Kern County Sheriff's Office Headquarters
Kern County Sheriff's Office

Accessibility

Accessibility Statement

We are committed to ensuring that our website is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of ability. Our objective is to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA, which outline best practices for making web content usable for people with a broad range of disabilities.

Our Accessibility Practices

To support accessibility, our website is developed using:

  • semantic and standards-based HTML
  • meaningful headings and landmark regions
  • descriptive link text and properly labeled form fields
  • responsive layout and scalable content using browser zoom
  • keyboard-accessible navigation
  • high-contrast color combinations intended to support readability

We review our content and templates regularly to identify potential accessibility issues and to improve the user experience over time.

Use with Assistive Technologies

Our website is built using accessibility best practices intended to support compatibility with a variety of assistive technologies. However, formal testing with screen readers and other assistive tools has not yet been completed. As part of our ongoing accessibility efforts, we plan to expand testing and make improvements based on user feedback and evolving standards.

Keyboard Navigation

Our intent is for all primary functionality to be accessible using only a keyboard. Core interactions should be possible using:

  • Tab and Shift + Tab to move between elements
  • Enter or Space to activate buttons and links
  • Escape to close dialogs or menus

If you experience difficulty navigating the site without a mouse, please notify us so we can investigate and address the issue.

Ongoing Improvements

While we strive to achieve WCAG 2.1 AA conformance, some content may not fully meet these standards yet. We are continuously working to identify and resolve accessibility barriers as part of our commitment to inclusive access for all users.

Feedback and Contact

If you encounter accessibility issues on our website or have suggestions for improvement, please contact us at tss@kernsheriff.org. Please describe the issue, the page where it occurred, and any assistive technology you were using (if applicable). This information helps us resolve issues more quickly.