Equal Opportunity & Accessibility

Equal Opportunity, Accessibility &

Non-Discrimination Policy

SOLACE Collective Inc.

1. Our Commitment

At SOLACE Collective Inc., we believe that the richness of our work comes from the richness of our people. Our clothing is born from lived experience — and so is our team. We are committed to building a workplace that reflects the full spectrum of human identity, background, and ability, because we know that authentic, community-centered design can only happen when everyone has a seat at the table.

This policy applies to all employees, contractors, interns, applicants, volunteers, and anyone who interacts with SOLACE Collective Inc. in a professional capacity.

2. Equal Opportunity Employer

SOLACE Collective Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of:

•       Race, color, ethnicity, or national origin

•       Religion or creed

•       Sex, gender identity, or gender expression

•       Sexual orientation

•       Age (40 or older, as protected by the ADEA)

•       Disability (physical or mental), including neurodivergent individuals

•       Genetic information

•       Pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions

•       Veteran or military status

•       Marital or familial status

•       Immigration or citizenship status (to the extent permitted by law)

•       Socioeconomic background or housing status

•       Formerly incarcerated status

•       Any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law

 

All employment decisions — including recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation, training, performance evaluation, and separation — are made based on qualifications, merit, and organizational need.

3. Inclusive Hiring Practices

We actively welcome applications from individuals who have been historically underrepresented in the creative and fashion industries, including BIPOC communities, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and formerly incarcerated individuals.

We understand that talent doesn’t follow a single path. Nontraditional backgrounds, career gaps, and unconventional journeys are not disqualifiers — they are often exactly what makes someone the right fit for SOLACE.

3.1 Inclusive Job Postings

All job postings will:

•       Use inclusive, gender-neutral language

•       Clearly distinguish between required qualifications and preferred qualifications

•       Disclose salary ranges in accordance with applicable pay transparency laws

•       Include a statement of accommodation availability

•       Be distributed across diverse sourcing channels to reach underrepresented candidates

3.2 Interview & Selection Process

Our hiring process is designed to evaluate candidates fairly and consistently:

•       Structured interview questions are used to reduce bias

•       Interview panels are encouraged to reflect diverse perspectives where possible

•       All candidates for the same role will be assessed against the same criteria

•       We offer asynchronous, written, and extended-time interview formats

4. Disability Accommodations

SOLACE Collective Inc. is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and hiring process, and in all aspects of employment. We believe — as we design — that comfort is a right, not a luxury.

Accommodations may include, but are not limited to:

•       Alternative interview formats (written, asynchronous, or extended-time)

•       Accessible document formats for application and onboarding materials

•       Modified communication methods to support diverse needs

•       Adjustments to work schedules, workflows, or tools

•       Any other adjustment that enables full and fair participation

 

To request an accommodation, please contact our People Operations team. Requests are handled confidentially. Requesting an accommodation will never negatively affect your candidacy or employment with SOLACE Collective Inc.

5. Website & Digital Accessibility (ADA / WCAG Compliance)

SOLACE Collective Inc. is committed to ensuring that our website and digital properties are accessible to all users, including people with disabilities. We strive to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA, as well as applicable requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

5.1 Accessibility Features We Support

•       Keyboard navigation for all interactive elements

•       Screen reader compatibility (ARIA labels, semantic HTML)

•       Sufficient color contrast ratios for text and UI elements

•       Alt text for all meaningful images

•       Captions and transcripts for video and audio content

•       Resizable text without loss of functionality

•       No content that flashes more than 3 times per second

5.2 Ongoing Efforts

We regularly audit our digital properties and prioritize accessibility improvements as part of our product development process. We use a combination of automated tools and manual testing with assistive technologies.

5.3 Reporting Accessibility Issues

If you experience difficulty accessing any part of our website or digital content, or if you would like to request accessible materials in an alternative format, please contact us:

•       Email: hello@solace-collective.com

•       We aim to respond to all accessibility feedback within 5 business days.

 

We will work with you to provide the information, item, or transaction you seek in an accessible alternative format.

