Accessibility Statement

The National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (NASFAM) is committed to ensuring that its digital presence is accessible to all people, including those with disabilities. We believe that equal access to information about our programmes, membership, resources, and advocacy work is fundamental to our mission of inclusive agricultural development.

We are actively working to increase the accessibility and usability of this website in accordance with internationally recognised web accessibility guidelines. Achieving and maintaining accessibility is an ongoing effort and we welcome feedback from all users to help us continuously improve.

This statement applies to the NASFAM website at www.nasfam.org and all pages and resources hosted under that domain.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) defines requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. It defines three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA.

NASFAM aims to conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. This website is currently in a state of partial conformance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA, meaning that some parts of the content do not yet fully conform to the accessibility standard. The known limitations are listed in Section 5.

Accessibility of the NASFAM website relies on the following technologies being supported by the user's browser and assistive technology:

• HTML5 semantic markup
• CSS3 (including custom properties for theming)
• JavaScript (ECMAScript 2020 and above)
• WAI-ARIA 1.2 attributes
• SVG for icons with appropriate title and aria-label attributes

Tested Environments

We regularly test our website in the following environments and assistive technology combinations:

The NASFAM website includes the following accessibility features to support a broad range of users:

Navigation and Structure

• Skip-to-main-content link at the top of every page for keyboard and screen reader users
• Logical heading hierarchy (H1 > H2 > H3) on all pages
• Semantic HTML landmarks: header, nav, main, aside, footer
• Breadcrumb navigation on inner pages
• Consistent navigation structure across the entire site

Visual Design

• Minimum text contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text
• Focus indicators visible on all interactive elements
• No content relies on colour alone to convey meaning
• Text can be resized up to 200% without loss of content or functionality
• The site is fully usable without CSS stylesheets

Forms and Interaction

• All form inputs have associated visible labels
• Error messages are descriptive and announced to screen readers via ARIA live regions
• Required fields are marked with both visual indicators and aria-required attributes
• No keyboard traps — users can navigate into and out of all components

Media and Documents

• All informative images include descriptive alt text; decorative images use alt=""
• SVG icons include title elements and aria-label attributes
• PDF documents are tagged for structure and include a document title
• Videos feature captions where available

Despite our best efforts to ensure accessibility, some content on the NASFAM website may not fully conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. We have identified the following limitations and are actively working to resolve them:

If you encounter a barrier not listed above, please contact us using the details in Section 6.

We welcome feedback on the accessibility of the NASFAM website. If you experience any barriers to access, or if you require information in an alternative format, please contact us using the following channels:

When contacting us about an accessibility issue, please describe the specific barrier you are experiencing and, if possible, the page URL where the issue occurs. We aim to acknowledge accessibility reports within five working days and to provide a substantive response within 20 working days.

If you require content in an accessible format (for example, a document in plain text or large print), we will endeavour to provide an alternative within a reasonable timeframe. Please specify your preferred format when making your request.

If you are not satisfied with our response to your accessibility feedback, you may escalate the matter through the following channels:

Internal Escalation

You may request that your complaint be escalated to the NASFAM Senior Management team by explicitly stating this in your written communication to info@nasfam.org. Senior Management will review the matter and provide a final response within 30 calendar days.

External Bodies

If you remain unsatisfied after internal escalation, you may contact the relevant national or regional authority responsible for digital accessibility standards in your country of residence. For users in Malawi, this may include the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) or the Human Rights Commission of Malawi.

For users in the European Union, the EU Web Accessibility Directive provides enforcement mechanisms through national monitoring bodies.

How We Assess Accessibility

NASFAM assesses the accessibility of this website through the following approaches:

• Self-evaluation using WCAG 2.1 quick reference checklists
• Automated testing using tools including Axe, Lighthouse, and WAVE during the development process
• Manual keyboard navigation and screen reader testing in the environments listed in Section 3
• Periodic third-party accessibility audits
• User feedback gathered through the accessibility feedback form and direct communications

Review Cycle

This Accessibility Statement is reviewed and updated at least annually, or sooner when significant changes are made to the website. Automated accessibility tests are run as part of our deployment pipeline for all new and updated pages.

The next scheduled comprehensive accessibility audit is planned for December 2026. The findings of that audit will be reflected in an updated version of this statement.

For further information about our commitment to accessibility and digital inclusion, or to share suggestions for improvement, please contact us at info@nasfam.org.