Accessibility Statement
MYGRADSTOLES OFFICIAL ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT

Built to Work For Everyone

MyGradStoles is committed to making mygradstoles.com usable by every graduate, parent, faculty member, and institutional buyer — including people who use screen readers, keyboard navigation, voice control, or other assistive technology.

Effective & Last Updated: September 13, 2026 HRV Enterprises INC LLC ~10 min read
See What We've Done Report an Accessibility Issue

WCAG 2.1 Level AA

Our target conformance standard for mygradstoles.com, the internationally recognized benchmark for web accessibility.

Keyboard Navigable

Core browsing, filtering, and checkout functions are built to be operable without a mouse.

1 Business Day

Our target response time for any accessibility barrier you report to our team.

Human Alternative

Can't complete an order online? Our team can build and place it for you by phone or email.

On This Page

1 Our Commitment to Accessibility 2 Scope of This Statement 3 Conformance Standard 4 Accessibility Features in Place 5 Using Our Custom Stole Designer 6 Known Limitations & Ongoing Work 7 Compatible Technology 8 Feedback & Alternative Ordering 9 Third-Party Content & Links 10 U.S. Legal Framework: ADA 11 U.S. State-by-State Reference 12 Canadian Legal Framework 13 Canada Province/Territory Reference 14 Filing a Formal Complaint 15 Ongoing Monitoring & Roadmap 16 Changes to This Statement 17 Contact & Questions
Section 01

Our Commitment to Accessibility

HRV Enterprises INC LLC, doing business as MyGradStoles ("MyGradStoles," "we," "us," or "our"), believes that graduation, baptism, and confirmation are milestones every family should be able to celebrate — and that shopping for the stole that marks that milestone should not be harder for a customer simply because they use a screen reader, rely on keyboard navigation, or need larger text or higher contrast to browse comfortably.

This Accessibility Statement describes the steps we have taken, the standard we are working toward, the limitations we are aware of, and how to reach us if something on mygradstoles.com is not working for you. It applies to our website and to the Graduation Stoles, Religious Stoles, Custom Graduation Stoles, and Blank Graduation Stoles we sell through it.

An honest statement, not a certification

Digital accessibility is an ongoing effort, not a one-time checkbox. We do not claim mygradstoles.com is perfectly or fully compliant with every technical success criterion at all times. Instead, this page tells you plainly what we've done, what we know still needs work, and how quickly we will respond if you hit a barrier.

Section 02

Scope of This Statement

This statement covers the customer-facing experience of mygradstoles.com, including:

Product & Category Pages

Graduation Stoles, Religious Stoles (Baptism and Choir), Custom Graduation Stoles, Blank Graduation Stoles, and every Shop-By-Color page.

Shopping & Checkout

Cart, checkout, account creation, order tracking, and payment flows.

Customization Tools

The personalization interface used to select colors, add text, and upload artwork for Custom Graduation Stoles.

Support Content

Policy pages, the Bulk Order page, blog articles, and our contact and live chat channels.

What this does not cover

This statement does not cover third-party websites we link to, content hosted by our payment processors or shipping carriers, or physical retail/showroom experiences, since we operate exclusively as an online store. See Section 9 for more on third-party content.

Section 03

Conformance Standard

We use the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), as our target conformance standard. WCAG 2.1 AA is the technical benchmark most commonly referenced by U.S. Department of Justice guidance, court settlements, and Canadian provincial accessibility regulations alike, which is why we've adopted it as a single standard across every market we serve.

What "Level AA" means in practice

Level AA covers the accessibility needs most commonly encountered by users with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive disabilities — including sufficient color contrast, resizable text without loss of content, keyboard operability, descriptive link and button text, and compatibility with assistive technology. It sits between the baseline "Level A" and the more stringent "Level AAA."

Section 04

Accessibility Features Already in Place

Keyboard Navigation

  • Menus, product filters, and the shopping cart can be reached and operated using Tab, Shift+Tab, and Enter.
  • A visible focus outline highlights the interactive element currently selected by keyboard.

Screen Reader Support

  • Semantic HTML headings, landmarks, and labeled form fields so screen readers can announce page structure accurately.
  • Descriptive alternative text on product photos describing color, finish, and style.

Visual & Contrast Design

  • Body text and interactive controls are set against backgrounds chosen to meet WCAG AA contrast ratios.
  • Text can be resized up to 200% using standard browser zoom without content being cut off or overlapping.

Human Support as a Fallback

  • Every product and process on our site can also be completed by phone, email, or live chat with a real team member — see Section 8.
Section 05

Using Our Custom Stole Designer With Assistive Technology

Personalizing a stole involves a color swatch grid, text fields, and a file-upload control for logos or crests — inherently more visual than a simple product page. We've built this tool with accessibility in mind, and we want to be transparent about where extra effort may still be needed.

