Accessibility at Grindstone

Accessible mode is the presentation in which Grindstone meets WCAG 2.1 Level AA. It raises every text and interface color pair to the required contrast ratios in both the dark and the paper themes, and leaves everything else unchanged. Any visitor can switch it on here or from the control in the top bar of every page; the choice is remembered on that device, and it turns itself on automatically for anyone whose operating system asks for increased contrast.

Structural accessibility is always on, in either presentation: the skip-to-content link, keyboard operation and focus indicators, text alternatives, programmatic labels, landmarks, page titles, and reduced-motion support.

With accessible mode enabled, Grindstone is substantially conformant with WCAG 2.1 Level A and Level AA. This covers the marketing site, account creation and sign-in, the case library, case sessions and debriefs, Ask the Coach, the judgment profile, the student experience, class discussion boards, messages, and the faculty dashboard.

A Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) style Accessibility Conformance Report covering WCAG 2.1 AA, Revised Section 508, and EN 301 549 is available for procurement review on request.

• In accessible mode, text and interface colors meet the 4.5:1 (and 3:1 for large text) contrast ratio on every page, in both the dark and the paper themes.
• A skip-to-content link is the first item in the tab order on every page, and a visible focus outline follows keyboard focus everywhere.
• All functionality can be operated from the keyboard alone, including the case session, the coach chat, cash flow panels, and the faculty tables.
• Images, icon-only buttons, charts, and the ring diagrams carry text alternatives; decorative graphics are hidden from assistive technology.
• Form fields have programmatic labels, and errors are announced in text, never by color alone.
• Scrolling regions are reachable and operable by keyboard, and dialogs manage focus and close on Escape.
• Animation respects the operating system “reduce motion” setting.
• Content reflows to a 320 CSS pixel width without loss of information or two-dimensional scrolling, and works at 200 percent text zoom.
• Pages carry unique titles, one main landmark, and a correct language attribute.

Every release is scanned with axe-core against the WCAG 2.0 A/AA and WCAG 2.1 A/AA rule sets across the public site, the learner experience, the student experience, and the faculty dashboard, at both desktop and 390 pixel phone widths. Automated testing is paired with keyboard-only walkthroughs of the primary flows: sign-in, working a case, reading a debrief, asking the coach, posting to a class board, and the faculty roster and reports.

Automated tools cannot detect every barrier. We welcome reports of anything they miss.

• Some case artwork is illustrative of a property type rather than of a specific building; its text alternative describes the property type and setting, not the individual photograph.
• Interactive cash flow panels and ring diagrams present numbers graphically. Every figure they show is also available as text in the same panel, but the graphical arrangement itself is not conveyed to a screen reader.
• Recorded webinar replays carry captions. Live webinar sessions are captioned on request with five business days notice.

If you encounter a barrier, need content in an alternate format, or are evaluating Grindstone for a state-funded institution and need our conformance report, write to support@getrefm.com. We acknowledge accessibility reports within two business days and give a remediation plan or a timeline within ten business days.

Real Estate Financial Modeling, LLC is responsible for the accessibility of Grindstone. Faculty and administrators at Texas institutions may also route requests through their campus accessibility coordinator; we respond to coordinators directly.