Accessibility Statement

Our Commitment

EmergencyAlert Ontario is committed to providing a website and community alert application that is accessible to the widest possible audience. We strive to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA standard, which forms the basis of AODA's Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) for web content.

Because emergency alerts can affect every member of a community, inclusive access is not just a legal obligation — it is central to our mission.

Standards We Follow

This site and app are designed and maintained to conform with:

• WCAG 2.0 Level AA — W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
• AODA IASR — Ontario's Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation
• Ontario Human Rights Code — equal access for persons with disabilities

Accessibility Features

• ✓
  Colour contrast — All text meets the minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratio against its background. Button text meets 5.49:1.
• ✓
  Keyboard navigation — All interactive elements are reachable and operable by keyboard alone, with visible focus indicators.
• ✓
  Skip navigation — A "Skip to main content" link appears at the top of every page for keyboard and screen reader users.
• ✓
  Screen reader compatibility — Pages use proper HTML landmarks (<main>, <nav>, <footer>) and ARIA labels so screen readers can navigate efficiently.
• ✓
  Descriptive page titles — Every page has a unique, descriptive <title> that identifies its purpose.
• ✓
  Form labels — All form inputs have associated visible labels. Required fields are clearly indicated.
• ✓
  Language declaration — The page language is declared as English (lang="en") on every page.
• ✓
  Decorative images — All decorative SVG icons are hidden from assistive technology using aria-hidden="true".
• ✓
  Responsive design — The site and app adapt to any screen size, including mobile devices and tablets used with assistive technology.
• ✓
  No auto-playing media — Alert sounds only play in response to explicit user interaction or a new bulletin notification.
• !
  PDFs — Downloadable PDF guides (Citizen Emergency Guides, Bulletin Templates) are provided alongside fully accessible HTML versions of the same content.

Alternate Formats

If you require any content from this website in an alternate format — including large print, plain text, or audio — please contact us. We will provide the requested format within a reasonable timeframe at no cost.

Feedback & Contact

We welcome feedback on the accessibility of this site. If you experience any barriers or have suggestions for improvement, please contact us:

Known Limitations

While we strive for full WCAG 2.0 AA conformance, some third-party components may have limitations:

• Live weather radar maps are provided via Environment Canada's WMS service and may not be fully accessible to screen reader users. Text-based weather alert summaries are always provided alongside the map.
• PDF documents are provided for download but may not be fully optimized for all screen readers. HTML versions of all PDF content are available on this website.

Last Reviewed

This accessibility statement was last reviewed and updated: March 2026.

We conduct regular accessibility reviews and update this statement when changes are made to the site.