  • Every color swatch includes the color's name as text (for example, "Hunter Green"), not just a visual color chip, so screen reader users and people with color-vision differences can identify each option.
  • Text fields for names, dates, and personalization details are individually labeled and can be filled in using a keyboard alone.
  • The logo/artwork upload control supports standard keyboard and screen-reader file-picker interaction provided by your browser or device.
  • Every custom order still receives a free digital proof by email before production, giving you an additional opportunity to review your design in a simple, static image format.
Prefer a person to build it with you?

If the visual designer isn't the right fit for you, call, email, or live-chat your color, text, and artwork choices to our team, and we will build your custom order and send you the same free digital proof for approval — no different from ordering through the on-screen tool.

Section 06

Known Limitations & Ongoing Improvements

We would rather tell you plainly where we know there is room to improve than claim a perfect score we can't back up. Current known limitations include:

  • Some older blog articles and product photography may have incomplete or missing alternative text; we are auditing and correcting these on a rolling basis.
  • Customer review widgets and star-rating displays are provided by a third-party platform; we are working with that provider to confirm full keyboard and screen-reader support.
  • Bulk-pricing tier tables on some product pages may be difficult to navigate with certain screen reader configurations; a simplified list-view alternative is on our improvement roadmap (Section 15).
  • Live chat is provided by a third-party widget; if it is not accessible with your assistive technology, phone and email remain fully staffed alternatives (Section 8).
Section 07

Compatible Assistive Technologies & Browsers

mygradstoles.com is built and tested to work with current, widely used browsers and assistive technology combinations, including:

Modern Browsers

Current versions of Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge on desktop and mobile.

Screen Readers

NVDA and JAWS on Windows; VoiceOver on macOS and iOS; TalkBack on Android.

Keyboard-Only Use

Full site browsing and checkout without a mouse or trackpad.

Browser Zoom & OS Settings

Native browser zoom up to 200%, high-contrast modes, and OS-level text scaling.

We do not require any browser plug-in, extension, or overlay to use mygradstoles.com. If you encounter an issue with a specific assistive technology and browser combination not listed above, please tell us — see Section 8.

Section 08

Feedback, Assistance & Alternative Ordering Channels

If any part of mygradstoles.com is difficult to use with your assistive technology, we want to know — and we want to get you your stole another way in the meantime.

1

Tell us what happened

Email contact@mygradstoles.com or call +1 (361) 228-4910 with the page you were on, the browser and assistive technology you were using, and what went wrong.

2

We respond within 1 business day

Our team will acknowledge your report and, where possible, offer an immediate workaround — including completing your order manually over the phone or by email.

3

We investigate and fix

Confirmed barriers are logged and prioritized for correction, and where relevant, added to Section 6 until resolved.

You can always order the human way

Every stole on our site — including fully personalized Custom Graduation Stoles and bulk institutional orders — can be ordered by phone, email, or live chat, with a staff member handling color selection, personalization, and payment on your behalf if you prefer not to use the website directly.

Section 09

Third-Party Content & Links

Our site includes some components and links operated by other companies, whose accessibility we do not directly control but do actively vet where possible:

  • Payment processing screens hosted by our payment gateway provider
  • Shipment tracking pages hosted by DHL, FedEx, and other carrier partners
  • Embedded social media content and the live chat widget
  • Links to external websites, including schools, chapters, and organizations we reference

If you experience a barrier on one of these third-party components while trying to complete a MyGradStoles order, please still contact us — we will help you complete your purchase another way and will raise the issue with the relevant provider.

Section 10

U.S. Legal Framework: The ADA & Digital Accessibility

MyGradStoles is a U.S.-registered company, and we've built this statement to operate within the accessibility framework that governs online retail in the United States.

Title III of the ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by places of public accommodation. While the ADA's original text predates the commercial internet, federal courts and the Department of Justice have increasingly applied Title III principles to commercial websites, particularly those closely tied to a business's goods and services — which includes an e-commerce store like ours. The Department of Justice has repeatedly pointed to WCAG as a helpful technical reference, which is why we adopt WCAG 2.1 AA (Section 3) as our working standard.
As of this writing, there is no single finalized federal regulation spelling out one exact technical standard that every private commercial website must meet under Title III, and litigation and guidance in this area continue to evolve. We monitor developments in this area and adjust our practices as clearer standards emerge, rather than treating any one interpretation as final.
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794d) requires accessibility for federal agencies and often flows down as a procurement requirement to public schools and universities. While Section 508 does not directly bind MyGradStoles as a private retailer, we are happy to provide institutional buyers with accessibility documentation to support their own procurement compliance reviews — contact us for details.
Every state's consumer protection statute prohibits false or misleading claims about a business's practices. This is part of why we describe our accessibility efforts honestly in Sections 4 and 6, rather than making a blanket "fully compliant" claim we could not support.
HRV Enterprises INC LLC is registered and headquartered in Mount Prospect, Illinois. The Illinois Human Rights Act (775 ILCS 5) prohibits disability-based discrimination in places of public accommodation, and we design our accessibility practices to be consistent with it in addition to federal law and the law of each customer's home state.
Section 11

U.S. State-by-State Accessibility Law Reference

The federal ADA (Section 10) applies nationwide. In addition, most states maintain their own human or civil rights law prohibiting disability discrimination in places of public accommodation, which courts and regulators in that state may apply to commercial websites. A few states have particularly active statutes or case law specific to digital accessibility, noted below. Use the search box to find your state.

