Accessibility Statement

1. Our Commitment

We are committed to making Quad usable by as many people as possible, regardless of disability or the technology they use to browse. Accessibility is treated as part of building the product, not as a separate project.

2. Conformance Status

We measure ourselves against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA — the standard U.S. courts and the Department of Justice most commonly point to for websites.

Quad is partially conformant with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. "Partially conformant" means most of the standard is met, but not all of it. We would rather tell you exactly where we stand than claim a level of conformance we have not independently verified — the known gaps are listed in Section 5.

3. What We Have Done

Measures currently in place across the site:

• A "Skip to main content" link as the first item in the tab order on every page
• Every page is operable by keyboard alone, with a clearly visible focus indicator on every link, button, and form control
• Text contrast meets the 4.5:1 minimum, and interactive controls meet the 3:1 minimum for their boundaries. Colour combinations are checked automatically on every change so they cannot regress
• Every form control has a programmatically associated label, so screen readers announce what each field is for
• Errors are announced to screen readers as they appear, and loading states are announced rather than leaving a blank pause
• Item photographs carry alternative text; purely decorative graphics are hidden from assistive technology so they do not add noise
• Animation — including the homepage intro — is disabled automatically when your device requests reduced motion, and the intro can always be dismissed with the Escape key
• The ownership-transfer form can be signed by typing your name as well as by drawing, so it does not require a mouse, trackpad, or touchscreen
• Pages use proper landmarks and headings, so screen-reader users can jump between sections instead of reading linearly
• Content reflows without horizontal scrolling down to a 320px-wide viewport

4. How We Assess

Accessibility on Quad has been evaluated by self-assessment: manual keyboard testing, review against the WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria, and automated colour-contrast checks that run as part of our test suite on every change.

We have not commissioned an independent third-party audit, and we have not yet run formal usability testing with disabled students. Both are things we intend to do as the platform grows, and we will update this page when they happen.

5. Known Limitations

We are aware of the following. If you hit one of these, please tell us — it moves it up the list.

• Item photographs use the listing title as their description. Sellers upload photos without writing alternative text, so a screen reader announces the title rather than describing what the photo actually shows — condition, colour, or damage may not be conveyed.
• Not tested with every screen reader. We have reviewed the site against the standard, but not verified it in every combination of screen reader and browser.
• Third-party components. Payments are handled on Stripe's own checkout pages and sign-in on Google's. Those pages are outside our control and are governed by their own accessibility commitments.
• Messages do not announce new arrivals. The chat feature does not yet announce incoming messages to screen readers automatically.
• No formal user testing. As above — no disabled-user testing has been conducted yet.

6. Feedback and Getting Help

If any part of Quad is difficult or impossible for you to use, email [email protected]. Please tell us what you were trying to do, the page you were on, and the browser and assistive technology you were using, if you know it.

We aim to:

• Acknowledge your message within 5 business days
• Tell you how and when we plan to fix the problem, or explain why we cannot
• Offer an alternative way to complete whatever you were trying to do while the fix is in progress — including completing the transaction for you directly, if that is what it takes

This is not a formality. Accessibility feedback is treated as a bug report, not a suggestion.

7. Technical Specifications

Accessibility on Quad relies on HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and WAI-ARIA, and on these being supported by your browser and any assistive technology you use. The site is built to work with current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari on desktop and mobile.

8. Enforcement and Formal Complaints

If you contact us about an accessibility barrier and are not satisfied with our response, you may raise it with the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, which enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act. Nothing on this page limits any right you have under the ADA, Section 504, Section 508, or state law, and nothing here waives any such right.

This statement describes our accessibility practices. It is not a warranty, and it does not form part of the Terms of Service.

9. Contact

Accessibility questions, problems, or feedback: [email protected].