  • If you ever commission a formal WCAG audit, you can add a line citing the auditor and the date of the audit.

  • The "Formal Complaints" section is a best-practice inclusion, you can optionally link it to a specific body such as the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) or the Illinois Human Rights Act if you'd like to be more specific to your Chicago-based practice.

  • The 5 business days response time is a reasonable standard, adjust it if you prefer a different commitment.

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