Accessibility Statement for TravelAlberta.com
Travel Alberta is committed to improving access and inclusion of tourism services and helping make travel accessible for everyone. Our web pages are designed with the latest web standards in mind and include features to make our content as accessible as possible.
Measures to support accessibility
Travel Alberta takes the following measures to ensure the accessibility of our online properties:
- Integrate accessibility into our procurement practices
- Provide accessibility training for our staff
- Assign accessibility goals and responsibilities
- Employ formal accessibility quality assurance methods
Conformance status
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. It defines three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA.
TravelAlberta.com was designed for conformance with WCAG 2.1 level AA and has been tested using both manual and automated methods. Some parts of the content may not fully conform to the accessibility standard and we are committed to improving the accessibility of these components.
Web accessibility features
The content and design of TravelAlberta.com have been carefully considered to follow accessibility best practices. Examples of accessibility features and/or considerations include:
- Colour contrast and size: Visual contrast standards and the size of elements (text, buttons, etc) have been considered throughout, including minimum contrast for text overlaid on top of images and generous font spacing/sizing to aid readability.
- Keyboard usage: Pages are navigable using either the keyboard or assistive technologies (i.e. no mouse) and focus states have been designed to advance in a predictable manner. A "skip to main content" link is included on all pages for keyboard users.
- Text alternatives: Information portrayed with rich media such as images, videos and audio include text alternatives such as alt tags or where necessary, aria labels to describe their intent.
- Responsive design: Pages layouts have been designed to reflow depending on the device size or settings including device orientation and browser zoom.
- Usability best practices: Interactive elements use standard web conventions and predictable patterns that are designed to be intuitive and easy to use. Semantic markup is included for screen readers and other accessibility tools.
Compatibility with browsers and assistive technology
TravelAlberta.com is designed to be compatible with modern web browsers including:
- Chromium Edge: Windows 10 (latest release)
- Firefox: PC and Mac (latest release)
- Chrome: PC, Mac and Android (latest release)
- Safari: Mac and iOS (latest release)
Older browsers are not fully supported and may not work as intended.
Limitations and alternatives
Despite our best efforts to ensure the accessibility of TravelAlberta.com, there may be some limitations. Below is a description of known limitations, and potential solutions. Please contact us if you observe an issue not listed below.
Known limitations:
- Third-party integrations: Embedded features from third-party providers such as social media content or feeds, mapping integrations (Google Maps), audio (SoundCloud), and video (YouTube) may be limited by the capabilities of the platform.
- Carousel functionality: Carousel and slider components on the site use a third-party library that does not fully conform with ARIA standards for hidden/focusable elements. This issue may affect some visitors using screen reader software or other accessibility tools. Updates will be implemented if and when a new version of the library becomes available.
- Directory image alt attributes: Directory content for experience providers, upcoming events, and deals are provided by third-party operators and are currently lacking accessibility features such as alt attributes. Future updates to this functionality are planned to address these issues.
- Events date picker: The upcoming events filter function uses a third-party date picker that is not fully accessible for keyboard or screen reader use. Alternatives are offered via season-specific hyperlinks that can be used to filter the results instead. Fixes will be implemented if and when a new version of the library becomes available or as part of a future directory update.
Assessment approach
Travel Alberta assessed the accessibility of TravelAlberta.com using the following approaches:
- Automated testing: All components and select pages have been tested for accessibility conformance using Axe DevTools and Google Lighthouse.
- Manual testing: Critical user flows and components were manually tested for keyboard navigation, and screen reader usability using VoiceOver on Mac.
Feedback
Questions or comments regarding the accessibility of TravelAlberta.com are welcome and we would appreciate learning of any accessibility barriers you might encounter so that we can continue to improve our online experience for all users.
Issues can be shared via email to feedback@travelalberta.com and will be addressed in accordance with our normal feedback administration procedures and timelines. Where possible, we will respond to feedback within 5 business days. However, some feedback may require more time to review and address.