Accessibility Statement

Built-In Accessibility Tools

Every page of the Uplift website includes a floating Accessibility & Language button in the bottom-left corner. Activating it opens a panel with:

• Language switcher — English and Español (Spanish) translation of navigation, footer, and major calls-to-action
• Text size — Normal, Large, Larger
• High contrast mode — Yellow on black with hard borders, optimized for low-vision users
• Reduce motion — Disables animations, transitions, and parallax
• Dyslexia-friendly font — Switches to a sans-serif font family with increased letter and word spacing
• Underline links — Visibly underlines every link for color-blind and low-vision users
• Highlight focus — Adds a bold gold focus ring around the currently focused element for keyboard users
• Reset — Clears all accessibility settings

Your preferences are saved on your device and persist across visits. They never leave your browser.

Standards We Aim to Meet

We are working toward compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA. This includes:

• Sufficient color contrast for text and interactive elements
• Keyboard navigability for all interactive features
• Screen-reader-friendly markup with semantic HTML and ARIA labels where needed
• Skip-to-content links on every page
• Resizable text without loss of functionality
• Captions and transcripts for video content (in progress for contestant video submissions)
• Form labels, error messages, and validation accessible to assistive technologies

Known Limitations

We are an actively-developing site. Current known limitations include:

• Some embedded third-party content (payment processors, video players) may not meet our internal accessibility standards; we monitor and request improvements where possible
• Translation to Spanish currently covers navigation, footer, and key calls-to-action; full body-text translation is being added in stages
• Some images currently use emoji or decorative placeholders pending real photography; these are marked aria-hidden where appropriate
• The accessibility widget uses localStorage for preference persistence; users with browser-storage disabled will need to reset preferences on each visit

Accessibility at Live Events

Our live State Championships, Tri-State Finals, Styling Challenges, and titleholder appearances are designed to be physically accessible. Specifically:

• All venues are required to meet ADA accessibility standards (entrances, restrooms, seating, stage access)
• Wheelchair-accessible viewing areas are provided at every event
• Reserved seating is available for guests with mobility needs, sensory sensitivities, or other accommodations
• Service animals are welcome
• Quiet rooms or low-stimulation spaces are available at multi-day events
• Sign-language interpretation, real-time captioning, and large-print programs are available upon advance request (please request at least 14 days before the event)
• Stage access ramps, lower mic stands, and adjustable lighting are provided for contestants with mobility or sensory needs

The Miss Adaptive Uplift open title category specifically celebrates contestants who use accessibility accommodations or adaptive equipment as part of their daily life.

Requesting an Accommodation

To request a specific accommodation for the website or for a live event, email us at info@galaglitteratigroup.com with subject line "Accessibility Request" and include:

• The accommodation you need
• The specific page, form, or event involved
• The date by which you need a response (e.g., before an event)
• Any context that helps us serve you well

We respond to accessibility requests within 2 business days and work in good faith to provide the accommodation requested.

Reporting an Accessibility Issue

If you encounter a barrier on our website or at one of our events, we want to know. Email info@galaglitteratigroup.com with subject line "Accessibility Issue" and tell us:

• What you were trying to do
• What went wrong (be as specific as possible)
• The browser, device, and assistive technology you were using (if applicable)
• Your contact information so we can follow up

We treat accessibility reports as priority bug reports and respond within 2 business days with a plan and timeline.

Language Support

Spanish translation is available for navigation, footer links, and major calls-to-action site-wide via the language switcher in the accessibility widget. Full content translation (body text on every page) is rolling out in stages. If you need a specific page translated for an immediate need, contact us and we'll provide a translated version of that page within 5 business days.

We are exploring additional language support for future seasons. Languages with significant Gulf Coast resident populations beyond English and Spanish — including Vietnamese, Haitian Creole, and Portuguese — are on our roadmap.

Federal and State Compliance

We comply with applicable provisions of:

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Titles II and III, as they apply to websites and places of public accommodation
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
• Florida Accessibility Code for Building Construction at all live venues in Florida
• Equivalent provisions in Alabama and Mississippi for venues in those states

Continuous Improvement

Accessibility is not a finish line — it's a continuous practice. We audit our website regularly, gather feedback from our community, and prioritize accessibility fixes alongside new feature work.

Contact

For any accessibility questions, requests, or concerns:

Email: info@galaglitteratigroup.com
Subject: "Accessibility Request" or "Accessibility Issue"