Accessibility Compliance Mission Statement for TheHookah.com

Mission Statement: At Thehookah.com, we are committed to making online shopping a seamless and inclusive experience for everyone. Our mission is to ensure that our e-commerce platform is fully accessible to individuals of all abilities, including those with disabilities, and to provide an inclusive online environment where every customer can shop independently and with confidence.

Core Values:

  1. Inclusivity: We believe that all customers, regardless of their abilities, should have equal access to our products and services. We are dedicated to eliminating barriers that may prevent anyone from enjoying the benefits of online shopping.

  2. Empathy: We will continually strive to understand the unique challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and ensure our website is designed to address their needs effectively.

  3. Compliance: We are committed to meeting accessibility standards and guidelines, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, to ensure our website is accessible to all.

  4. Continuous Improvement: We recognize that accessibility is an ongoing process. We will continuously evaluate, test, and improve our website to ensure accessibility is at the forefront of our design and development efforts.

  5. Education and Awareness: We will actively educate our team members about accessibility best practices and foster a culture of awareness and inclusion within our organization.

Goals:

  1. WCAG 2.1 Compliance: Achieve and maintain compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at the AA level, ensuring that our website is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for all users.

  2. User-Centered Design: Prioritize user feedback and insights from individuals with disabilities to inform the design and functionality of our website.

  3. Accessible Features: Implement accessible features such as alternative text for images, keyboard navigation, and semantic HTML to enhance usability for all users.

  4. Testing and Auditing: Regularly conduct accessibility audits and user testing with individuals with disabilities to identify and address any issues.

  5. Training and Awareness: Provide training and resources to our team members, fostering a culture of accessibility awareness and expertise.

  6. Feedback Mechanism: Establish a feedback mechanism for users to report accessibility issues and ensure timely resolution.

Key Actions:

  1. Design and Development: Integrate accessibility into the design and development process from the outset, ensuring that new features and updates are accessible by design.

  2. Testing: Conduct regular automated and manual accessibility testing, addressing any issues promptly.

  3. Documentation: Maintain clear and up-to-date accessibility documentation for our website, including an accessibility statement that outlines our commitment and progress.

  4. User Support: Offer dedicated customer support for users with disabilities to assist with any accessibility-related queries or issues.

  5. Community Engagement: Collaborate with organizations and advocates for individuals with disabilities to gather feedback and insights.

Accountability: Our leadership team will work to ensure that accessibility is integrated into the aspects of our business.

Timeline: This mission to achieve full accessibility compliance will be an ongoing commitment.

Conformance status

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) defines requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. It defines three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA. Thehookah.com is partially conformant with WCAG 2.1 level AA. Partially conformant means that some parts of the content do not fully conform to the accessibility standard.

Known accessibility issues

Despite our best efforts users may experience some issues. This is a description of known accessibility issues. Please contact us if you observe an issue that is not listed.

Images:

Some images may not have alternative text

User reviews with product images may have contrast ratio issues. These images may vary in quality as they are uploaded by customers via various methods and devices that may vary in quality.

Links:

Some links may be empty

Headings:

Some Headings may be empty or missing

Compatibility with browsers and assistive technology

This site is designed to be compatible with the following browsers:

  • Google Chrome
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Safari
  • Opera
  • DuckDuckGo
  • Microsoft Edge

Technologies

Accessibility of this site relies on the following technologies to work:

  • HTML
  • CSS
  • Javascript

Assessment methods

Thehookah.com assessed the accessibility of this site using the following method(s):

  • Self-evaluation: the site was evaluated internally by the company or organization.
  • Website audits via online tools including but not limited to WAVE accessibility checker, Google Litehouse and Axe Devtools. 

Feedback process

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of this site and if you encounter accessibility barriers Thehookah.com please contact us by email at cs@thehookah.com

Conclusion: By embracing accessibility as a core value and integrating it into every aspect of our e-commerce platform, we are dedicated to creating a more inclusive online shopping experience for all. Our mission is not just a statement; it's a commitment to fostering a more inclusive and equitable digital world.