Digital Accessibility
At Areias do Seixo, we believe that the experience begins with the very first contact — including online. We work to ensure that our website is as accessible, clear and intuitive as possible, respecting different ways of navigating and interacting.
Digital accessibility is a continuous and evolving process, involving design, technology and content choices. Our commitment is to improve progressively, with transparency and attention to the real needs of our users.
Standards and best practices
The Areias do Seixo website was developed based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, defined by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), following practices aligned with Level AA, whenever technically possible within the current platform context.
Content and text alternatives
- All images and icons on the website support alternative text (ALT text), enabling access through assistive technologies and contributing to a more inclusive browsing experience.
- The accurate description of images also depends on how content is uploaded to the system, which is an ongoing focus of our editorial team.
Some decorative elements cannot yet be technically marked as such (for example, through specific accessibility attributes). This matter is currently under review by the platform’s technology provider.
Videos and multimedia content
Videos displayed on the website are embedded from external platforms (such as YouTube or Vimeo) and retain the accessibility features provided by those sources.
- Where necessary, captions should be activated or embedded directly on the video’s source platform.
- Features such as automatic transcripts or audio description currently depend on the original content rather than the website itself.
Contrast, legibility and personalisation
The website provides an accessibility widget that allows users to adjust their browsing experience, including:
- Increased contrast
- Text size adjustment
- Improved visibility of buttons and links
- Colour adaptations for users with colour vision deficiency
These options allow users to personalise their experience without permanently altering the website’s base design.
Navigation and structure
- The entire website can be navigated using a keyboard, without the need for a mouse.
- Page structure follows a logical content order, with visible focus during navigation.
- Content uses appropriate semantic structure, with correctly defined headings, navigation areas and forms.
Menus remain consistent across all pages, supporting user orientation. Breadcrumb navigation is not currently used.
Forms and error messages
Website forms include clear and understandable error messages (for example, indicating an invalid email address), without relying exclusively on colour to convey information.
Assistive technologies
The website is compatible with major screen readers, including NVDA, JAWS and VoiceOver.
Additional assistive features — such as text-to-speech or animation controls — can be accessed through the native tools of modern web browsers.
An evolving commitment
We recognise that digital accessibility is not a final destination, but an ongoing journey. We continue to monitor technical, legal and functional improvements that may further enhance the inclusivity of the Areias do Seixo online experience.
If you experience any difficulty while navigating our website or wish to share suggestions, we invite you to contact us. Your feedback is an essential part of this process.