Legal notice

Accessibility Statement

Last Updated: June 27, 2026

The Bespoke Bibliophile is committed to making thebespokebibliophile.com accessible to all visitors, including those who use assistive technologies. This statement describes our accessibility target, the specific commitments we have made, known limitations, and how to report an issue.

Our Standard

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 describe four principles for accessible content: that it must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. WCAG 2.1 AA is the standard applied by the US Department of Justice in ADA enforcement, and we regard it as a reasonable and necessary baseline — not a ceiling.

Specific Commitments

  • Alternative text: All non-decorative images carry descriptive alt text. Where product images are supplied by third-party vendors, we audit and supplement alt text as part of our standard listing workflow and invite reports for any image that does not meet this standard.
  • Keyboard navigation: The site and checkout flow are navigable by keyboard alone. No keyboard traps are intentionally present. A skip-navigation link is available at the top of each page.
  • Color contrast: Text and interactive elements meet or exceed WCAG 2.1 AA contrast ratios (4.5:1 for body text; 3:1 for large text and UI components).
  • Captions and audio descriptions: Any video content is captioned. Audio descriptions are provided where visual content is not available by audio track alone.
  • Form accessibility: All form inputs, including the checkout flow, are labeled. Error messages are descriptive and associated with the relevant field.
  • Screen reader compatibility: We test with common screen reader and browser combinations, including NVDA with Chrome and VoiceOver with Safari. Known issues are logged and prioritized for remediation.
  • Reflow and responsive design: Content reflows without loss of information or functionality at a viewport width equivalent to 320 CSS pixels.
  • Accessible communications: Order confirmation and shipping notification emails are structured for screen reader legibility, with appropriate heading hierarchy, alt text, and sufficient color contrast.

Third-Party Content

Downloadable content generated by Lulu Direct — including journal preview files — may not fully conform to all WCAG success criteria for tagged PDF structure. Vendor-supplied product images are reviewed for alt text coverage as described above. If you encounter a third-party element that creates an accessibility barrier, please let us know and we will seek a remedy or provide an alternative.

What We Do Not Do

We do not rely on automated overlay widgets or accessibility plugins as a substitute for genuine compliance. Courts and accessibility specialists have consistently found that these tools do not satisfy ADA obligations and may introduce additional barriers. Our approach is direct remediation of the site's own code and content.

Known Limitations

Accessibility is an ongoing process. At the time of this statement, we are not aware of any persistent Level AA failures in the core shopping and checkout flow. Periodic audits are conducted, and issues identified are prioritized for remediation. If you find something we have missed, please tell us — the reporting mechanism below reaches the person responsible for fixing it.

How to Report an Accessibility Issue

Write to curator@thebespokebibliophile.com with the subject line "Accessibility." Describe the barrier, the page where it occurs, and the assistive technology you are using. We will acknowledge your report within 2 business days and will work with you to provide an accessible alternative or a timeline for remediation.

If you are unable to compose an email due to a disability, please describe the barrier via any method available to you (including dictated or third-party-assisted email) and we will work to accommodate the request.

Contact

curator@thebespokebibliophile.com
The Bespoke Bibliophile | thebespokebibliophile.com