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ACCESSIBILITY POLICY

Tropical Retreats Home and Garden

Effective date: 1 October 2025

Tropical Retreats Home and Garden (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to providing a website and online shopping experience that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of technology or ability. We aim to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA and to meet applicable requirements of the Australian Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA), the U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and relevant EU accessibility standards for private-sector e-commerce.

If you experience any difficulty using our website, please contact us so we can help and continue improving:
Email: admin@tropicalretreatshomeandgarden.com
 

1) Scope

This policy applies to the public-facing pages and features of tropicalretreatshomeandgarden.com and associated subpages, including product listings, cart and checkout, account pages, and support content. It also covers our email communications and downloadable documents we publish for customers.
 

2) Our accessibility standard & approach

We use the following as our accessibility benchmark and process:

  • Standard: WCAG 2.2 AA as our primary conformance target.

  • Method: Ongoing manual and automated testing (e.g., keyboard-only navigation checks, screen reader trials) and tools-based audits (e.g., axe, WAVE, Lighthouse).

  • Platform: Our store is built on Wix; we use Wix’s accessibility features (e.g., semantic templates, ARIA support, alt text fields, headings structure, color contrast tools).

  • Coordinator: We have designated an Accessibility Coordinator (reachable at admin@tropicalretreatshomeandgarden.com) to oversee implementation, training, and remediation.
     

3) Measures we are taking

We are actively:

  • Using proper heading structure, landmarks, and semantic HTML for consistent navigation.

  • Ensuring sufficient color contrast and avoiding color as the sole means of conveying information.

  • Providing accessible names/labels for form inputs and controls; associating error messages with fields.

  • Supporting keyboard-only access (including visible focus states) and avoiding keyboard traps.

  • Supplying alt text for meaningful images and marking decorative images as decorative.

  • Providing captions or transcripts for any time-based media we publish.

  • Minimising motion/animations and honoring reduced motion preferences where feasible.

  • Ensuring links and buttons have clear purpose and accessible names.

  • Testing with common assistive technologies (e.g., NVDA, VoiceOver) and current versions of major browsers.

  • Publishing content in accessible formats (HTML preferred). When PDFs are needed, we aim to produce tagged, accessible PDFs and provide an alternative format on request.
     

4) Third-party content and integrations

Our website integrates services we do not control, including:

  • Payment processors: Stripe and PayPal checkout elements and portals.

  • Platform & apps: Wix templates, widgets, and third-party apps (e.g., analytics, live chat, reviews).

  • Embedded content: Maps, social media, or supplier resources.

We select providers that state accessibility commitments where possible; however, some third-party content may not fully meet WCAG 2.2 AA. If you encounter an issue within a third-party component, please tell us; we will provide a reasonable alternative and raise the issue with the vendor.
 

5) Browser and assistive technology compatibility

We aim to support the last two major versions of: Chrome, Safari, Edge, and Firefox, on desktop and mobile. We also test with:

  • Screen readers: NVDA/JAWS (Windows), VoiceOver (macOS/iOS).

  • Magnification & contrast tools: OS- and browser-native settings.

  • Keyboard-only navigation.

If you use a different setup, we’ll do our best to assist.
 

6) Known limitations & remediation timeline

We continuously improve, but the following may occur at times:

  • Vendor widgets (e.g., embedded checkout, pop-ups) with missing ARIA attributes or insufficient focus management.

  • Legacy PDFs or supplier-provided documents that are not fully tagged for accessibility.

  • User-generated content (e.g., reviews) that may lack alt text or proper structure.

Our plan:

  • Prioritise checkout/cart issues immediately.

  • Fix critical navigation/keyboard issues within 10 business days of confirmation.

  • Provide accessible alternatives for documents within 5 business days on request.

  • Work with vendors on fixes and implement available accessible alternatives when feasible.
     

7) Requests for accommodations & accessible alternatives

If you need information in a different format (e.g., large print, tagged PDF, plain text, audio) or require assistance to complete a purchase:

  1. Email admin@tropicalretreatshomeandgarden.com with the page URL or document name and your preferred format.

  2. We will acknowledge within 2 business days and aim to provide a solution within 5–10 business days, depending on the request complexity.

  3. If the matter is urgent (e.g., time-limited purchase), tell us and we’ll prioritise immediate assistance (e.g., phone callback, email order support, or alternative checkout).

We will provide auxiliary aids and services where reasonable (e.g., reading assistance via email/live support transcripts).
 

8) Training & content governance

  • Staff who publish content or configure site features receive basic accessibility training (WCAG principles, headings, alt text, link naming, captioning).

  • We use internal checklists before launching new pages, features, or promotions.

  • We avoid introducing known anti-patterns (e.g., auto-playing audio, critical content in images without text equivalents).
     

9) Feedback, complaints, and escalation

We welcome feedback on accessibility:

Response & resolution: We acknowledge within 2 business days and aim to resolve issues within 10 business days where feasible.

Escalation avenues (by region):

  • Australia: You may contact the Australian Human Rights Commission if concerns are not resolved.

  • United States: Accessibility concerns under the ADA may be submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division.

  • EU/EEA/UK: You may contact your national equality or consumer protection body for guidance.

We encourage you to contact us first so we can assist directly.
 

10) Procurement & new features

When selecting new apps, themes, or services, we consider accessibility criteria (e.g., WCAG support, keyboard navigation, ARIA, contrast, error handling) and prefer vendors with a published accessibility statement. We test new features before deployment and monitor for regressions.
 

11) Testing cadence & continuous improvement

  • Quarterly audits using automated tools and manual checks.

  • Pre-release checks for major updates or redesigns.

  • Tracking of accessibility issues in our internal ticketing with severity levels and target fix dates.
     

12) Policy review

This policy is reviewed at least annually and updated as standards, technologies, and regulations evolve. The current effective date is shown at the top of this page.

Contact

For accessibility assistance, alternative formats, or to provide feedback, please contact:
Tropical Retreats Home and Garden
Email: admin@tropicalretreatshomeandgarden.com
Location: Sunshine Coast, QLD, Australia

We are committed to making our website usable and enjoyable for everyone, and we appreciate your help in identifying ways we can continue to improve.

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