Accessibility Statement
1. Our Commitment to Accessibility
Harbinger Bros. LLC is committed to ensuring that middle-east-chronicle.com is accessible to all users, including people with disabilities. We believe that access to independent journalism about the Middle East and North Africa is a universal right that should not be conditioned on ability. We actively work to ensure our digital publication meets international accessibility standards for a global, multilingual audience.
2. Applicable Accessibility Standards
Middle East Chronicle aims to conform to the following accessibility standards and frameworks:
- WCAG 2.1 Level AA (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1, Level AA) — the internationally recognised standard for web content accessibility published by the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). We target all four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust.
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title III — for US users, we are committed to website accessibility consistent with the ADA's requirements for places of public accommodation, in accordance with current Department of Justice guidance and applicable court decisions.
- Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794d, as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998) — we apply the Revised 508 Standards to the extent applicable to our Website.
- European Accessibility Act, Directive (EU) 2019/882 — for EU/EEA users, we aim to meet applicable accessibility requirements, which became applicable to new digital products and services from 28 June 2025.
- UK Equality Act 2010 — for UK users, we are committed to making reasonable adjustments to ensure accessibility for disabled users.
3. Multilingual and Right-to-Left Content Considerations
Middle East Chronicle covers the MENA region, which encompasses languages written right-to-left (RTL) including Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian/Farsi. Our Website primarily presents content in English (left-to-right). Where we include Arabic, Hebrew, or other RTL text in quoted material or proper names:
- We implement Unicode Bidirectional Algorithm (UBA) standards for correct RTL text rendering
- HTML dir and lang attributes are used appropriately to signal text direction and language to assistive technologies
- Screen readers supporting RTL languages will correctly interpret directionality markers in our markup
We acknowledge that full multilingual accessibility support, particularly for complex RTL/LTR mixed content, remains an area of active development.
4. Accessibility Features
- Semantic HTML5 structure: We use semantic HTML5 elements throughout the Website to provide meaningful document structure, enabling efficient navigation for screen reader users.
- Alternative text for images: All content images have descriptive alternative text. Decorative images use empty alt attributes to be skipped by screen readers.
- Colour contrast: We meet WCAG 2.1 AA minimum contrast ratios: 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (18pt or 14pt bold and above).
- Keyboard navigation: The entire Website is navigable by keyboard alone. Interactive elements are reachable via the Tab key in logical order.
- Focus indicators: Visible focus outlines are displayed on all focusable elements during keyboard navigation.
- Heading hierarchy: A consistent and logical heading hierarchy is maintained throughout all pages, enabling efficient screen reader navigation by heading.
- Link purpose: All hyperlinks are descriptive of their destination. We avoid ambiguous link text such as “click here” without context.
- Resizable text: Text may be resized up to 200% using browser zoom without loss of content or functionality.
- Language attribute: The HTML lang attribute is correctly set on all pages to enable correct screen reader language identification.
- No seizure risk: We do not publish content with flashing or strobing effects at frequencies that could trigger photosensitive seizures.
- Skip navigation: We provide skip-to-content links to allow keyboard and screen reader users to bypass repetitive navigation elements.
5. Assistive Technology Testing
We have tested middle-east-chronicle.com with the following assistive technologies:
- NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) + Mozilla Firefox (Windows)
- NVDA + Google Chrome (Windows)
- JAWS (Job Access With Speech) + Chrome (Windows)
- VoiceOver + Safari (macOS)
- VoiceOver + Safari (iOS 17)
- TalkBack + Chrome (Android 14)
- Keyboard-only navigation on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge
- Windows High Contrast Mode
- Browser zoom at 200% and 400%
6. Known Limitations and Remediation Plan
We identify the following current accessibility limitations:
- Legacy archived content: Some older articles may have images without complete alternative text descriptions. We are conducting a systematic audit and remediation of archived content.
- Complex data tables: Some analytical articles containing complex data tables may not provide optimal screen reader experience. We are working to improve table markup and summaries.
- Embedded third-party content: Where we embed third-party content (such as video players from external services), that content may not fully conform to WCAG 2.1 AA. We select third-party services that commit to accessibility and are actively seeking fully accessible alternatives.
- PDF documents: Any linked PDF documents may not be fully accessible. We are working to provide accessible HTML alternatives where PDFs are linked.
We are committed to addressing all identified limitations and to full WCAG 2.1 Level AA conformance across all content.
7. Requesting Accessible Alternatives
If you are unable to access specific content on middle-east-chronicle.com due to a disability, we will make reasonable efforts to provide that content in an accessible alternative format upon request. Please contact us at support@harbingerpressmedia.com describing the content you need and your preferred format.
8. Feedback, Complaints, and Response
We welcome feedback on the accessibility of middle-east-chronicle.com. If you encounter accessibility barriers, have suggestions for improvement, or wish to file a formal accessibility complaint, please contact us:
Harbinger Bros. LLC
1309 Coffeen Avenue, Sheridan, WY 82801, United States
Email: support@harbingerpressmedia.com
We aim to respond to all accessibility-related communications within five (5) business days. We will acknowledge receipt of your feedback promptly and provide a substantive response within the five-day period. Where an issue cannot be resolved immediately, we will provide an estimated timeline for resolution and, where possible, an interim accessible alternative.
9. Escalation and Formal Enforcement
US users: If you believe middle-east-chronicle.com does not comply with applicable requirements of Title III of the ADA or Section 508, you may file a complaint with: (a) the US Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section; or (b) the US Access Board. We encourage you to contact us directly first so we can resolve the issue.
EU users: If you are not satisfied with our response to your accessibility complaint, you may contact the national enforcement body in your EU Member State responsible for monitoring compliance with Directive (EU) 2019/882 (European Accessibility Act).
UK users: If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) regarding accessibility under the Equality Act 2010.
10. Ongoing Improvement
Accessibility is a continuous process. We conduct regular accessibility audits of our Website, both automated and manual. We incorporate accessibility considerations into our editorial workflow and technology development cycles. We are committed to training our team on accessibility standards and to investing in the tools and processes necessary to maintain and improve the accessibility of our publication.
This Accessibility Statement was last reviewed and updated on June 10, 2026. We review this Statement at least annually and update it following material changes to our Website or accessibility practices.