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Accessibility

Our Commitment to Accessibility

New Dawn Psychiatry is committed to ensuring that our website and services are accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. We believe that equitable access to mental health information and care is not optional — it is essential. We are actively working to make newdawnpsychiatrymn.com usable by the widest possible audience, and we welcome feedback on how we can improve.

Accessibility Standard We Aim For

We aim to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These guidelines define how to make web content more accessible to people with a range of disabilities, including visual, auditory, cognitive, motor, and speech disabilities.

What We Have Implemented

We have worked to incorporate the following accessibility features across our website:

  • Keyboard navigation — the entire site can be navigated using a keyboard without requiring a mouse or touch input
  • Screen reader compatibility — pages use semantic HTML and ARIA labels to work with screen readers including NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver
  • Descriptive alt text — meaningful images include descriptive alternative text; purely decorative images are marked to be ignored by assistive technology
  • Colour contrast — text and background colour combinations are designed to meet or exceed WCAG AA contrast ratios for readability
  • Resizable text — text can be scaled up to 200% using browser zoom controls without loss of content or functionality
  • Visible focus indicators — interactive elements display a clear focus outline for keyboard users
  • Consistent navigation — menus and page structure are consistent across all pages, reducing cognitive load
  • Labelled form fields — all contact and intake form fields are associated with descriptive labels
  • No reliance on colour alone — information is never conveyed by colour alone; shape, text, or other visual cues are also used
  • No time-limited content — we do not use auto-expiring content or require actions within a set time limit

Telehealth and Patient Portal Accessibility

Our telehealth appointments and patient portal are provided through SimplePractice, a third-party platform. SimplePractice maintains its own accessibility statement and continues to develop accessible features for its video and portal services.

If you have specific accessibility needs related to your telehealth visits — such as live captioning, use of a TTY or relay service, an alternative communication method, or technical accommodations for your device — please contact us before your appointment so we can make appropriate arrangements.

Known Limitations

While we strive for full WCAG 2.1 AA conformance, we acknowledge that some areas of our website may not yet fully meet all criteria. We are actively working to identify and address gaps. Known areas of ongoing improvement include:

  • Some content managed through our blog and content management system may not always meet all heading hierarchy or link text guidelines — we review new content regularly
  • Embedded third-party content, including the SimplePractice appointment booking widget, is subject to that platform's own accessibility standards and is outside our direct control

If you encounter a barrier that is not listed here, please let us know so we can address it promptly.

Requesting an Accommodation

We want every person to be able to access the care they need. If you require an accommodation to use our website, schedule an appointment, or participate in telehealth care, please contact us and we will work with you to find a solution. Accommodations we can provide include:

  • Information provided in an alternative format (large print, plain text email, or audio description on request)
  • Extended appointment times to accommodate communication or processing needs
  • Written summaries of session content provided after visits, on request
  • Coordination with a support person, advocate, or interpreter
  • Scheduling assistance by phone for those unable to use the online booking system

Report an Accessibility Issue

We actively welcome reports of accessibility barriers on our website. If you experience difficulty accessing any content, have trouble completing a form, or encounter any other barrier, please reach out:

  • Phone: (612) 940-5651
  • Email: help@newdawnpsychiatrymn.com

Please include a description of the barrier you encountered and the page or feature where it occurred. We aim to respond to all accessibility feedback within two business days and to resolve identified issues as quickly as possible.

Our Ongoing Commitment

Accessibility is a continuous effort, not a checklist we complete once. We regularly audit our website, apply improvements as standards and technologies evolve, and include accessibility as a consideration in all new content and features. We are committed to making meaningful, ongoing progress toward a fully accessible digital experience.

This Statement

This accessibility statement was prepared in 2026 and is reviewed on a regular basis. It applies to content published at newdawnpsychiatrymn.com. For clinical care accessibility needs, please contact us directly.