6. Anti-Harassment & Non-Discrimination in the Workplace

SOLACE Collective Inc. prohibits harassment and discrimination in any form. This includes:

•       Verbal, written, visual, or physical conduct that creates a hostile work environment

•       Sexual harassment, including unwelcome advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature

•       Harassment based on any protected characteristic listed in Section 2

•       Retaliation against any person who reports discrimination, harassment, or participates in an investigation

 

All team members are expected to uphold these standards in all professional interactions, including in remote and digital settings (video calls, Slack, email, and other platforms).

7. Reporting & Complaint Procedures

We take all reports of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation seriously. Any employee, applicant, contractor, or partner who believes they have experienced or witnessed a violation of this policy is encouraged to report it.

7.1 How to Report

•       Contact People Operations directly at hello@solace-collective.com

•       Reports can be made anonymously where possible

•       All complaints will be treated with confidentiality to the greatest extent possible

7.2 Investigation Process

Upon receiving a complaint, SOLACE Collective Inc. will:

•       Acknowledge receipt within 3 business days

•       Conduct a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation

•       Take appropriate corrective action if a violation is found

•       Communicate the outcome to the parties involved, as appropriate

 

Retaliation against anyone who makes a good-faith report or participates in an investigation is strictly prohibited and may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

8. Pay Equity & Transparency

SOLACE Collective Inc. is committed to equitable compensation practices. We conduct periodic pay equity reviews to identify and address disparities across gender, race, and other protected characteristics.

In jurisdictions where required by law, we disclose salary ranges in all job postings. We do not ask candidates about prior salary history in states or localities where such inquiries are prohibited.

9. Remote-First & Flexible Work

SOLACE Collective Inc. operates as a fully remote team. We believe that flexibility is foundational to wellness, and that people do their best creative work when they have the freedom to show up as themselves — wherever they are.

•       All roles are remote unless explicitly noted

•       Core collaboration hours are designed to accommodate multiple time zones

•       Asynchronous communication is supported and encouraged

•       Flexible scheduling accommodates caregiving responsibilities, health needs, and other personal circumstances

10. Policy Review & Updates

This policy is reviewed annually and updated as needed to reflect changes in law, best practices, and organizational growth. The most current version will always be available on our website and provided to all new hires during onboarding.

Last reviewed: 2025. For questions about this policy, contact: hello@solace-collective.com

 

11. Compliance status

We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the broadest possible audience, regardless of ability. To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible to blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more. This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs. Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML, adapts its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments. If you wish to contact the website’s owner please use the following email hello@solace-collective.com

12. Screen-reader and keyboard navigation

Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with screen-readers can read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements:

  • Screen-reader optimization: we run a process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website. In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels; descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups), and others. Additionally, the background process scans all of the website’s images. It provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag for images that are not described. It will also extract texts embedded within the image using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology. To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on as soon as they enter the website. These adjustments are compatible with popular screen readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack.
  • Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key. Additionally, keyboard users will find content-skip menus available at any time by clicking Alt+2, or as the first element of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, not allowing the focus to drift outside. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

13. Disability profiles supported on our website

  • Epilepsy Safe Profile: this profile enables people with epilepsy to safely use the website by eliminating the risk of seizures resulting from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
  • Vision Impaired Profile: this profile adjusts the website so that it is accessible to the majority of visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
  • Cognitive Disability Profile: this profile provides various assistive features to help users with cognitive disabilities such as Autism, Dyslexia, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements more easily.
  • ADHD Friendly Profile: this profile significantly reduces distractions and noise to help people with ADHD, and Neurodevelopmental disorders browse, read, and focus on the essential elements more easily.
  • Blind Users Profile (Screen-readers): this profile adjusts the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is installed on the blind user’s computer, and this site is compatible with it.
  • Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

14. Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments

  • Font adjustments users can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
  • Color adjustments users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds with over seven different coloring options.
  • Animations epileptic users can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
  • Content highlighting users can choose to emphasize essential elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
  • Audio muting users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
  • Cognitive disorders we utilize a search engine linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
  • Additional functions we allow users to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.

15. Assistive technology and browser compatibility

We aim to support as many browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS, and NVDA (screen readers), both for Windows and MAC users.

15. Notes, comments, and feedback

Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs, there may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating, improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility following technological advancements. If you wish to contact the website’s owner, please use the following email hello@solace-collective.com