Inclusion and Accessibility Statement
Inclusion for Every Body
At My Secret Wish Knitting, we believe in the beauty of diversity, and we’re committed to creating a warm and welcoming knitting community for everyone. Because of this, our knitting patterns are designed with inclusivity in mind, ensuring that they can be enjoyed by people of all body types and abilities. We’re dedicated to providing clear, easy-to-follow instructions that enable you to create cozy, handcrafted pieces you’ll love.
We celebrate diversity by including a wide range of sizes for every pattern, using non-gendered language for sizing when designs could be used for any fashion sensibility, and supporting makers from any background in our interactions and in companies we use as suppliers. (Note that updating older patterns to increase size ranges and to adjust to non-gendered language is an ongoing effort, with a goal to complete revisions by early 2024.)
We also make an effort to include instructions for alterations for a wide range of body types in our patterns to empower you to create garments that fit your body. In the future, we plan to provide even more resources for altering designs for specific body shapes and concerns in our tutorials library.
Welcome to our little corner of the knitting community. We’re so excited you’re here.
Our Commitment to Accessibility
At My Secret Wish Knitting, we’re dedicated to ensuring that our platform and products are accessible to all knitters, including those with low vision and hearing impairments. We believe everyone should be able to enjoy the art of knitting, regardless of their abilities. Therefore, we have taken steps to make our platform more user-friendly and inclusive.
Accessibility Features for Low Vision Knitters
We understand the importance of clear and legible content for individuals with low vision. That’s why we have implemented the following accessibility features on our platform:
Text Resizing: Our website allows users to easily adjust the font size to their preference, ensuring that all knitting instructions and text are readable.
Images: Any image descriptions or text on images is included in the ALT-text to allow those using assistive technology to gain the same information as those who do not.
High Contrast: We’ve chosen a colour palette with a high contrast ratio between the text and background to improve visibility. Our patterns use all black text. (Some older patterns may have headings in a dark coloured ink, but the contrast is still very high. Progress to update to all black text is ongoing.)
Text Considerations: Instead of using italics for emphasis or pattern titles, we have chosen to use boldface text for easier readability on our website and in our print-challenged pattern formats.
For our Patterns
We are in an ongoing process to make every pattern on our platform accessible to low vision knitters. Each pattern listing contains an accessibility statement and clearly lists what formats the pattern is available in. To find the current catalogue of Low Vision Accessible patterns, click the link at the top of the Patterns page.
All of our patterns are:
Colour Blind Accessible: All text is black or very high-contrast, and no colour is used to relay pattern instructions.
Left-Handed Inclusive: Instructions are given in terms of hand dominance and working needles, not right and left hands.
Pattern Formats
Bookmarked (Standard) PDF:
All of our patterns are available in this format.
Features include bookmarks that link directly to various sections for easy navigation, ALT-text descriptions on all images, embedded fonts within the document so it retains its original formatting, fully written out instructions for any charts, minimal abbreviation usage to make the pattern easier to understand, and being written in plain language.
This type of document is best for sighted knitters who want to navigate a PDF easily or for use as a printed document.
Screen Reader Accessible Large-Print PDF:
Patterns available in this format will be indicated in the pattern description.
This type of document is a screen-reader-accessible PDF that can be read aloud using text-to-speech options and navigated via document headers. However, fonts may not be embedded and may display improperly. The document uses Verdana font at minimum 24 points. All text is in a single column and left-justified with no italics. Text uses plain language with no abbreviations.
All images have ALT-text descriptions. Any charts are also fully written out. If this pattern contains charts, they are at an appropriate scale for Large Print. If the chart is large and will need to be pieced from several pages, the chart will be available separately. It isn’t necessary to use the charts to complete the pattern.
Documents are tested using Adobe Reader on a PC and an Android phone.
Plain-Language EPUB:
Patterns available in this format will be indicated in the pattern description.
Similar to the screen reader accessible large-print PDF, EPUB documents have been edited so text makes sense and flows smoothly when read aloud, and no abbreviations are used. Each section is bookmarked as a chapter. The ePUB can be read aloud by an eReader or the font can be resized using eReader settings. The pattern sections can be read straight through without having to return to earlier sections unless you need to refer to something such as a note, technique, or stitch explanation.
All images have captions to explain context, but they are not necessary to understand the pattern. If the pattern includes charts, large-scale charts are also available in a separate Large-Print PDF, and all charted instructions are also written out. It isn’t necessary to use the charts to complete the pattern.
This format is excellent for anyone who wants reflowable, resizable text or who wants to use the other benefits of screen reader apps.
A Note about Pattern Delivery
For patterns available only in the Bookmarked (standard) PDF format, files are delivered directly through a download link at checkout. For patterns offered in multiple formats, the file you download at checkout will be a Read-Me file with direct links to access the file types you want from a file delivery service called BookFunnel.
Why is BookFunnel amazing?
BookFunnel is a service used to deliver PDF files, eBooks, and audiobooks.
BookFunnel has three ways to read:
Through their gorgeous, intuitive app, which will allow you easy access and a wonderful user experience for reading eBooks, audiobooks, and PDFs.
In your browser using their one-of-a-kind, fully functional cloud reading app—no downloading required!
On your preferred reading app or device. BookFunnel lets you download your files immediately and delivers them by email. For eBooks, the app helps you load your file into your favourite device when you download, or you can do so at any point from the BookFunnel app.
No matter where you store your initial download (or what might happen to that storage location), you’ll always be able to access your titles in your BookFunnel library to re-download or consume at any time.
Learn more about the BookFunnel library on their site here.
Accessibility Features for Hearing Impaired Knitters
We are committed to supporting the needs of knitters with hearing impairments. Please note that we are in the early stages of updating our older content to provide accessibility for hearing impaired knitters. Any new content and updated older content will incorporate the following accessibility features to enhance your experience:
Closed Captioning: All our new video tutorials will be accompanied by closed captioning (with an ongoing effort to update older content).
Transcripts: Transcripts will be provided for any audio content we produce, including podcasts and interviews.
Ongoing Commitment to Accessibility
Providing better accessibility is an ongoing journey, and we are committed to continually improving our platform and products. We always welcome feedback from our community about how to make your experience with us better and to ensure we are addressing your specific needs and concerns.
Knitting is for everyone, and at My Secret Wish Knitting, you’re always welcome, just as you are. Join us in crafting a more inclusive and vibrant world, one stitch at a time.
Get in Touch
If you have any suggestions, questions, or concerns regarding the accessibility of our platform or products, please reach out to us through our contact form. We value your feedback and are eager to collaborate with our community to make our knitting experience accessible and enjoyable for all.
Thank you for being a part of My Secret Wish Knitting, knitting wizard. You make our business special.
Warmly,
Talena
The Yarn Mermaid