Everyone should be able to sit at our table.
We are a small restaurant in a small town. That does not excuse us from the responsibility of making our space, our menu, and our website usable by everyone. This page describes what we currently offer — honestly, including the things we are still working on.
If something here does not match your experience, please let us know. We would rather hear it than not.
For accommodation requests or accessibility feedback:
Getting in and getting around.
Here is what to expect at the physical restaurant, from the sidewalk to the bathroom.
Entry
The front door is step-free from the Main Street sidewalk. There is no entry ramp because the sidewalk is already level with our floor. The door is a standard 36-inch width with a lever handle. If you require assistance, one of our staff will be happy to open it for you — just wave.
Dining room
Our main aisle is 42 inches wide throughout the dining room — wide enough for a standard wheelchair to navigate. Most of our tables are movable and can be arranged to accommodate a wheelchair at any seat. We do not have fixed booths at the accessible tables. Let us know when you make a reservation or arrive and we will set the room up before you sit.
Restroom
The accessible restroom is on the ground floor, with a 32-inch clear doorway and grab bars. The toilet is 17 inches high, and there is a 60-inch turning circle inside. We keep it unlocked — no key required. If it is occupied and you need a more spacious facility, the library across the street has an accessible bathroom open during their hours.
Seating
We have a mix of standard-height tables (30 inches) and high-top tables (42 inches). The high-tops are popular and we love them, but we understand they are not accessible for everyone. If you need a standard-height table, request it when you arrive and we will seat you there. We also have one booth that can be adjusted for easier access.
Parking
Two handicapped-designated parking spaces are located directly in front of our door on the same side of the street. They are not private spots — anyone with a valid placard can use them. The public lot a block over has additional accessible spaces. See the parking page for details.
Service animals
Service animals are welcome anywhere in the restaurant. We follow the ADA definition — a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. We do not require documentation. We do not charge a fee. We do not ask about the nature of your disability.
How we serve.
Large-print menus
We keep two large-print menus behind the counter, at 18-point font on cream paper. Ask any server and they will bring you one. We also have a braille menu available — it is not always on hand, but we can have it ready if you call ahead.
Communication access
Our staff will accommodate any communication method you prefer — writing, typing, gestures, lip reading. If you need us to speak more slowly or face you directly, just tell us. We will not take offense. We want to get your order right.
Dietary accommodations
We do our best to accommodate any dietary need. Gluten-free crust, dairy-free cheese, and no-cheese pizzas are available. Nuts can be omitted from most dishes. If a specific ingredient is essential to a dish and cannot be removed, we will tell you honestly rather than pretend.
Quiet hours
Our dining room can get loud on weekend evenings. If you need a quieter space, come earlier in the evening — the first hour of service (4:00 PM – 5:00 PM) is usually calm. We will also seat you at a corner table away from the kitchen on request.
Our website should work for everyone too.
We have built this website to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA, which is the standard the ADA recommends for websites. Here is what we have done, and where we are still working.
What we have done
- All interactive elements are reachable by keyboard alone.
- All images have descriptive alt text (or are marked decorative).
- Color contrast throughout the site meets or exceeds 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
- Form fields have associated labels, and error messages are programmatically associated with their fields.
- Focus states are visible throughout the site — never hidden or removed.
- Font sizes use relative units, so browser zoom works up to 200% without loss of content.
- No content is conveyed by color alone.
- Headings follow a logical hierarchy — one H1 per page, H2s for sections, H3s for sub-sections.
- The cart drawer traps focus correctly while open and returns focus to the trigger when closed.
- Animations respect the
prefers-reduced-motionsetting.
What we are still working on
- The embedded Google Map is an iframe — Google controls its accessibility, not us. We have provided text directions above in case the map is not accessible to you.
- Our POS integration for online orders does not yet support screen readers as well as we would like. We are working with the vendor.
- Some third-party fonts are served by Google Fonts. If they fail to load, the site remains fully readable using system fonts.
- We are investigating a fully accessible mobile checkout experience that supports voice input for phone numbers, names, and notes.
Tell us how we can do better.
If you encounter an accessibility barrier on our website or in our restaurant — anywhere, small or large — we want to know about it. We will respond within two business days, and we will tell you what we plan to do about it. If we cannot fix it, we will say so honestly.
If you need a specific accommodation for a visit or an event, call ahead and we will prepare. Please do not hesitate. The call takes five minutes and it makes a difference.
A note on legal compliance. Rustic Roots Pizza and Pasta is committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and all applicable Vermont state accessibility laws. This page was last reviewed in March 2025. Our accessibility program is ongoing — not a one-time project — and we welcome feedback at any time.