Accessibility statement

Pristine Text is committed to making our website accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. We believe that buying and selling used textbooks should be possible for all users regardless of how they navigate the web.

We actively work to identify and resolve accessibility barriers. This statement describes our current conformance level, what works well, areas we are still improving, and how to contact us if you encounter a problem.

We target conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA — the benchmark used by US federal agencies and the standard referenced in ADA Title III e-commerce litigation.

WCAG 2.1 AA is built on four principles. Content must be:

• Perceivable — information and UI components must be presentable in ways users can perceive (text alternatives, captions, sufficient contrast)
• Operable — all functionality must be accessible via keyboard; no timing traps
• Understandable — content and operation must be predictable and error-tolerant
• Robust — content must be interpreted reliably by assistive technologies including current and future screen readers

The following features are currently implemented and regularly tested:

• Full keyboard navigation — every interactive element is reachable and operable without a mouse
• ARIA labels on all icon-only buttons (cart, close, show/hide password, photo navigation)
• Semantic HTML structure — main, nav, section, and a strict heading hierarchy (h1–h6) on every page
• Cart drawer announced as a dialog (role="dialog", aria-modal="true") with focus management
• Address autocomplete built to the full ARIA combobox pattern (role="combobox", aria-autocomplete, aria-controls)
• All form inputs have associated <label> elements
• Book cover images served with descriptive alt text; decorative elements use aria-hidden="true"
• Live regions (aria-live="polite") for status announcements (welcome banner, cart updates)
• Sufficient colour contrast across primary UI elements (text on background combinations meet 4.5:1 ratio)

We are aware of the following areas that do not yet fully meet WCAG 2.1 AA and are actively working to resolve them:

• Skip-to-content link — not yet implemented; keyboard users must tab through the header navigation on every page load. We are adding this.
• Admin panel keyboard navigation — some data tables and bulk-action interfaces in the admin section are not fully keyboard-navigable. The admin panel is not public-facing, but we are addressing this regardless.
• Contrast audit in progress — lighter supporting text (oatmeal-400 on white) is under review. Some secondary captions may fall below the 4.5:1 threshold. We are identifying and correcting affected instances.

We do not consider these issues acceptable long-term. If any of them affect your ability to use the site, please contact us — we will provide an alternative path immediately.

If any part of the Pristine Text website presents a barrier to you, we want to know. Email us at support@pristinetext.com with:

• The page or feature you were trying to use
• What assistive technology you use (screen reader, switch access, etc.)
• What happened and what you expected to happen

We will respond within 2 business days. If the barrier prevents you from completing a purchase, we can complete the transaction on your behalf by phone or email.

Pristine Text is built with Next.js (React Server Components), Tailwind CSS, and standard HTML5 semantics. We test accessibility using:

• Automated scanning with Lighthouse and axe DevTools
• Keyboard-only navigation testing (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
• Screen reader spot-checks with NVDA (Windows / Chrome) and VoiceOver (macOS / Safari)

This statement was last reviewed on May 24, 2026. We review and update it at least annually and after any significant changes to the site. If you believe this statement is inaccurate or incomplete, please let us know at support@pristinetext.com.

For general questions, contact us.