Accessibility
We're committed to making our websites accessible to all visitors, including visitors with disabilities. Our websites were developed in compliance with California Government Code section 7405, which requires that all state agencies comply with Section 508 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended (29 U.S.C. Sec. 794d), and regulations implementing that act as set forth in Part 1194 of Title 36 of the Federal Code of Regulations.
This website was developed to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 AA success criteria as directed by the amended Section 508 laws and regulations.
Examples of disabilities impacting user interaction on the web include vision loss, hearing loss, limited manual dexterity, and cognitive disabilities. Each disability requires different means by which to effectively access information on the web.
California Government Code section 11546.7 (Assembly Bill 434) requires agency directors and chief information officers of each state agency to certify that the agency’s website is compliant with applicable state and federal laws cited above. In addition, it requires websites to meet WCAG 2.0 AA, or subsequent version, which is now WCAG 2.1 AA.
CalPERS Website Accessibility Certification – June 30, 2023 (PDF)
Contrast
High contrast is necessary for many users. The state's websites use style sheets and some of the best contrast combinations, black on white, white on dark green, or blue on white. However, some users can see better using high contrast reverse types, such as white on black, or different colors. Below are guidelines for some common web browsers on how the user can customize their own web browser to better view all web pages.
To adjust the contrast for Firefox:
- Select the Tools menu.
- Select Options.
- Select the Content tab.
- Select Colors
- Select colors desired for Text, Background, Unvisited Links, and Visited Links (example: white text and black background) and uncheck Allow pages to choose their own colors, instead of my selections above.
- Select the OK box, and then the OK box again. The colors should change on the browser.
Visit Accessibility Low-Vision Support for options in Google Chrome.
There are a number of steps you can take to configure Chrome to run with custom contrast and colors:
- Install a Chrome Extension which allows you to specify your own custom color combinations, for instance the Change Colors extension.
- Quick page action to apply/remove styling overrides on a per page, per domain or global basis (overriding web page colors)
- Optional background, text, links and visited links color configuration
- Option for showing/hiding images
- Option for showing/hiding Flash objects
- Use a Chrome Theme for some control of the color scheme of the Chrome user interface. As an example, the BitNova Dark theme offers white text on a black background. The Chrome Extensions Gallery offers many other themes, with a variety of color combinations.
To adjust the contrast for Internet Explorer:
- Select the Tools menu.
- Select Internet options.
- Under the General tab, select Accessibility.
- Place a check mark in the box to Ignore colors specified on webpages and select the OK box. This will return you to the General tab.
- Select the Colors box and un-check the use Windows colors box.
- Use the Text, Background, Unvisited links, and Visited links boxes to select the colors desired (example: white text and black background).
- Select the OK box and then the OK box on the General tab and the colors should change on the browser.
You can make items on the screen easier to see and the display easier to read. To open this pane, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, select Accessibility, then select Display.
| Option | What it Does |
|---|---|
| Invert colors | Invert the colors on your display. For example, text appears in white on a black background. |
| Use grayscale | Remove colors from the screen. |
| Differentiate without color | Use shapes, in addition to or instead of color, to convey status or information. |
| Increase contrast | Increase the contrast of items on the screen (such as borders around buttons or boxes) without changing the contrast of the screen itself. |
| Reduce transparency | Replace the transparent effect used on some background in OS X with a darker background, to improve contrast and readability. |
| Display contrast | Increase the screen contrast. |
| Cursor size | Increase the size of the pointer. |
To quickly set some display options, press Option-Command-F5.
You can enable keyboard shortcuts for inverting colors and changing the contrast in the Accessibility section of the Shortcuts pane of Keyboard preferences. To open the pane, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, select Keyboard, then select Shortcuts.
Font Size
The fonts used on this site are a default size, which allows you to make adjustments according to your preference. The following is the easiest way to change the font size for some common web browsers.
- Select the Tools menu.
- Select Options.
- Select the Content tab.
- Change the Default Font and Size values (for more advanced options, select Advanced next to the Size value).
- Select the OK box, and the fonts should change on the browser.
You can adjust the size of everything on the web pages you visit, including text, images, and videos
- Select the View menu.
- Highlight Text Size.
- Default setting will be medium. By changing the settings between largest and smallest, the text displayed on the page will be modified.
