Accessibility
Accessibility at TownSuite
Last reviewed July 1, 2026
TownSuite Municipal Software Inc. (“TownSuite”) is committed to making this website and our municipal software usable by as many people as possible, regardless of ability or the technology they rely on. Because we build for Canadian municipalities and the public they serve, we know accessibility is not a nice-to-have — it is part of serving every resident fairly. This statement explains what we aim for, where we stand today, what we are still working on, and how to get help or tell us about a barrier.
Our commitment
We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA across this website, and to design with real people in mind rather than a checklist. In practice, that means we work to support:
- Keyboard users — everything important should be reachable and operable without a mouse, with a visible focus indicator.
- Screen-reader users — pages use meaningful headings, landmarks, and labels so the structure makes sense when read aloud.
- Low-vision users — text can be enlarged and the layout reflows without breaking; we provide sufficient colour contrast.
- People with dyslexia or reading differences — clear typography, generous spacing, and plain, predictable language.
- People with motor disabilities — large, forgiving click and tap targets and no actions that require precise timing.
- Colour-blind users — colour is never the only way we convey meaning.
- People sensitive to motion — animations honour the operating-system “reduce motion” setting.
Conformance status
This is a new website, and we built accessibility in from the start rather than retrofitting it. Ahead of launch we completed a full accessibility audit and remediation pass in June 2026, and the site substantially conforms to WCAG 2.2 Level AA. “Substantially conformant” means it meets the standard throughout, with the only remaining exceptions being a small number of embedded third-party components we do not directly control — listed under “Known limitations” below. We test with both automated tools and by hand, and we would rather describe exactly where we stand than overstate it.
What works across the site today:
- Semantic landmarks and skip links on every page, so assistive-technology users can jump straight to the main content.
- One main landmark per page, with a logical, single top-level heading and a sensible heading order beneath it.
- Colour contrast verified at AA or better for body text and interface elements, in both the light and dark themes.
- Keyboard-operable controls — links, buttons, the theme toggle, carousels, and menus can all be reached and used from the keyboard, with a visible focus state.
- Correct, valid ARIA — interactive controls are not nested inside one another, decorative interface mock-ups are exposed to screen readers as single labelled images rather than stray controls, and ARIA attributes carry valid values.
- No focusable content inside hidden regions — anything hidden from assistive technology is also removed from the keyboard tab order, so there are no “invisible” stops.
- Reduced-motion support — decorative and scroll-triggered animations are disabled automatically when the visitor has asked their device to reduce motion.
- Self-hosted fonts, so text renders reliably without depending on an external service.
- Labels and captions on interactive controls, including accessible names on icon-only buttons and form fields.
Known limitations and work in progress
We list the areas still in progress openly, so you know what to expect and can contact us if any of them blocks you.
- Embedded third-party components — a few interactive pieces, such as the citizen request form and the maps, are provided by external services. Their internal accessibility is outside our direct control; we are verifying it with those providers, and we offer an accessible alternative (phone or email) for any task they would otherwise block.
- Chat dialog on very small screens — the assistant works with the keyboard and a screen reader, and we are continuing to refine how completely it isolates the background on the smallest phones.
If you reach a point where any of these prevents you from doing what you came to do, please contact us using the details below and we will help you complete the task another way.
How we assess accessibility
We evaluate this website using a combination of methods:
- Automated testing and scanning against WCAG 2.2 with industry tools, run regularly as the site changes.
- Manual review informed by our own accessibility knowledge — including keyboard-only navigation and checks of headings, landmarks, focus order, and colour contrast.
- Feedback from our municipal clients and the residents they serve, which we treat as a priority signal for improvements.
The site is built to be compatible with current versions of major browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari) and to support common assistive technologies, including screen readers, in both light and dark themes. We review this statement at least annually and whenever we make significant changes.
Standards we reference
Our accessibility work is guided by the following standards and legislation relevant to our Canadian municipal and government audiences:
- WCAG 2.2, Level AA — the international Web Content Accessibility Guidelines we test against.
- Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) — including the Information and Communications standards.
- Accessible Canada Act — the federal framework for a barrier-free Canada.
Get help or report a barrier
We welcome your feedback. If you encounter a barrier on this site, need a page in an alternative format, or would like assistance completing a task, please get in touch — we aim to respond within five business days and to provide the information or help you need. Alternative formats and one-on-one assistance can be provided on request.
When you contact us about a barrier, it helps to include the page address, what you were trying to do, the assistive technology or browser you were using, and what happened. We treat this feedback as a priority signal for the improvements listed above.
Procurement and conformance reports
For municipal and government procurement, an accessibility conformance report for our software is available to procurement teams on request. Send us a request and let us know which product and standard (for example, WCAG 2.2 AA) you need it mapped to.
This accessibility statement was last reviewed on July 1, 2026 and is updated as our website and software evolve.