Standard

All GNWT websites must be respect internationally accepted guidelines for web accessibility.

Rationale

GNWT websites are accessed by a wide variety of users with many different accessibility requirements, ranging from the use of assistive devices to older computers. While many aspects of the CUE make accessibility inherently more attainable (larger font size, simple layout, etc…), website designers and content authors must ensure that all websites are truly accessible.

Guidelines

Web Content Accessibility

• Websites must meet all five Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 conformance requirements. Level AA conformance is the minimum.
• Websites should be tested regularly (before launch and major updates at least) to measure compliance. Designing and testing for accessibility is the responsibility of the website developer.
• GNWT websites should be compatible with the following browsers:
  • Internet Explorer 11.0 and newer (Windows)
  • Mozilla Firefox (All recent versions on Windows, Mac and Linux)
  • Google Chrome (All recent versions on Windows, Mac and Linux)
  • Safari (All recent versions on Mac)
• GNWT websites should be compatible with typical, modern smartphone and tablet devices, such as iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry and Android.
• All GNWT webpages must be print-friendly.

Non-Interference with User Preferences

• GNWT websites must support and never interfere with the operations of assistive devices, such as keyboards, touchscreens and screen readers.
• GNWT websites must never interfere with the user’s browser, such as launching pop-up windows or opening links in new windows.
• GNWT websites should not require plug-ins and features (e.g. Flash, Java, etc…) that are often disabled by users or not installed.
• Some users prefer to disable cookies, so unless required for core functionality, cookies should not be used on GNWT websites.

Low Bandwidth

• Bandwidth varies considerably across the North. Some communities have fibre optic internet connections whereas others are on slower satellite connections. It is important to make visiting any GNWT website a good experience for all users.
• A variety of steps can be taken to ensure a site is low-bandwidth by:
  • Reducing webpage size through the use of platform compression tools and simplification techniques;
  • Putting all required information for a particular task on a single page;
  • Simplifying document uploads and using a low-bandwidth versions of media rich files;
  • Indicating there file size of large documents next to the document name, so that the user can judge whether or not it is worthwhile to download.