StateRelevant State-Level FrameworkNote

This table is provided for general informational transparency and is not legal advice. It highlights well-established statutes where they exist; for states without a distinct named accessibility statute, protection against disability discrimination in public accommodations generally flows from the state's general human/civil rights law together with the federal ADA. Consult your state's civil rights office or an attorney for the current, authoritative position in your state.

Section 12

Canadian Legal Framework: Accessibility & Human Rights Law

Canadian customers are protected by a combination of federal human rights law and, in several provinces, dedicated accessibility legislation that is increasingly influencing best practice for private businesses selling into that province, even where the strict legal threshold applies primarily to public-sector or larger organizations.

The Canadian Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by federally regulated services. The Accessible Canada Act (2019) creates accessibility obligations primarily for federally regulated entities and the Government of Canada. While MyGradStoles is not a federally regulated Canadian entity, we look to these frameworks, alongside WCAG 2.1 AA, as a benchmark of good practice for Canadian customers.
Ontario's AODA and its Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation require designated public-facing websites of organizations meeting certain size thresholds to conform to WCAG 2.0 Level AA. We voluntarily target the newer WCAG 2.1 AA standard (which is backward-compatible with 2.0 AA) across our whole site, regardless of the customer's province.
This Québec statute promotes the integration of persons with disabilities and informs accessibility standards for organizations operating in the province. Québec's Charter of the French Language also entitles Québec consumers to request key commercial documentation, including this statement, in French — contact us at contact@mygradstoles.com.
The Accessibility for Manitobans Act, Nova Scotia's Accessibility Act, and the Accessible British Columbia Act each establish a framework for phased-in accessibility standards, including in customer service and information/communication. We monitor standards development under each act as they are finalized.
Section 13

Canada Province & Territory Accessibility Reference

Province / TerritoryRelevant FrameworkNote
AlbertaAlberta Human Rights ActProhibits disability discrimination in services customarily available to the public
British ColumbiaAccessible British Columbia Act; BC Human Rights CodePhased-in accessibility standards plus general human rights protection
ManitobaAccessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA)Establishes accessibility standards including customer service and information
New BrunswickNew Brunswick Human Rights ActGeneral disability discrimination protection in public accommodation
Newfoundland & LabradorNewfoundland and Labrador Human Rights ActGeneral disability discrimination protection
Nova ScotiaAccessibility Act (Nova Scotia)Phased-in accessibility standards framework
OntarioAccessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)WCAG 2.0 AA website standard for designated organizations — see Section 12
Prince Edward IslandPEI Human Rights ActGeneral disability discrimination protection
QuébecAct to Secure Handicapped Persons in the Exercise of Their RightsIntegration and accessibility promotion — see Section 12
SaskatchewanSaskatchewan Human Rights CodeGeneral disability discrimination protection
Northwest TerritoriesNWT Human Rights ActGeneral disability discrimination protection
NunavutNunavut Human Rights ActGeneral disability discrimination protection
YukonYukon Human Rights ActGeneral disability discrimination protection

This table is provided for general informational transparency and is not legal advice. Consult your provincial or territorial human rights commission for the current, authoritative text of your jurisdiction's law.

Section 14

Filing a Formal Complaint

We hope to resolve any accessibility concern directly and quickly — see Section 8. If you would prefer, or need, to file a formal external complaint, the following government channels are available.

United States

ADA-related complaints against a place of public accommodation may be filed with the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. Many states also allow complaints through their state civil or human rights commission referenced in Section 11.

Canada

Complaints related to federally regulated services may be filed with the Canadian Human Rights Commission. Provincial matters can generally be raised with the relevant provincial or territorial human rights commission listed in Section 13.

Section 15

Ongoing Monitoring & Roadmap

  • We periodically review new and updated pages against WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria before and after publishing.
  • We are auditing older product photography and blog content to bring alternative text up to current standards.
  • We are evaluating a simplified list-view alternative for bulk-pricing tier tables (see Section 6).
  • We are in dialogue with our live chat and review-widget vendors about their own accessibility conformance.
Section 16

Changes to This Statement

We will update this Accessibility Statement as our website evolves, as we complete improvements described in Section 15, and as accessibility law and guidance in the United States and Canada continue to develop. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.

Section 17 · We're Here to Help

Ran Into an Accessibility Barrier?

Tell us what happened and we'll help you complete your order and fix the underlying issue.

Call or Text

+1 (361) 228-4910

Email

contact@mygradstoles.com

Live Chat

Available on mygradstoles.com

Business Hours

Mon-Fri, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM CST
Orders accepted online 24/7

We aim to respond to every accessibility inquiry within 1 business day.
HRV Enterprises INC LLC · 1105 W Cottonwood Ln, Apt 15F, Mount Prospect, IL 60056, United States

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