Shout Media is committed to providing a digital environment that is accessible, usable, and inclusive to the widest possible audience, regardless of ability, technology, or assistive device.
We believe digital accessibility is an ongoing operational commitment, and we continuously audit, refine, and update our web platform to adhere to modern accessibility best practices.
1. Conformance Standard
We strive to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at Level AA.
These guidelines, established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), outline how to make web content more accessible to people with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive disabilities, and more usable for all users. Adherence to these standards also aligns our platform with the accessibility requirements of Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
2. Platform Accessibility Features
Our web applications are built with standards-compliant markup and modern accessibility design patterns, including:
- Semantic HTML Structure: Clear document hierarchies, logical heading levels (<h1> through <h6>), and meaningful landmark regions (<nav>, <main>, <header>, <footer>) to facilitate screen reader navigation.
- Keyboard Navigation: Full access to interactive elements—including menus, form controls, buttons, and links—using standard keyboard commands (Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Spacebar, and arrow keys) with visible focus indicators.
- Color Contrast: Text and meaningful user interface components designed to satisfy or exceed standard contrast ratio thresholds (4.5:1 for regular text, 3:1 for large text and active UI elements).
- Text Alternatives: Meaningful alternative text provided for informative images, with decorative graphics hidden from assistive technologies.
- Responsive Layouts: Flexible layouts supporting browser zoom up to 200% without loss of content, structural breakage, or horizontal scrolling friction.
- Form Usability: Explicitly associated form labels, clear instructional text, and programmatic error identification to guide assistive technology users through input workflows.
3. Technical Specifications
Platform accessibility relies on the following core web technologies to work across supported web browsers, operating systems, and assistive tools:
- HTML5
- WAI-ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications)
- CSS3
- JavaScript
4. Assessment and Ongoing Testing
Our accessibility validation includes:
- Automated Testing: Routine automated scanning using industry-standard tools (e.g., axe-core, WAVE) to detect common structural, contrast, and markup issues.
- Internal Manual Review: Periodic manual keyboard-only navigation checks, tab-order validation, and screen reader verification (using NVDA, VoiceOver, and JAWS) across major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge).
- Change Management: Accessibility reviews integrated into our standard staging, testing, and deployment workflows prior to major releases.
5. Known Limitations and Alternatives
While we aim for comprehensive Level AA conformance across our platform, some legacy views or third-party embedded integrations may occasionally present barriers:
- Third-Party Documents: Legacy document attachments (e.g., older PDF, Word, or spreadsheet files) created prior to current guidelines may not be fully optimized for screen reader tagging.
- External Integrations: Plugins or third-party web services that operate outside our core code repository may not fully match our internal interface standards.
If you encounter any inaccessible content, please contact us immediately, and we will provide the information in an accessible alternative format.
6. Feedback, Support, and Accommodation Requests
We welcome feedback on the accessibility of Shout Media platforms and services. If you encounter an accessibility barrier, experience difficulty using any portion of our site, or require documentation in an alternative format, our technical team is available to assist you.
Please include the web address (URL), the nature of the issue, and the assistive technology you are using so we can investigate and remediate promptly.
Organization: Shout Media
Designated Accessibility Email: info@shout-media.ca
Response Commitment: We review incoming accessibility tickets daily and acknowledge inquiries within 1 to 2 business days.
7. Formal Documentation (VPAT / ACR)
An Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) based on the standard Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT®) Version 2.5 (WCAG Edition / 508) is available to institutional evaluation and procurement committees upon request.
To request our current VPAT under a mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA), please reach out to info@shout-media.ca.