Our standards
Accessibility
We serve veterans, and many of us live with disabilities. That makes an accessible site part of the mission, not an afterthought. Here is what we do and how to reach us if something gets in your way.
Boots to Benefits exists to help veterans get information they can actually use. If the site itself is hard to read, hard to navigate, or unusable with assistive technology, it fails at the one thing it is for. So accessibility is something we build in and keep working on.
Our commitment
We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA. That is the widely used standard for making web content usable by people with a broad range of disabilities, including those affecting vision, hearing, mobility, and cognition.
What we do
To make the site work for as many people as possible, we build it with these practices:
- Semantic HTML. Pages use real headings, lists, and landmarks so screen readers can announce structure and let you jump around instead of wading through everything in order.
- Keyboard navigability. You can reach and use the site's links, buttons, and controls with a keyboard alone, without needing a mouse or trackpad.
- A skip-to-content link. A skip link at the top of every page lets keyboard and screen-reader users jump straight past the header to the main content.
- Sufficient color contrast. Text is set against its background at contrast levels that stay readable, including for low-vision readers and in bright conditions.
- Readable text sizes. Body text is set at a comfortable size and reflows when you zoom or use a smaller screen, so you can make it bigger without breaking the layout.
- Descriptive links. Links say where they go, rather than relying on bare "click here" text that makes no sense out of context.
- Alt text on meaningful images. Images that carry information get text alternatives so screen-reader users get the same meaning.
- Respect for reduced-motion preferences. If your device is set to reduce motion, we honor that and hold back non-essential animation.
Known limitations
We are a small veteran-run site, and we are honest about where we still fall short. Accessibility here is a continuing effort, not a finished box we have checked. Some third-party embeds and tools we include may not fully conform to the standard, because we do not control how they are built. Where that happens, we work to offer another way to get the same information, and we would rather hear about a barrier than pretend it is not there.
If something gets in your way
If any part of this site is hard to use with your assistive technology, or a page keeps you from getting the information you need, email [email protected]. Tell us the page and what happened, and we will help you get the information another way while we work on a fix.
How to report a barrier
Reader reports are one of the best ways we find and fix problems. If you hit an accessibility barrier, send an email to [email protected] with the page address and a short description of the trouble, including the device, browser, or assistive technology you were using if you know it. We will respond, help you get what you came for, and use what you tell us to make the site better for the next veteran.
Need a hand right now?
If a page is getting in your way, reach out and we will get you the information another way. You can also start with the guides or open the tools directly.
This is general education, not legal advice, and not from the VA. Your claim depends on your records, your evidence, and your exam. For advice on your specific situation, work with a free VA-accredited representative or a Veterans Service Organization. We are not the VA and are not affiliated with the VA.