Last reviewed November 3, 2026

Our goal

We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at level AA across the whole site. WCAG is the standard most accessibility laws and policies point to. We treat it as a floor, not a finish line: a page can pass every automated check and still be hard to use, so we also test by hand.

What we build in

Reading and structure

• Every page has one main heading, headings in order, and labeled landmarks (header, navigation, main content, sidebar regions and footer), so screen reader users can jump straight to what they need.
• A "Skip to content" link is the first thing a keyboard user reaches on every page.
• Guides answer the question in the first screen, then use short sentences and numbered steps. Steps name the part, where it is, which way to turn and what "right" looks like.
• The page language is set to English, so screen readers use the right voice.

Pictures and diagrams

• Every content image has alt text that describes what it shows, not just "diagram" or "photo". Decorative images are hidden from screen readers.
• Diagrams use numbered labels, and the same numbers appear in the caption or in a numbered parts list under the drawing, so nothing depends on seeing small text.
• Color is never the only signal. Labels say "hot", "cold", "old", "new", and warnings use words and icons as well as red.
• Any photo or diagram can be opened large in a viewer that works with the keyboard: Enter opens it, the arrow keys step through pictures, and Esc closes it and returns you to where you were.

Keyboard and touch

• Everything that works with a mouse also works with a keyboard: menus, search, filters, calculators, the quiz, the toolbox checklist and the picture viewer.
• A clear yellow focus outline shows where you are on the page.
• Buttons and links on phones are at least about 40 pixels tall, so they are easy to tap.

Color, contrast and motion

• Text and controls meet WCAG AA contrast in both light and dark mode. Dark mode follows your device setting, and you can switch it with the moon button in the header.
• If your device asks for reduced motion, we cut back on animation and movement.
• Pages reflow on small screens and when text is enlarged, with no sideways scrolling.

Forms and tools

• Every form field and calculator input has a visible label. Results are announced to screen readers when they change.
• Calculators show their working (area, coverage, waste) in plain text, not only in a picture or a single number.

Video

• Videos are embedded from YouTube with privacy-enhanced mode. YouTube provides the player controls and captions; the steps in each guide cover the same fix in text, so the video is never the only way to learn it.

How we test

• Automated checks: we run the axe-core accessibility engine on every type of page (the homepage, guides, category pages, calculators, the tool guide, the Fix Wall, the emergency page, checklists, forms and search) at desktop and phone sizes and in dark mode. The latest run, on November 3, 2026, found no violations after the fixes listed below.
• Our own site check: a script runs before every update. It checks that images load, that nothing scrolls sideways at phone width, that scripts don't error, and that every image has alt text.
• By hand: we use the site with only a keyboard, at 390 pixels wide like a phone, with text enlarged, and in dark mode.

Recent fixes

• Sidebar boxes are now labeled regions, so screen readers announce them in the right place instead of as a stray landmark.
• A seasonal chart that contains links is now announced as a group rather than a single picture, so its links can be reached.
• Text on a green button in the weekend planner, category buttons on the homepage in dark mode, and the "close" markers in the tool size charts in dark mode now meet contrast requirements.
• Number badges in diagrams are centered, and diagram labels on phones now have a full-size numbered list.
• The header menu button now matches the size of the emergency button, so it is easier to tap.

Known limits

We'd rather tell you than have you find out the hard way.

• A few interactive tools, such as the tool quiz and the toolbox checklist, need JavaScript. The information they draw on is also on the page as plain text.
• Labels inside some diagrams are small on phones. The numbered parts list under each diagram and the picture viewer give you the same information at full size.
• Captions on embedded videos come from YouTube, and their quality varies.
• Ads are provided by Google, and we can't fully control how an ad is built.

Tell us what's in your way

If something on GrabTheHammer is hard to use with your setup, we want to fix it. Contact us and tell us the page, what you were trying to do, and what you use (for example a screen reader, magnifier, voice control or keyboard). We read every message.