Web accessibility

Conformance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

The Web site of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) aims to conform with level AA (WCAG 2.0 AA) of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

Computer adaptation technologies  to verify conformance

The following computer adaptation technologies have been used to verify this Web site’s conformance to WCAG 2.0 AA Guidelines:

• W3C HTML validation service
• Microsoft Windows 10;
• Mac OS Mojave;
• Firefox Quantum version 67;
• Google Chrome 76;
• Internet Explorer version 11;
• Colour contrast analyser version 1.5;
• JAWS 2019;
• NVDA screen reader, version 2019.2.

Purpose of the partial conformance icon

The icon appearing in the keyboard focus means that the content referenced by the hyperlink does not fall under the control of or within the jurisdiction of the STM’s webmaster and may not conform to WCAG 2.0.

Although this situation is unfortunate, it is beyond our control and does not reduce the conformance of the STM Web site, as indicated in the Statement of Partial Conformance - Third Party Content of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.

Sometimes Web pages are created so that content can later be added to them. For example, a Web-based e-mail program (e.g,. “Contact Us” ), a blog (e.g. Society in Motion), an article that allows users to add comments, or applications supporting user-contributed content. Another example would be a page,such as a portal or news site composed of content written by many contributors, or sites that automatically insert content from other sources over time, such as ads inserted dynamically.

In these cases, it is not possible to know at the time of original posting what the uncontrolled content of the pages will be. It is important to note that the uncontrolled content can affect the accessibility of the controlled content as well. Two options are available:

1. A determination of conformance can be made based on best knowledge. If a page of this type is monitored and repaired (non-conforming content is removed or brought into conformance) within two business days, then a determination or claim of conformance can be made since, except for errors in externally contributed content which are corrected or removed when encountered, the page conforms. No conformance claim can be made if it is not possible to monitor or correct non-conforming contenté

or

2. A “statement of partial conformance” may be made that the page does not conform, but could conform if certain parts were removed. The form of that statement would be “This page does not conform, but would conform to WCAG 2.0 at level X if the following parts from uncontrolled sources were removed.” In addition, the following would also be true of uncontrolled content that is described in the statement of partial conformance:

a. It is not content under the author’s control.

b. It is described in a way that users can identify (e.g., they cannot be described as “all parts that we do not control” unless they are clearly marked as such).

Icons used for links

• Document
• PDF document
• Audio document
• External link

Adjusting text size

On this Web site, text size can be adjusted via your user agent options.The procedure varies depending on the user agent you use to browse the Web. Refer to the following tables for the proper procedure for the computer workstation you are using.

The following table shows how to increase character size using the keyboard shortcuts of your user agent:

The following table indicates how to decrease character size using the keyboard shortcuts of your user agent:

The following table indicates how to increase character size using your user agent’s menu bar:

The following table indicates how to decrease character size using your user agent’s menu bar:

Keyboard shortcuts for widgets

The Getting around page contains many interactions involving forms. Some interactions using the keyboard are unique and call for specific shortcuts.

Tabs

When the focus is on a tab, the Up and Down keys are used to move between tabs. Tabs are used in three cases:

1. To select the type of trip search the user wishes to do: Your Trip, Schedules, Maps, Fares
2. To switch from Bus view to Métro view in the Schedules and Maps sections
3. To choose a fare type in the Fares section

Autocomplete fields

When searching for an address, line number, or bus stop number, a list of choices will be displayed as soon as a few characters are typed in the search field. Use the Up and Down keys to move between choices.

Choosing the date

For fields requiring a date, a drop-down calendar opens when the focus is on them. Dates can be selected with the help of a number of keyboard shortcuts:

• PAGE UP : go to previous month
• PAGE DOWN : go to next month
• CTRL + PAGE UP : go to previous year
• CTRL + PAGE DOWN : go to next year
• CTRL + HOME : go to current month; open the calendar if it is closed
• CTRL + GAUCHE : go to previous day
• CTRL + DROITE : go to next day
• CTRL + HAUT : go to previous week
• CTRL + BAS : go to next week
• ENTER : confirm the selected date
• CTRL + END : close the calendar and erase the date
• ESCAPE : close the calendar and cancel the date change

If no date is selected, the current date is used by default.

Content trumps presentation

The poorer appearance of these pages in some browsers is in line with the very real concern for interoperability: the site’s content can be read by browsers that do not support CSS 2 stylesheets and can be accessed by screen readers and smartphones. The pages’ presentation, strictly separated from the content thanks to CSS, cannot be rendered correctly by old browsers such as Internet Explorer versions 7 and 8.

The many browsers available today are excellent vehicles for CSS presentation techniques. Because it adheres to and applies HTML and CSS standards, this site displays flawlessly. This approach also makes the site accessible to screen readers and Braille displays and enables the site’s content to be printed with perfect quality, directly from within modern browsers,  thereby ensuring the long-term usability of these pages in the Web media of tomorrow.

Progressive enhancement

Progressive enhancement is a conceptual approach that emphasizes the use of accessibility, semantic tags, and referencing. By separating content (e.g. user-contributed content) and form (enhanced presentation and advanced interactions), this technique can be used to allow everyone to access the basic content and functionality of a Web page, regardless of browser or device limitations, while providing enhanced versions of a page to those with more advanced browser software and better bandwidth.

Article on Progressive enhancement on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia