ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT

Esprit de Corps Foundation is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people of all abilities. As a veteran-led organization, we understand that our community includes individuals with a wide range of needs, including those with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive disabilities. We believe that everyone should have equal access to information about our mission, programs, and services — and equal access to participate in our community through The Ranks member portal.

We strive to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities and more user-friendly for everyone.

We have implemented the following accessibility features across our public marketing website:

• Semantic HTML — We use proper heading hierarchy, landmark regions (header, nav, main, footer), and semantic elements to ensure assistive technologies can accurately interpret page structure
• Keyboard navigation — All interactive elements are accessible via keyboard, with visible focus indicators throughout the site
• Skip navigation link — A “Skip to main content” link is provided on every page so keyboard and screen reader users can bypass repetitive navigation
• Color contrast — Text and interactive elements meet WCAG 2.1 AA minimum contrast ratios to ensure readability for users with low vision or color vision deficiencies
• Alternative text — Meaningful images include descriptive alt text, while decorative images are properly marked to be ignored by screen readers
• ARIA attributes — We use ARIA labels and roles where needed to provide additional context for assistive technologies
• Responsive design — Our website is designed to be usable across a range of devices and screen sizes, and supports text resizing without loss of content or functionality
• Form accessibility — All forms include visible labels, clear instructions, and descriptive error messages that help all users complete submissions
• Readable content — We use clear, straightforward language and maintain adequate line spacing and text sizing for comfortable reading

The Ranks member portal follows the same WCAG 2.1 AA standards as the marketing website, with additional accessibility considerations for the interactive community features:

• Full keyboard navigation — All portal features — including the sidebar navigation, social feed, post creation, community boards, messaging interface, member directory, notifications, profile editing, and event pages — are fully navigable using only a keyboard
• Screen reader support — Posts, comments, reactions, friend requests, notifications, and direct messages are fully accessible to screen readers with appropriate ARIA labels, roles, and live regions for dynamic content updates
• Focus management — Proper focus management is implemented for modals (such as post creation, image previews, and confirmation dialogs), inline editing, and real-time message updates to ensure a seamless experience for assistive technology users
• High contrast interface — The portal’s navy-themed interface maintains high contrast ratios across all components, ensuring readability for text, buttons, badges, tier indicators, and interactive elements
• Accessible forms — All forms in The Ranks — including account registration, profile editing, verification applications, post creation, and event RSVPs — use properly associated labels, clear validation messages, and logical tab order
• Image alt text — User-uploaded images (avatars, cover photos, post images) are presented with appropriate alternative text or are marked as decorative where applicable
• Notification accessibility — Notifications for new messages, friend requests, post interactions, and events are announced to screen readers and are accessible via keyboard navigation

While we strive for full WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, we acknowledge that some areas may have limitations:

• User-generated content (posts, comments, and uploaded images) may not always include appropriate alternative text or meet contrast requirements, as this content is created by individual members
• Third-party embedded content (such as donation forms, merchandise shop pages, and analytics tools) may have accessibility limitations beyond our direct control
• Some complex interactive features (such as real-time messaging and dynamic feed updates) may present challenges for certain assistive technologies, and we are continuously working to improve these experiences

We are committed to identifying and addressing these limitations on an ongoing basis. If you encounter any specific barrier, please reach out to us so we can prioritize a fix.

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of our Platform. If you encounter any barriers, have difficulty using any feature on the marketing website or The Ranks member portal, or have suggestions for improvement, please let us know. We take all feedback seriously and will do our best to address concerns promptly.

You can reach us by:

• Email: info@espritdcf.org
• Phone: 312-219-5015
• Mail: Esprit de Corps Foundation, 205 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 810, Chicago, IL 60601

When contacting us about an accessibility issue, please include:

• A description of the problem you encountered
• The page URL or feature where you experienced the issue (for example, the social feed, messaging, profile page, or a specific community board)
• The assistive technology you were using (such as screen reader, magnification software, or voice control)
• Your browser and operating system, if known

We aim to respond to accessibility feedback within five business days and to resolve reported issues as quickly as possible.

Our Platform may include content or functionality provided by third parties, such as donation forms (Givebutter), the merchandise shop (Fourthwall), embedded videos, and analytics tools. While we strive to ensure all content on our site is accessible, we may have limited ability to control the accessibility of third-party content and services.

If you experience difficulty accessing any third-party content on our Platform, we encourage you to contact us directly so we can help you access the information or service you need through an alternative method.

Accessibility is an ongoing effort, not a one-time task. We are committed to continuously improving the accessibility of our Platform — including both the marketing website and The Ranks member portal — through the following measures:

• Regular accessibility audits and testing using both automated tools and manual review
• Testing with screen readers (such as VoiceOver and NVDA) and keyboard-only navigation during development of new features
• Incorporating accessibility best practices into our design and development process from the start, including for new portal features like community boards, events, and volunteer opportunities
• Training our team members on digital accessibility standards and practices
• Reviewing and addressing feedback from our community members on an ongoing basis
• Monitoring accessibility of third-party integrations and working with vendors to address identified issues

We view accessibility as part of our core mission of building inclusive community. If this Platform is not meeting your needs, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are here to help.

For any questions about our accessibility efforts, please contact: