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Search Laguna

Accessibility Statement

We want everyone to be able to read and use Search Laguna, including people who use screen readers, keyboards, magnifiers or voice control.

Last updated: October 30, 2026.

Our goal

Search Laguna aims to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA, the standard published by the World Wide Web Consortium. We treat accessibility as part of building each page, and we test new pages before they go live.

What the site does

  • Structure. Each page has one main heading and a logical order of section headings, so screen reader users can jump between sections. Pages use landmarks for the header, main content, navigation and footer.
  • Skip link. The first item on every page is a “Skip to content” link for keyboard users.
  • Keyboard use. You can reach and use every link, button and form field with a keyboard. A visible outline shows where you are.
  • Text alternatives. Photos carry text descriptions of what they show. Decorative shapes, such as the wave lines between sections, are hidden from screen readers.
  • Forms. Every form field has a visible label. After you send a form, the site announces the result (“Sending…”, then a thank-you or an error) to screen readers.
  • Text and zoom. Text resizes with your browser settings. We check layouts on phones and at very narrow widths, down to the 120 to 260 pixel layouts some Android phones use when large text is turned on.
  • Motion. Content fades in gently as you scroll. If you turn on “reduce motion” in your device settings, the site turns off fades and smooth scrolling.
  • Color. We choose text and background colors for contrast, and we do not use color alone to carry meaning.
  • No time limits. Nothing on the site times out or moves on before you are ready.
  • Tables. Data tables use header cells so screen readers can announce which column a value belongs to.

Known limits

  • Live data panels. Tides, water temperature, waves and forecasts load a moment after the page, and show “…” until they arrive. If NOAA data cannot load, the panel says so. The same readings are available from NOAA and the National Weather Service, which we link.
  • The coast map. The map of beaches is a drawing. Every pin on it is also a text link, and every beach appears in the list on the Beaches page.
  • Other websites. Pages link to businesses, agencies and map services we do not control. Their accessibility is up to them.
  • Older photos. If you find a photo with a missing or unclear description, please tell us and we will fix it.

Tell us about a barrier

If you have trouble using any part of Search Laguna, or need information from the site in another format, contact us. Tell us the page address, what you were trying to do and what got in the way, and we will work with you to provide the information another way and fix the problem.

California Relay Service users can reach us by dialing 711.

How we keep it up

We check new and changed pages with keyboard-only navigation and automated tests in phone and desktop browsers, and we review this statement when the site changes. Our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy explain the other rules for using the site.

Sources (1)
  1. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, a W3C Recommendation: w3.org, checked 2026-10-30