Last updated: April 1, 2026

Our Commitment

Pathway to Medicine is committed to making our website accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. The path to a career in medicine should be open to all.

Standards

We strive to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA. These guidelines are the internationally recognized standard for web accessibility.

Accessibility Features

Text-to-Speech

Content pages include a “Listen” button powered by ElevenLabs AI that reads page content aloud. Controls include play, pause, stop, and speed adjustment (0.75x to 2x). The player bar becomes sticky when you scroll, so controls remain accessible during long reads. A Web Speech API fallback activates if the primary service is unavailable.

Visual Accessibility

The site supports light and dark display modes, toggled via the header. Your preference is saved. Color combinations (navy on coral, white on navy) meet WCAG AA contrast ratios. Text sizes use relative units and scale with browser zoom to 200% without loss of content.

Keyboard Navigation

All interactive elements are keyboard-accessible. Tab moves focus. Enter or Space activates controls. Escape closes menus and overlays. Arrow keys navigate the hero carousel and mega menus. A “Skip to content” link is the first focusable element on every page.

Screen Reader Support

We use semantic HTML (nav, main, article, section, aside). Images include alt text. Form fields are labeled. Dynamic changes use ARIA live regions. Navigation uses ARIA roles for menu structure.

Responsive Design

The site functions on all screen sizes without horizontal scrolling.

Social Login

Social login buttons (Google, Facebook, Apple) are keyboard-accessible with descriptive labels. Email and password registration is always available as an alternative.

Discussion

Discussion comment forms, voting buttons, and reply controls are keyboard-accessible with ARIA labels.

Callout Blocks

Informational callout blocks use role=”note” and distinct visual styling (color-coded badges with icons) to convey their type. Content is fully accessible without color perception.

Known Limitations

We continuously improve accessibility. Current known limitations: the interactive state map requires mouse interaction on some screen readers (a text-based list is provided), some third-party widgets (social login providers, Cloudflare Turnstile) may not fully conform to WCAG, and AI-generated audio may mispronounce specialized medical terminology.

Feedback

Contact us at admin@pathwaytomedicine.com with subject “Accessibility Feedback” or use the feedback button on any page. We respond within 5 business days.

Formal Complaints

If we have not adequately addressed a concern, you may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, at www.ed.gov/ocr.

Last verified: April 2026