How I work to make this site usable for everyone, including people who use assistive technology, and how to reach me if something gets in your way.

My commitment

I want everyone to be able to use IBuyPostcards.com to learn about old postcards, ask a question, or request a quote, including people who use screen readers, keyboard navigation, magnification, voice control or other assistive technology. Many people selling an old postcard collection are older, and some are selling a collection on behalf of a relative while dealing with a great deal else. The site should be easy for all of them.

What I aim for

The site is built with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at level AA as the target. In practice that means:

• Text and buttons have strong color contrast against their backgrounds, and text can be enlarged without breaking the layout.
• Every page works with a keyboard alone, with a visible focus outline and a "skip to content" link.
• Headings follow a logical order so screen reader users can move through a page quickly.
• Images that carry meaning have text descriptions, and decorative graphics such as postmarks and stamp borders are hidden from screen readers.
• Form fields have proper labels, required fields are marked in words as well as visually, and errors are listed in plain language at the top of the form.
• The layout adapts to phones, tablets and large screens, and respects a reduced-motion setting.

The quote form and photos

Adding photos is optional. If uploading photos is difficult with the technology you use, send the form without them. You can describe the collection in words, and if photos would help, I will reply and suggest another way to share them, such as attaching them to an email or having someone help you take a few.

The spam check on the forms (Cloudflare Turnstile) is designed to work with assistive technology and usually requires no interaction. If it ever blocks you, please tell me through any other means available and I will help.

Known limitations

Some older blog images may have shorter descriptions than I would like, and pages written before an update may occasionally fall short of the standard above. I review the site regularly and fix problems as I find them.

Other ways to reach me

You do not have to use the forms. You can email me directly at the address shown on the contact page, and I will handle your quote or question by email in the same way.

Feedback

If you find a page or feature that is hard to use, I would like to know. Tell me which page it was and what happened, and, if you are comfortable sharing it, what browser or assistive technology you use. I aim to reply within two business days and to fix the problem or offer a workable alternative.

The how it works page and the FAQ explain the selling process step by step if you would rather read it all at once.

Last updated October 15, 2026.

How the site is tested

New pages are checked with automated accessibility tools during development, including the accessibility audit built into Google Lighthouse, and by hand: moving through each page with the keyboard alone, zooming the browser to 200 percent, and reading the structure as a screen reader would. The color palette was chosen and checked for contrast, with the darker red and blue used for text and the lighter tints reserved for backgrounds and decoration.

The site is designed to work in current versions of the major browsers, Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge, on computers, tablets and phones, together with the screen readers commonly paired with them, such as VoiceOver, NVDA and TalkBack.

Content from others

A few parts of the site come from outside services, such as the spam check on the forms. I choose services with good accessibility records, but I do not control their code. If one of them causes you trouble, tell me and I will find another way to help you.

Old postcards and images

Images that illustrate kinds of postcards have descriptions that say what they show. Where an image is purely decorative, it is marked so screen readers skip it. Blog posts include a written description of their lead image. If you find an image whose description is missing or unhelpful, let me know and I will correct it.

Tips that may help

• Most browsers let you enlarge text with Ctrl and the plus key (Command and plus on a Mac). The site's layout adjusts to larger text.
• The FAQ answers open and close with the keyboard: move to a question with Tab and press Enter.
• On a phone, the two buttons fixed at the bottom of the screen go straight to the contact page and the quote form.

Why this matters to me

Postcard collections often come from people who have kept them for decades, or from their families. Selling one should never depend on how well someone can use a website. If anything here makes that harder, I want to hear about it and fix it.

A walk through the quote form

For anyone using a screen reader or who would simply like to know what to expect before starting, here is the quote form in order. Every question except four is optional.

1. Roughly how many postcards? (required) A list of ranges, from under 100 to more than 20,000, plus "Not sure".
2. How are they kept? Albums, loose in boxes, sleeved in dealer boxes, a mix, or still in an unsorted estate.
3. What kinds are in it? A group of checkboxes, such as real photo postcards, town views, holiday cards and topicals. Tick any that fit, or "Not sure what I have".
4. Roughly how old? Checkboxes for the main postcard eras, plus "Not sure". A short hint below explains how to tell from the back of a card.
5. Overall condition and where the collection came from, each a short list.
6. Tell me about it (required) A text box for a description in your own words.
7. A price in mind, optional.
8. Photos, optional, up to twelve. A standard file picker; on a phone it can open the camera.
9. Your name and email (both required), an optional phone number, and the state where the postcards are.
10. The spam check, and the button to send.

If something is missing or not quite right when you send it, the form comes back with a list of what to fix at the top, and the answers you gave are kept so you do not have to start again. Photos are the exception: browsers do not keep chosen photos when a form is returned, so they need to be chosen again.

Other help with selling

Accessibility is not only about the website. If anything about the selling process itself is difficult for you, such as packing a heavy box, getting to a carrier, or using an electronic payment service, tell me. A carrier pickup can usually be scheduled from home, payment by check works for anyone who prefers not to use apps, and I am glad to explain any step again, as many times as needed, by email.

Reading the site in other ways

Every page on the site is built from ordinary text and headings, so it works with reader modes in Safari, Firefox and Edge, with browser translation tools, and with text-to-speech features built into phones and computers. The guides read well when printed, too: the header and footer stay out of the way, and links are underlined so they stand out on paper. If you would find it easier to have a guide sent to you as a plain email, ask and I will send it.

Plain language

Postcard collecting has its own vocabulary, and I try to explain terms the first time they appear rather than assume them. The blog includes a short glossary of the words that come up most. If you meet a term on the site that is not explained, tell me and I will add a plain-words explanation.

Timing and pressure

Nothing on the site is timed. Forms do not expire while you fill them in, quotes do not come with countdown clocks, and there is no penalty for taking days or weeks to decide. Take whatever time you need, and ask for help at any point.

Accessibility and the physical process

Some sellers have mobility, vision or hearing differences that affect the practical side of selling more than the website itself. A few things that may help:

• Every step is handled by email, so nothing depends on a phone call.
• Carriers can usually collect a box from your door, so you do not need to travel to drop it off.
• If lifting a heavy box is a problem, smaller boxes are fine. Each simply gets its own label.
• A family member, friend or caregiver is welcome to handle any part of the process for you, with your permission.

Emails from me

Quotes, receipts and payment confirmations are sent as simple emails with plain text and a minimum of formatting, so they read well in any email program, with a screen reader, or at large text sizes. The most important information, such as the amount, the reference number and what happens next, comes first. If you would prefer emails in a particular format, for example with larger text or with photos described in words, just ask.

Continuing work

Accessibility is not a box checked once. As pages are added and the site changes, each change is checked against the standard described above. Feedback from people who use the site, especially people who rely on assistive technology, is the most valuable part of that work, and it is always welcome.