Accessibility
ReLease is a public record, so it should be readable by everyone who needs it: with a screen reader, with a keyboard and no mouse, at high zoom, with reduced motion, and on a small screen. This page says what we hold ourselves to, what we know is still wrong, and how to tell us when we have missed something.
The standard we build to
We target the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at level AA, which is the current version and includes everything in 2.1 level AA, the version most commonly named in accessibility settlements and in the United States federal rule for government websites. Our checks measure against 2.2 AA.
We describe it as a target rather than a finished result on purpose. Parts of the site have been checked line by line and with automated tooling. A full manual audit with assistive technology, by someone who uses it daily, has not happened yet. Until it has, claiming full conformance would be a claim we cannot stand behind.
What already works
- Every page can be operated with a keyboard alone, and the element you are on always shows a visible focus outline.
- A skip link is the first thing on every page, and it moves keyboard focus past the repeated site header straight to that page's content (on the search results page it also skips the repeated search box).
- Text and interface colors are checked against the WCAG contrast thresholds numerically rather than by eye.
- Every rating on the site is written in words as well as color, so no judgment depends on being able to tell two colors apart.
- Verification badges say exactly what they verify (that an email address was confirmed) and never imply more.
- Forms label every field, group related choices under a heading a screen reader reads out, and announce the result of submitting rather than only showing it.
- The one animation on the site switches itself off if you prefer reduced motion.
What we know is still wrong
We would rather list these than have you find them.
- The map. The address map is drawn as graphics rather than as text, so a screen reader cannot read the individual dots and a keyboard cannot move between them. You can pan and zoom the map with the arrow keys and the plus and minus keys. To reach the same addresses as text, search for an address or browse the directory, which lists every address the map shows, as ordinary links.
- Form errors are announced but not attached. When a submission fails we say so out loud, and every field has a real label. What we have not done yet is tie an error message to the specific field it is about, so a screen reader reader hears the problem without being moved to the field that caused it.
- No manual audit yet. Our checks are automated plus a careful read of the code. Automated tools catch only a minority of real accessibility problems, so there are almost certainly issues neither has found.
Tell us what is broken
If any part of this site keeps you from finding a record, reading one, or filing one, email disputes@joinrelease.com and say what happened, which page, and what you were using. We answer accessibility reports within five business days, and if a fix is going to take longer than that we will tell you what we are doing instead in the meantime.
If you need something on this site that you cannot reach, we will get it to you another way while the underlying problem is being fixed. Ask, and we will send it.
How this page stays honest
Automated accessibility checks run against the site as part of our tests, so a change that breaks one of them fails before it ships. We re-read this page whenever those checks change and at least every three months, next by November 2026. The date at the top is the last time it was actually reviewed, not the last time the site changed.