Hike NWA exists to help people get onto a trail. That only works if the people who need this information most can actually use the site. We want hikenwa.org to work for everyone, including people using screen readers, keyboard navigation, magnification, or captions.
Our commitment
We are working toward conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA. We are not claiming we are fully there. We are a small volunteer organization, this site grows every month, and accessibility is something we keep working on rather than something we finished.
What we aim for
- A skip-to-content link and a page structure built on real headings, so screen reader and keyboard users can move around quickly.
- Meaningful alternative text on images that carry information.
- Trail information written out in words, not only shown on a map—every route lists its distance, elevation gain, surface, and difficulty as text.
- Readable text sizes and color contrast that holds up when you zoom in.
- Menus, filters, and buttons that work with a keyboard.
- Link text that makes sense on its own, instead of a page full of “click here.”
Known limitations
We would rather tell you where the site falls short than pretend it does not:
- Interactive maps. The trailhead map is difficult to use with a screen reader. Every trailhead also has its own page with parking details, directions, and the routes that start there, all in text. If the map is not working for you, use the trailhead pages instead.
- Embedded forms from other companies. Our donation form is provided by Zeffy, an outside service whose accessibility we do not control. If it does not work for you, you can donate by check instead—see our Donation and Refund Policy—or contact us and we will help. Volunteers who have trouble with our hours form can send them through the contact form instead.
- Route files and downloads. GPX and similar navigation files are data formats for mapping apps and are not accessible documents on their own.
- Older photos and pages. Some material added earlier in the site’s life may still be missing alternative text or good heading structure. We fix these as we find them.
A note about the trails themselves
Website accessibility and trail accessibility are two different things, and we can only speak to one of them with confidence.
We describe each route’s surface, grade, distance, and elevation gain so you can judge for yourself whether it will work for you, a stroller, or a mobility device. We do not certify any trail as ADA-compliant or accessible. We are not the land manager, and a paved trail is not automatically an accessible one—grade, cross-slope, width, and trailhead parking all matter. For official accessibility information, contact the city or property owner that manages the trail.
Run into a problem? Tell us
If any part of this site keeps you from finding what you need, we want to hear about it—that is genuinely useful to us, not a bother. Send us a note through our contact form and choose “Website feedback.”
It helps if you can tell us which page you were on, what you were trying to do, and what got in the way, along with the browser or assistive technology you were using. We aim to respond within five business days, and we are happy to give you the information in another format in the meantime.