Learn how to zoom in on web pages in Safari.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut (Windows) | Shortcut (Mac) |
|---|---|---|
| Increase text size | Ctrl + + (Plus sign) | Option + ⌘ Cmd + + (Plus sign) |
| Decrease text size | Ctrl + - (Minus sign) | Option + ⌘ Cmd + - (Minus sign) |
| Move forward from link to link | Tab | Tab |
| Move backward from link to link | Shift + Tab | Shift + Tab |
| Move from box to box | Tab | Tab |
| Go to top of page | Home | Home |
| Go to bottom of page | End | End |
| Close window | Ctrl + W | ⌘ Cmd + W |
| Go back a page | Alt + ← (Left Arrow) | ⌘ Cmd + ← (Left Arrow) |
| Go forward a page | Alt + → (Right Arrow) | ⌘ Cmd + → (Right Arrow) |
Find additional keyboard shortcuts specific to your web browser:
Assistive Technology
We annually review assistive technology to determine the most common software and browser combinations. This site was tested using the following combinations:
- JAWS and Internet Explorer
- NVDA and Firefox
Contact
If you have difficulty accessing any material on our websites due to a disability, contact us and we'll work with you to make the information available. You can email your request to the CalPERS Accessibility Coordinator, or call us at (833) 471-9649. For TTY users, use the California Relay Service by dialing 711.
CalPERS will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities. Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a program, service, or activity of CalPERS, can contact the CalPERS Accessibility Coordinator as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.
Grievance Procedure
In the event a request for access to website content or a request for access to programs, services or facilities can't be resolved with the assistance of the Accessibility Coordinator a grievance may be filed with the CalPERS Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Program – Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator. The ADA Title II Grievance Procedure described below is established in accordance with the requirements of the ADA of 1990.
The grievance should be in writing and contain information about the alleged ADA violation such as name, address, phone number of complainant and location, date, description of the problem, and remedy sought. Alternative means of filing complaints, such as personal interviews or a audio recording of the complaint, will be made available for persons with disabilities upon request. The complaint may be submitted to:
CalPERS Equal Employment Opportunity Program
ATTN: ADA Coordinator / EEO Officer
400 Q Street, Suite 3340
Sacramento, CA. 95811
Email: EEO@calpers.ca.gov
Tel: (916) 795-3675
For TTY users, use the California Relay Service by dialing 711
Within 10 working days, CalPERS will send an acknowledgement of receipt of the grievance. CalPERS will complete the investigation necessary to determine the validity of the alleged violation within 60 calendar days of receipt. If appropriate, the ADA Coordinator will arrange to meet with the grievant to discuss the matter and attempt to reach an informal resolution of the grievance. Any informal resolution of the grievance shall be documented in the ADA Coordinator file and the matter will be closed.
If an informal resolution of the grievance isn't reached within 75 calendar days of receipt of the grievance, a written determination as to the validity of the complaint, and description of the resolution, if appropriate, shall be forwarded by the ADA Coordinator to the Executive Officer for approval.
CalPERS shall communicate the determination and resolution to the grievant within 90 calendar days of receipt of the grievance, unless the Executive Officer or designee authorizes additional time for further consideration of the grievance. Any authorized extension of time will be communicated to the grievant. Any request for reconsideration of CalPERS' response to the grievance shall be at the discretion of the Executive Officer or designee.
If the grievant isn't satisfied with CalPERS' handling of the grievance at any stage of the process or doesn't wish to file a grievance through CalPERS' ADA Title II Grievance Procedure, the grievant may file a complaint directly with the U. S. Department of Justice or other appropriate state or federal agency. Use of CalPERS's grievance procedure isn't a prerequisite to the pursuit of other remedies.
The resolution of any specific grievance will require consideration of varying circumstances, such as the specific nature of the disability; the nature of the access to services, programs, or facilities at issue, the essential eligibility requirements for participation; the health and safety of others; and the degree to which an accommodation would constitute a fundamental alteration to the program, service, or facility, or cause an undue hardship to CalPERS. Accordingly, the resolution by CalPERS of any one grievance doesn't constitute a precedent upon which CalPERS is bound or upon which other complaining parties may rely.
CalPERS' ADA Coordinator shall maintain ADA Grievance files for at least three years.